Luke Leto
SS 6-2 190 Portage Central HS (MI)
PG -
Luke Leto is a 2021 SS/RHP with a 6-2 190 lb. frame from Portage, MI who attends Portage Central. Big and strong athletic build. 6.72 runner, has good athleticism on defense, moves well for his size, rotational thrower, third base profile moving forward. Left handed hitter, hits from an open stance with a well timed glide into contact, has strong hands and can drive the ball to all fields, showed advanced barrel to ball skills to go with his strength and bat speed
3. Luke Leto, INF, Portage Central High School (Michigan)
When evaluating very young talent, it’s important to look at tools. It’s also important to look at performance. Luke Leto has such a good history of both, I wrote a post about him on this very site a year ago. Simply put, in every chance Leto has gotten to prove himself against the best competition his age, he’s succeeded. Not just in high school but for Team USA as well, where he absolutely raked against the top international competition. The kid has the skill and range to play any position in the infield. The only knock on him is he’s not likely to possess plus power, but then again, neither was Francisco Lindor. So what do we really know? It’s likely he stays up the middle unless he grows quite a bit over the next few years.
Luke Leto – 3B/OF: Someone most had inside their Top 10 as the 2021 class got rolling, and I was one of them. Has some concerns on the defensive side of the ball, a SS now, won’t stick, 3B or LF is the fit long-term. Early in the summer some concerns of his ability to tap into the Power (50 Game, 60 Raw) But lately, the swing has shown more consistency and ability to turn on balls with some power to the pull side and get a bit away from his mostly CF-LF Approach, which is good, but you want to see some consistent Power with Leto. If he shows that, we will see Leto start creeping back into the Top 15 and a potential 1st Rounder with Middle of the Order upside.
Mack observation -
I have no problem having a shortstop with limited power. I want mine to make the defensive plays and hit for average.
Leto fits that bill, but he also is projected to move to third base in the future, which is a position I do demand power from.
Leto will be a good pick for some team but not mine.
Levi Prater
LHP 6-0 180 Oklahoma
10/20/2016 - The Oklahoma commit has a wiry 6-foot, 175-pound fame. Prater works slightly across his body, loose arm action, high-3/4 slot, deep takeaway, longer in the back, drop-and-drive guy, will change slots occasionally. Fastball sat 84-87 in Jupiter (though he has been up to 89), flashes occasional arm-side run. Curveball sits 70 mph, early break, 12/6 shape.
Medium -
Levi Prater — Oklahoma
Levi Prater, like teammates Cade Cavalli and Wyatt Olds, was better than his ERA, which, along with his batting average, wOBA, and H/9, were inflated by his extremely high BABIP of 0.380 that I believe was due to OU’s poor defense behind them. Prater’s peripherals improved from 2019 to 2020; his K/9 seeing a rise up to 12.55 and his BB/9 falling to 3.80, which is higher than you’d like, but it’s fine if Prater is going to be striking out 12 guys per 9 IP.
Prater was hurt by the poor Sooner defense, but it didn’t stop him from posting a strong season underneath the surface in his 23.2 IP.
2020 stat line - 4-starts, 1-0, 3.42, 23.2-IP, 33-K
Mack observation -
It is obvious that Prater’s fastball has come a long way from that Prep Baseball report. His control (10-BB in 23.2-IP) still has a ways to go.
There is a ton of starter talent in this draft but all of it is from the right side. I’m not going left this year.
Thomas Dilandri
OF 6-3 195 Home Schooled (NV)
PG -
Thomas Dilandri is a 2021 OF/RHP with a 6-3 195 lb. frame from Las Vegas, NV who attends Palo Verde. Outstanding athletic build with plenty of room to get stronger. 6.70 runner in the sixty, moves well to the ball in the outfield with fluid athletic action, fields cleanly out front, long and loose arm action with plus carry and arm strength when he's on top of the ball. Right handed hitter, hits from a wide base with an easy and loose swing, has simplified elements of his swing, hit the ball out front well and creates some lift and torque, has big power potential to develop
MLB -
Thomas Dilandri, OF, Home School (Nev.) -- The TCU commit showed off some exciting tools, with plus raw power (albeit with some swing-and-miss concerns), excellent run times and a strong arm that also fires 90-93 mph fastballs off the mound.
8/18/19 - TCU Commit 6-foot-3 195. Simply put, DiLandri is “tooled up”. He has present strength in an athletic build that is well proportioned. He consistently runs well, but due to some tenderness sat out the 60-yard dash this time around. He has electric bat speed, posting an event best 101 MPH exit velocity off the tee. His first swing in BP drove the ball beyond the fence. At times there is so much strength and bat speed, he can be a little short through the zone, but contact is loud to the middle and pull side of the field consistently. Defensively, DiLandri has a strong arm with a positional velocity of 89. He has a longer exchange with some violence to his throwing action but his arm strength makes up for any loss of time in transition. His tools provide the ability to profile at all three outfield spots and be a middle of the order type bat at the next level.
DiLandri is a 2-way prospect going into his junior year. The TCU commit is physically gifted with an athletic body that definitely looks the part on the ball field. On the mound, Thomas displayed good mound awareness with a smooth, clean delivery. Staying back over the rubber during leg lift, Thomas gathers and accelerates down the mound into foot plant, with good shoulder/hip separation. Arm action is clean with plenty of arm strength, throwing from a 3/4 slot, Thomas FB clocked in 88-90 touching 91. Thomas did not throw any breaking pitches but did use his CH 79-81, as his off speed out. Thomas will be one to follow in the 2021 class of prospects.
