Just Baseball
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https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb-draft/kaiden-mccarthy-reclassification-prep-pitching-class/
On Tuesday night, it was reported that the 2026 class would be getting another significant upgrade, as highly-touted RHP Kaiden McCarthy has reclassified and will be eligible this July.
The Vermont native will join a robust prep pitching class
that looks to be one of the strongest in recent years. Ben Badler of Baseball
America was the first to break the news.
McCarthy is lauded for his athleticism, clean operation, and
dynamic arsenal. He repeats his mechanics very well, which features absurd arm
speed from his three-quarters arm slot.
McCarthy generates excellent hip/shoulder separation at foot
plant, keeps his arm on time, and features significant scapular retraction.
It’s as good as it gets when it comes to pitching mechanics, especially from
someone this young.
The fastball jumps out of his hand, getting on hitters
quickly and hammering the strike zone with it. To date, McCarthy has already
run his heater up to 97 MPH, generating significant tailing life during its
life. He’ll generate carry when he commands it on the upper third of the zone.
His best secondary is a parachute-esque cambio in the
upper-70s that features significant velocity separation and tumbling action.
The pitch hammers the brake pedal viciously on its way to
the plate, falling off the table in the process. He has the confidence and
conviction to throw it to batters of either handedness, giving him an advanced
feel for the offering already.
There’s a breaking ball with traits to like in the same velocity band as the change-up, too. He’ll generate good vertical depth out of the hand and features a slight tilt.
Tobey
Schulman
@tschulmanreport
A big piece for Southern Miss is back in Hattiesburg for 2026. Matthew Russo, 6-ft-2, 255 lb senior INF, slashed
.290/.407/.563 with 18 HR, and a 134 wRC+.
Tied for 2nd in HR's across the Sun Belt in 2025, with a 10%
BB%, and 18.3% K%.
6-ft-5 RHP Blake Bryant is
an intriguing prospect heading into the '26 draft. A mid-90s FB that has toyed
with the best hitters his age, he pairs it with a plus low-80s SL.
Solid 4-pitch-mix at 18-years-old, with room to grow.
Clemson commit
Senior 1B/OF Jack Hopko is
back with Rhode Island for the 2026
season. 16 HR & a 1.02 BB/K in '25, he'll be arguably the biggest spark
offensively for the Rams this spring. 2nd in HR on the roster behind White Sox
'25 draft pick Anthony DePino.
Chase Brunson, CF, TCU
Drafted in the 18th round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023, Brunson hit
.291/.390/.426 in 177 plate appearances as a freshman. His carrying tool right
now is his feel for contact; he had a 15% whiff rate last year, and showed he
can hit fastballs and breaking balls equally well. Brunson’s raw power is a
tick above average, but he wasn’t able to capitalize on it due to his high
groundball rate. His swing is a bit clunky, but there is plenty of time for him
to learn how to lift the ball better and smooth things out. Defensively, he
shows decent range in center with an average arm. Brunson has an odd gait but
still records above-average run times. At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he’s on the
larger side for center field and might end up in an outfield corner, but for
now, he can hold his own in center. Depending on the exact timing of the 2026
draft, he might end up getting drafted on his birthday (he was born on July 7),
which would be fun. Brunson should anchor the Horned Frogs’ lineup this year
and next, and will likely be a first round pick.
4 comments:
Hey Mack, what do you think of McCarthy? He should drop to 27th, no?
Kaiden McCarthy looks like a beast…and warrior.
he looks like the real deal and, yes, he could be there at 1.27
this is the kind of player you want on your team
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