https://medium.com/@oliver.mitsuo/2027-mlb-draft-top-100-prospects
Picks 1-3:
1. Dax Whitney (RHP,
Oregon State)
6' 5", 220 lbs
Whitney looks the part of a truly special pitching prospect.
He’d gotten first round buzz in 2024 as a prep arm from Idaho, but his price
tag was ultimately too steep, and he ended up at Oregon State. He took a chance
on himself and the program, and it’s paid off in spades.
Whitney has grown into an athletic 6' 5" frame, with a high waist and long levers. Working the 1B side of the rubber, Whitney lands closed off. It’s a gorgeous mover on the mound, with a short arm circle, attacking from an over-the-top slot with some shoulder tilt that’s tight to the body. It’s a loose, whippy arm action, up to 100 mph with massive cut and ride from a higher launch.
He’s 96–99 mph in extended outings with strong extension,
with so much power behind the fastball that he effortlessly blows back hitters
with it, anywhere in the zone. It’s got the look of a potential double plus
heater.
Whitney’s got a cacophony of brilliant secondaries to compliment the big fastball. He’s got great capacity for spin, with spin rates frequently eclipsing 2900 rpm on the breaking balls. There’s separate slider and sweeper shapes that can blend together in terms of velocity, in the mid-to-upper-80s.
The slider shape stays on plane vertically, a true slider that possesses some lift. In the similar velocity range, the sweeper has hard, late break off the fastball with more depth and sweep.
The slider looks plus, while the sweeper could be double plus. They’re both hard, sharp, and with legit bend and break off of the fastball, pitches he executes well.
His third
breaking ball is a curveball that’s he’s shown to manipulate. It’s got a ton of
depth, with hammer qualities sometimes in the low-80s, but he’ll throw it down
into the mid-70s as well, as more of a strike stealer. This certainly looks
like an above-average offering.
Whitney’s feel for a changeup doesn’t disappoint when it
comes to the other pitches, as well. Thrown in the 86–90 mph range, Whitney
really kills spin well on the pitch, with conviction and feel that’s
sequentially improved over time. It works off the steeper heater well, with
strong vertical and horizontal separation, darting arm-side. It, too, looks
like a plus pitch.
What Whitney does is truly generational. It’s double plus velocity, five pitches with differential shapes, feel and conviction to throw and execute all of them, strong strikes, and an extended track record of punching tickets at a high level. It’s four or more plus pitches, with more than one possessing double plus upside, all his pitches generating ample whiff and chase.
This is the kind of pitcher a ten-year-old crafts up in a video
game. It’s a skillset that seems almost fictional in how outlandish it is.
There is not a nit to pick in the skillset and profile. The only singular one is the unfortunate circumstances of health. Whitney underwent UCL surgery in May of 2026. The outlook is still unclear, but there’s a solid chance that Whitney does not throw another pitch before the 2027 draft.
That
means that Whitney’s draft stock may be essentially set. But that does not
eliminate the fact that he is certainly the most talented player in the class.
This is true frontline, ace potential who could win some awards.
2. Brendan Lawson (3B/SS,
Florida)
6' 3", 215 lbs, L/R
Lawson is a large, imposing left-handed hitter who has
turned himself into one of the most exciting bats in the country. The
physicality and underlying toolkit is immense, and the upside is impressive.
Lawson starts tall, with a higher handset and narrow feet. He’s got interesting triggers, almost akin to a toe tap into another toe tap, varying and manipulating his forward move often in order to be on-time. Despite the odd variety to it, Lawson is able to create space and get into his lower half, and consistently be on-time. He seems to see the ball well and early, helping him get away with this.
The swing is simple and controlled, with big bat speed generated by strong wrists and natural loft. Lawson covers all quadrants of the strike zone effectively, and shows impressive adjustability for a slugger type, especially when it comes to recognizing and adjusting to spin. He makes plenty of contact, and it helps his immense raw power.
Lawson easily surpasses the plus raw power threshold, and hammers the ball with such consistency that it could be double plus, with an authoratative feel for the barrel. There’s certainly 30 home run upside here, and he’s got the approach, and the hitting chops to be an above-average hitter. He’s shown not only capable of slugging it, but getting to balls way outside the zone and doing something with them he has no business doing, a deadly combination.
Lawson is a Canadian
player who has played in various wood bat summer leagues since he was a
prepster, and his track record with a wood bat is as good as it gets, another
large box to check off.
Lawson has ample athletic tools to back up the bat. He can register plus run times, and has manned shortstop for Florida in recent times. He’s rather large for the position. He can look good charging in on balls and bending his body to make throws, but his hands and internal clock can be a bit sluggish, suggesting he’s likely to move off the position.
Third base is the
natural endpoint, where his above-average arm strength will play comfortably.
He could be an above-average defender there, as well. He’s been willing to
steal some bags on occasion, though he’ll tend to pick and choose his moments
to strike.
Lawson has an exceptionally well-rounded profile centered around a hitter who has the size, metrics, power, and track record with a wood bat to move quickly up the ladder.
He’s hit at very stop, against the best
competition at the collegiate level. The offensive upside makes him a true
middle of the order threat.
3. Landon Hairston (OF,
Arizona State)
5' 11", 195 lbs, L/L
Hairston was absolutely unreal as a sophomore, the best
hitter in the entire country, and the runner up for the Golden Spikes as a
sophomore. Simply put, the combination of both hit tool and game power he’s
shown is unmatched.
Hairston makes it look so simple and easy in the box. A left-handed hitter, Hairston’s got a bigger leg kick with a bit of a mild hitch to the load, which can be a touch inconsistent at times. But he’s generally slotted, and boasts unbelievable feel for the barrel.
Hairston’s a smaller guy, but he punches well above his size. He doesn’t need to sell out for the pull-side at all, with both the ability to blast it pull-side, and launch it on his back-side with authority, as well. He utilizes good natural loft and leverage in the swing to naturally output loud game power while not sacrificing his impressive hitting ability.
Hairston has shown he matches up well against premier stuff, and even when he’s fooled, or chases out of the zone, he shows loose hitting hands that will allow him to still flick an extra base hit down the line the other way. He’s on the aggressive side of things, but has all the right to be so, given his insane production and effectiveness.
Hairston is,
simply put, one of those players who looks like he’s in a whole different
league than everyone else on the field. He’s got a good chance at plus hit and
plus power. He plays with a competitive fire.
Hairston’s athleticism has steadily improved, too, a more silent part of his game. He’s now gotten tried out in center field, where he looks sneaky solid. He’s a solid average runner who lacks the raw athleticism to stick there in the long run, but it’s allowed him to show that he has good instincts and takes efficient routes to the ball in the outfield.
He should
play there until he shows he can’t any longer, but even if a move to left field
is likely, all he’s shown lends confidence he’ll be a strong defender in a
corner, and won’t need to shift to first base down the line, a legitimate risk
when he was a freshman.
Surprisingly, there actually isn’t much precedent in recent history for a shorter left-handed hitting left fielder with legit plus hit, plus power. That does seem more like a funny little coincidence than it is indicative that the skillset won’t translate.
At the very least, Hairston
should be a big league caliber hitter. It would be difficult to see otherwise.
