One aspect of the MLB Draft League that sets itself apart from other summer baseball leagues is its access and utilization of data capture. Each ballpark is equipped to capture live, in-game metrics and video to help further develop and scout the league’s prospects ahead of the MLB Draft.
Working with each team’s Data Coordinators, every week we’ll share a select group of players, or “Data Darlings”, who throughout the week and season have set themselves apart from the league, their trends and how it has impacted their summers.
Jui-Cheh Lin (Aberdeen): In his United States debut, Lin fared well against unfamiliar opponents, thousands of miles away from his home country Taiwan and impressed several along the way. Striking out six over three innings, he utilized his high-spin arsenal, highlighted by a sinker and slider to generate 14 whiffs. The sinker from the 23-year-old averaged at 94.2 mph and found its way to 97.4 mph amongst 40 registered pitches. However, what created it to be a “Data Darling” was the spin he was able to create with it, averaging 2,583 rpm and maxing at 2,847. He went on to spin 2700+ rpm five times with the pitch. The sinker would also average 13.6” of horizontal arm-side movement, peaking at 21.6” with 13.4” of induced vertical break. Hitters found their struggles against it as he generated in-zone whiffs two-thirds of the time with an overall whiff rate of 64.3%. Complimenting the heater, Lin possessed a tight slider with -4.2” of glove-side movement on average, spinning on average of 2,589 rpm and topped at 2,723 rpm. The breaking ball was able to cause batters to whiff four times at a 44.4% clip and 42.9% when in the zone.
Samuel Round (Mahoning Valley): Currently in the transfer portal by way of the Arizona Wildcats, all 20 sliders Sam Round threw June 3 ranked as the 20 highest spin rates through three days. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound right-hander nearly averages 3,000 rpm on the pitch, settling at 2,944, and peaks at 3,065. Round uses the pitch to get ahead, as well as put hitters away, generating a whiff rate of 56.3% and put away rate of 42.9% with impressive horizontal action at -15.3” HB and just 1.3” IVB. The Scrapper utilizes the fastball upstairs 91.7 mph and slider down at 83.2 mph to help navigate four innings of one-hit ball and has picked up half of 12 outs via the strikeout.
Keegan O’Hearn (State College): On night two of the 2026 season, Keegan O’Hearn put up the second best fastball velocity so far with a pair of sinkers at 98.6 mph. It’s not just the velocity that’s tough on hitters, but the two-way left-hander out of Michigan also averages a 5.7-foot release height which is especially tough on left-handed hitters. The sinker averaged -16.8 inches of horizontal break and generated a whopping whiff% of 54.5% and z-whiff% of 60.0%. While the fastball is the go pitch, using it roughly 85% of the time, O’Hearn rounds out his two-pitch mix with a slider that averages 84.3 mph, 2,584 rpm spin and generated a whiff on the only swing. The Canadian native picked up four of his six outs via the strikeout and possesses one of the best fastballs in the league when he’s able to work in the zone with it.
Austin Puett (Aberdeen): From Reinhardt University out of the NAIA, Puett comes to the Draft League as a power arm with a towering 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame. Puett appeared in two games this week and quickly established himself as an arm to be feared out of the IronBirds bullpen. In his second outing this week, the right-hander ran his sinker up to 98.8 mph which is the hardest to-date this season. The pitch averages 96.4 mph, 13.4” IVB, 12.2” HB and owns a whiff rate of 32%. Puett works off the sinker, throwing it 75.7% of the time and fills up the zone with it, landing it for strikes 71.4% of the time and is still yet to allow a hit on the pitch. The go-to secondary offering is the curveball at 80.2 mph and the pitch averages a whopping -20.1” horizontal break to just -4.5” induced vertical. Puett has been one of the more electric arms through the first week and generates a ton of swings with a z-swing% of 94.7%, leading to a z-whiff% of 38.9%.
