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.
Ethan Phillips, Aberdeen: In the second half, Phillips has been one of the league’s better starters when it comes to limiting hits, tied for seventh with a .183 batting average against. With a four-pitch mix, the right-hander has a fastball, slider, sweeper and changeup. The heater sits in the 90-92 mph range with a peak velocity of 93.5 mph with 2,400-2,500 rpm of spin. Movement-wise it can generate up to over a foot of arm-side horizontal break, ranging between four and 10 inches on average. The two breaking pitches Phillips throws paints the edges with a combined 40.2% shadow rate. The slider runs in the mid-80’s with 2,500-2,700 rpm with positive induced vertical break between five to seven inches with tight horizontal break from one to five inches glove-side. The New Jersey native slows the sweeper down to the low-80’s but ramps up the spin 2,800 rpm and beyond, maxing at 3,015 rpm. Phillips adds some more depth to the pitch with horizontal break ranging between 10-17 inches glove-side with as much as 21.3 inches while possessing an induced vertical break of around negative four inches.
Jayden Hylton, Mahoning Valley: The Scrappers’ outfielder has raked since he first stepped on the MLB Draft League stage on July 18, collecting at least one hit in 11 of his 12 games, including multiple hits in six of those. Not only does Hylton hit for average (.467), he also has above average hard hit numbers and despite a 35.8% whiff rate, he’s been difficult for pitchers to get out with a put away rate of 15.9%. The right fielder carries a hard hit rate of 43.3%, max exit velocity of 105.6 mph, EV90 of 104.6 mph and a barrel rate of 10%. The former Stetson Hatter has nine walks to 12 strikeouts through 12 games, leading to an impressive .593 on-base percentage. The on-base numbers are highlighted by good zone awareness with a swing rate of just 39.6%. Hylton had no extra-base hits through his first five games before tapping into his power, picking up three doubles, a triple and blasting his first home run in the following seven games. Beyond what he provides in the box, Hylton has been productive on the bases with six stolen bases, helping him come around to score 17 times in his dozen games.
Jackson Mayo, State College: The University of the Cumberlands’ southpaw has been one of the most reliable bullpen arms in the second half, with an ability to stretch for several innings. He started his first five games with 11.2 innings of no earned runs, striking out 11 in the process. He uses three pitches, a fastball, slider and changeup and has done a strong job throwing for strikes and in the zone with a walk rate under two percent. The fastball sits in the 88-90 range, topping at 91.7 mph and spins between 2,300 and 2,400 rpm on average. Mayo’s heater has typically induced 15 to 17 inches of vertical break with around 10 inches of arm-side horizontal movement. His slider has been a strong swing-and-miss secondary with a 38.6% whiff rate, 25% when in the zone. Averaging 81.3 mph, it spins at 2520 rpm and has a tight 3.5 inches of horizontal break with 1.2 inches of induced vertical break. The changeup rounds out his attack sitting in the mid-80’s, consistently under 1,600 rpm. Movement-wise, it ranges from three to five inches of induced vertical break and has just over a foot of arm-side horizontal movement.
Billy Morris, Trenton: Right-hander Billy Morris has logged the most second-half innings for Trenton, pitching 17.1 innings and has struck out more than one per inning during that time. It’s a high-spin arsenal, starting with a fastball that sits in the upper-80’s but creates good carry, averaging 20.8 inches of induced vertical break and over 2,450 rpm spin. The fastball generates a 25.9% whiff rate and 26.1% whiff rate in zone. The real weapon for Morris however, is the slider that he spins at 2,906 rpm and has thrown at over 3,000rpm on 47 occasions, peaking at 3,328rpm. The pitch averages 78 mph with 7.9 inches of IVB and negative 10.6 inches of horizontal break. It creates whiffs at a gaudy rate of 58.3%, 50% in zone and gets chased 28.6% of the time. It works as the putaway pitch, closing out hitters a third of the time. With the Thunder just two games back of the first place Spikes, Morris and his high-spin stuff will be an important piece over the final month of the MLB Draft League season.
Elijah Cook, West Virginia: The Black Bears centerfielder put together his best week so far in the MLB Draft League, recording four straight multi-hit games, including a three-hit night on July 27 with all three hits coming at 105+ mph, peaking at 110.1 mph. Cook had seven base knocks on the week at 100+ mph and six at 105+ mph with his best coming on Thursday, July 30, at 111 mph, roughly five mph below his second-half best of 116.4 mph. Beyond the hard hit numbers, Cook has been hitting at a high level with a .297 average and has really settled in of late, carrying a .405 average over his past eight games. The Oregon graduate has some of the best overall hard hit numbers in the second half, starting with a hard hit rate of 46.4%, average exit velocity of 91 mph, EV90 of 107.9 mph and a line drive rate of 21.7%. Despite batting .381 against the fastball, Cook’s best barrel numbers come on the slider (22.2%) and changeup (10%).
Bobby Helt, Williamsport: The Lake Erie College alum made his return to the MLB Draft League on Wednesday, July 29 and retired the first seven batters he faced with four strikeouts to earn the save. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound frame immediately stands out, helping him create an average six and a half feet of extension, helping his fastball play up which already features quality characteristics on its own. Helt’s fastball sat in the 91-94 range, peaked at 95.4 mph and was difficult to square up with just five balls in play on 16 swings. The pitch averages 2,411 rpm of spin, peaking at 2,498 rpm and also averages 17 inches of induced vertical break while getting up to 21.2 inches. The secondary offering, a slider at 81.5 mph, generated four whiffs on four swings and completed a pair of strikeouts. The slider peaked at 83.9 mph with just shy of 2,650 rpm and generated whiffs in-zone, as well as chase. Helt gets ahead with the fastball, leans on the slider to put hitters away and the ability to locate, along with his extension, help elevate the value of both pitches.
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