One aspect of the MLB Draft League that sets itself apart from other collegiate summer leagues is its implementation of technology and data. With the help of each team’s data coordinators, prospects of the league have information and analytics available in real-time to help evaluate, scout and develop their tools and game while it's distributed to the 30 Major League teams. Here are our picks for Week 5’s ‘Data Darlings.’
RHP Cooper McGrath, Trenton
McGrath has performed well in his last eight appearances: The righty has gone nine innings, allowing just two hits while striking out 13. The Trenton reliever wields a four-pitch mix consisting of a four-seamer, sinker, cutter and slider. His four-seamer and sinker average around 93 mph, with the first heater being used the most. McGrath’s cutter and slider are the two pitches that stand out the most in his arsenal. The cutter averages 86 mph and has a nice gyro shape to it, with 1” IVB and -1.8” HB that averages nearly 2600 rpm. It generates positive results with a 39.3 Whiff% and 32.1 Chase% on the season. His slider has fared similarly, averaging 82 mph and 14.2” of sweep; it has a 33 Whiff% and 33 Chase% so far.
RHP Bryson Dudley, Trenton
Dudley has been a whiff machine with a four-pitch mix in his two starts for Trenton, throwing seven innings and striking out 13 batters. He leads with a high riding FB that sits 94-96 mph; topping out at 97, it gets 19” of IVB and 10” of HB to generate a 51.2 Whiff% and 48.4 Z-Whiff%. His slider could be even better, it averages 87 mph with 4” of IVB and -0.6” of HB with an increased 72.7 Whiff% and Chase%. His secondary breaking ball is a curveball that averages 83 mph with -4.5” of IVB and -3.7” of HB. He rounds it out with a changeup thrown once at 88.6 mph with 9.8” of IVB and 14.5” of HB.
1B Landen Johnson, State College
The State College lefty has been very impressive as he went from the nine-hitter to a middle-of-the-order bat with a .339 average and .917 OPS, both of which lead the team. His bat-to-ball skills are top notch, holding a 14% Barrel% and a 29% HHB% while having four doubles and 11 RBI. Johnson sits fifth in the league with 13 walks to the tune of 18% BB%, to highlight his plate discipline with an above-league-average chase (27%), whiff (22%) and K rate (23%).
RHP Tommy Szczepanski, Mahoning Valley
The Scrappers’ go-to closer has impressed this season, boasting a 2.84 ERA with a .136 batting average against and a .218 wOBA against. Leading an interesting arsenal, his fastballs top out at 95 mph and his changeup averages an eye-catching 4” IVB, but his most impressive pitch is his sweeper. He throws it at a 32% clip and gets whiffs 40% of the time. It averages -13” of HB and 0” IVB and sits in the low 80s from a 6-foot-2 release height. His offerings contribute to his low 7% walk rate and staggering 41% K rate which has helped him accumulate the most saves on the team. He generates lots of swings with a 28% Chase rate and a 33% Whiff rate while limiting damage, with a 6% Barrel rate and only allowing three hits in five games.
C Truitt Madonna, Frederick
Prep Baseball’s No. 1 catcher in the state of Washington (fifth overall) has been great, batting .368 with a 1.198 OPS. The UCLA commit has been smoking baseballs, with a 21% barrel% and a 43% HHB%. With two doubles and two home runs in his first six games, he’s maintained a 17% K rate to contribute to a .400 wOBA, which combined with his .789 makes him truly a scary batter to face. Against sinkers, Madonna has hit a perfect 1.000 with a 1.270 wOBA and consistently squares the pitch up for a 50% HHB%.
RHP Sam Tookoian, West Virginia
In four appearances spanning nine innings, Tookoian has yet to allow a run, while only giving up one hit with 13 strikeouts. His four-seamer is his primary pitch with around 60% usage, Tookoian is able to get extreme cut on it, routinely crossing the 0 line into glove side movement territory. Averaging 94 mph and topping out at 96.6 mph, it gets 14” of IVB and 0” of HB, it misses bats at a high rate, with whiff rates north of 36%. He has two high-spin breaking balls at 2700+ rpm, a slider at 85 mph that has been up to 88mph with 1” of IVB and -7” of HB, and a curveball at 82 mph with -2” of IVB and -13” of HB. Tookoian rounds it out with a scarcely thrown changeup at 89 with 10” of IVB and 12” of HB.
RHP Connor Knox, Williamsport
Knox has performed well in his two appearances in the Draft League, striking out 10 in nine innings of work. With a four-pitch mix, his four-seamer averages 92 mph and has topped out at 95, performing well in the zone with a 26.7 IZ-Whiff%. Knox’s cutter is his best pitch, averaging 85 mph, topping out at 89 with 0” of IVB and -5” of HB, he attacks the bottom of the zone with it and has gotten results, with a 51.1 CSW%, 45.5 Whiff% and 40.9 Chase%. His curveball is a solid pitch as well at 80-81 mph with a bit of a slurvy shape plus -7” of IVB and HB. His last pitch is a kick-change at 83 mph that is able to get great vertical separation from the four-seam with 4.4” of IVB.
SS Ryan Kennell, Williamsport
Ryan Kennell has been a reliable top-of-the-lineup guy for the Crosscutters so far this season. His on-base skills mixed with plus speed and defense have created a great infielder that has been heavily utilized. He has played shortstop, second and third base, and been a DH while batting primarily second with some leadoff starts. His on-base skills are what defines his game, as he sports 17 walks (team best) with a .412 OBP. It doesn’t end there, as he has a .318 wOBA and an 18% BB% while only striking out 11% of the time. He is able to sustain these on-base numbers by having only a 9% Whiff rate and a 29% Chase rate with a minuscule 7% In-Zone Whiff%. He consistently hits balls over 95 mph, and has a Max EV of 102 mph. His value doesn’t stop in the batters box, as his plus speed has led to his team leading 37 total bases with four stolen bases and good infield defense.
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