Maddix Dalena (Williamsport): Currently in the transfer portal out of Connecticut, Maddix Dalena has entered the MLB Draft League scorching baseballs and surely has put some NCAA programs on notice. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound left-handed hitting first baseman has flashed his power with two of his four hits going for a home run and double while three of his four hits came off the bat at 101+ mph. Dalena’s exit velocity has peaked at 109.5 mph (single) while his home run travelled 418 feet to the opposite field at 104.2 mph. Beyond the power that’s produced a hard hit% of 42.9% and barrel% of 14.3%, Dalena has also showcased a good approach and bat-to-ball skills early on. Through three games, the Cutters first baseman is yet to strikeout while walking twice and is whiffing just 21.1% of the time. The Pennsylvania natives punishes mistakes, owns the top of the strike zone, hits balls hard to all fields and has been difficult for pitchers to put away.
Elijah Foster (Trenton): The right-hander out of the University of South Carolina was one of the league’s most effective pitchers last week and that success was led by his cutter that he throws 68.2% of the time. The pitch averages 89.7mph, has been up to 91mph and spins at an average of 2556 rpm and max of 2700+ rpm. It features 12.7” IVB and -2.9” HB. Through 6.1 innings, the cutter has generated a Whiff% of 41.4%, Z-Whiff% of 28.6% and Put Away% of 27.8%. The four-seam fastball has been up to 93.7 mph, 2,750+ rpm spin and averages 16.5” IVB and 3.0” HB, peaking at 20.1” IVB and -6.5” HB. The changeup plays well off the vertical fastball, averaging 86.5 mph, averages 15.3” HB and has been up to 20.1” HB. The three pitches include different characteristics that have allowed him to limit hard contact and generate ground balls. Foster’s impressive ball in play numbers include an average EV of 82.4 mph, Hard Hit% of 7.7%, Ground Ball% of 61.5% and Line Drive% of 0%. As if the stuff doesn’t already play, the pitcher who’s just six-feet tall averages nearly 7-feet of extension. The Thunder long relief man has been a key piece to Trenton’s 5-0 start to the season, earning a win in both of his appearances.
Enger Paulino (Williamsport): Entering the transfer portal after his junior season with St. Bonaventure, Paulino’s MLB Draft League debut saw primarily two pitches that spun no less than 2,550 rpm. The fastball averaged at 91.9 mph with plenty of ride at an average 18” of induced vertical break, peaking at 21.3” (20+ inches five times). Paulino spun the pitch on average of 2,703 rpm with his highest rates of 2,794 rpm tied to his second-fastest pitch of the game at 94 mph (overall fastest pitch of 94.2). The fastball excelled at missing bats with 10 whiffs with an in-zone whiff rate of 54.5% (thrown 38 times) and had a put away rate of 57.1%. As his offspeed offering, Paulino’s slider featured -8.3” of horizontal movement at 83.1 mph and further showcased his ability to spin the ball with an average rpm of 2,867, maxing out at 3,070 rpm.
Beau Sylvester (West Virginia): Returning to the MLB Draft League, Sylvester has already picked up where he left off in terms of power production. Through 15 games in 2025, the Arizona Wildcat graduate’s best home run was a 413-foot blast that went 103.6 mph off the bat. Good for the fourth-longest of the first half that season. In his third game of 2026, Sylvester went deep, surpassing for his best home run exit velocity at 104 mph and then the following night elevated it even more. Not only was it his hardest-hit ball all-time in the Draft League at 107.5 mph, but it would be his personal league best and the farthest of the first half to date at 423 feet. Since 2022, the swing calculated to be the MLB Draft League’s 13-longest home run across an entire season.
Tyree Reed (State College): After slashing .401/.540/.650 with 24 extra-base hits in an All-SWAC First Team season for Jackson State, Reed started the summer in a loud way. After a hitless Opening Night, the 23-year-old slugged the first two-home run game of the year the following night and has recorded one hit in each of the last four games. The left-handed bat’s first long ball traveled 379 feet to left center field with an exit velocity of 103.1 mph. He followed that up two at bats later by going 422 feet to dead center off the bat at 104.4 mph. Through the first six games, Reed has averaged an even 90 mph off the bat with a hard-hit rate of 42.9% and barreling the ball 21.4% of the time. Having seen 122 pitches through the first week, a selective swing rate of 32% has allowed him to skillfully calculate the right pitch to hit that has resulted in a BABIP of .333 and coming through in the moment with a wOBA of .483 (.466 xwOBA).
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