Mack observation -
I hate two way players. Pick a position, stick to it, and come to the draft with that direction.
Dilantri does look like a decent pitcher, but you have to draft this man beast for his power with a bat in his hand.
I like him. In fact, I like him a lot.
My hopes he is still around when I pick in the fourth round.
Carter Holton
LHP 5-11 175 Benedictine Academy (GA)
PG -
Carter Holton is a 2021 LHP/1B, OF with a 5-11 175 lb. frame from Guyton, GA who attends Benedictine Military. Medium athletic build with good present strength. Tall on his back side with a good hip turn over the rubber, compact quick arm from a 3/4's to extended 3/4's arm slot, creates good angle through the zone, has some energy through release, full body delivery. Worked consistently in the low 90's with his fastball, has been up to 96 mph at other Perfect Game events, attacks the zone with his fastball. Tends to slow his body and arm on his curveball, gets some spin when on top of it. Showed some confidence in his change up. Good athlete with a strong arm who has had incredible performance numbers throughout his career.
Carter Holton - This guy’s inning may go down as the most impressive one in my book. Earlier this summer, Holton was sitting in the low-90s with his fastball and the breaking ball fluctuated between slider and curveball. In OKC, he came out guns blazing with the fastball sitting 94-96 MPH with run to it and paired it with a slider and curveball that had more definitive shapes to them. While he did give up a single to Alex Mooney to start off the inning, he came back with strikeouts of Jordan Lawlar (95 FB) and Ian Moller (96 FB) and got Max McGwire to ground out on another fastball. The heater was a lethal pitch, but some work with his command is definitely needed, particularly on the slider. The slider is a low-spin pitch that, while it has shown improvement, needs more refinement in the near future.
Carter Holton – LHP: Quick riser throughout the summer. Holton is an undersized put powerful Left-Hander. With a Plus (60)Fastball touching 96 regularly but generally sits 93-94. Generating some of the best arm speed of any pitcher in the class with plus extension that helps make his Fastball a true weapon at the next level and shows legitimate Swing and Miss potential. He also has a Curveball that shows some inconsistencies, and a Changeup that shows (55) Above-Average. A bit of a high effort delivery, and improvements needed in the secondaries, so there is some pen risk, and would likely figure into the back end of a Bullpen.
MLB -
Carter Holton, LHP, Bendectine Military (Ga.) -- Committed to Vanderbilt, Holton is a slightly undersized lefty with a lot of arm strength. He was 90-95 mph during his two scoreless innings with a low-to-mid 70s curveball. There’s some effort, leading to some reliever risk.
Mack observation -
Excellent talent here but a little undersized for me. There are too many 6-3 and 6-4 righties that I would go after before Holton.
Now, if he was still around on day three, I would draft him as a reliever. Maybe even a closer.
Izacc Pacheco
3B 6-4 220 Friendswood HS (TX)
PG -
Izaac Pacheco is a 2021 SS/RHP with a 6-4 220 lb. frame from Friendswood, TX who attends Friendswood. Outstanding athletic build, has really improved his physique since last seen. 6.96 runner in the sixty. Third base build and likely future but looked very athletic and mobile at shortstop defensively, light on his feet for his size and rounds the ball well with good footwork, gets on top of his throws with very good carry. Left handed hitter, hits from a slightly open stance, easy tension free swing with some uphill swing plane, gets plus carry off the barrel when he squares it up, can get mistimed occasionally but has huge offensive upside.
MLB -
Izaac Pacheco, 3B, Friendswood HS (Texas) -- The Texas A&M recruit who comes in at No. 6 on our Top 15 had a couple of hits on Sunday, showing better contact skills to offset some of the swing-and-miss concerns that have cropped up. He has tremendous raw left-handed power and will almost certainly move to third at the next level.
Izaac Pacheco – 3B: If you like Left-Handed Power look no further then, Izaac Pacheco. Possessing legitimate (70) Grade Raw Power. But the story doesn’t end there for Pacheco. He grades as a potential Plus (60) fielder at 3B. And legitimately has SS tools to stick if he weren’t 6’4 220lbs, likely forcing him off the position. He runs well for an athlete his size and is athletic enough to handle an OF position, likely RF with his strong arm and overall athleticism should be a seamless transition if ever needed. With any improved showing with the hit tool and ability to pick up spin over the next few months, we could see Pacheco climb into 1st Round consideration.
8. Izaac Pacheco, SS/3B, Friendswood High School (Texas)
Izaac Pacheco hits left, hits often, and hits loud. The truth is it doesn’t matter where he plays in the field because the potential in his bat is up there with the top prospects in the draft. He has huge power potential. He hit six homers in just 29 at-bats in 2020. There is also above-average speed here but that might be negated if he grows more — he’s already 6’4 and 200 pounds. His size will likely also decide where he plays in the field, likely eliminating his future at shortstop.
Mack observation -
Pacheco projects as a future Alex Rodriguez.
The power potential is enormous. Will probably outgrow any position in the infield and, because of his strong arm, could wind up in right field.
He would be the perfect draft pick for a team looking for a RFer in 2025.
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