The Arkansas Razorbacks are playing better than just about anyone in the country in April and much of that can be attributed to their scorching outfielder Jace Bohrofen.
Bohrofen has been on scouts’ radars long before the 2023 season. A high school senior in the shortened 2020 season, Bohrofen got tons of interest heading into that draft. A lack of bonus pools and spending power by teams eventually pushed him to the University of Oklahoma. He transferred to Fayetteville in 2022. Bohrofen struggled with injuries last season, but has come on like a wrecking ball in April and is positioning himself beautifully for the 2023 MLB Draft.
This month, Bohrofen is slashing .394/.524/.909 with five homers and two doubles in just ten games. He has 12 RBI and 3 stolen bases this month as well. Maybe more important than the slash line or counting stats is his approach at the plate and bat-to-ball metrics. Bohrofen is running close to an 85% contact rate this month. His contact rate on balls in the zone sits north of 94% and his average exit velocity on balls in play is north of 96 mph. According to SEC sources, that ranks inside the Top 6 in college baseball this month. He’s hitting the ball harder than just about anyone in the entire country.
It’s not just Bohrofen’s production and gaudy numbers that are catching the eyes of scouts. He’s doing all this against some of the best pitchers amateur baseball has to offer. This month alone, Bohrofen has teed off against Alabama’s Ben Hess and Grayson Hitt, Ole Miss righty Jack Dougherty, and Tennessee bluechips Chase Dollander and Seth Halvorsen. Every single one of those names is a draft arm, and the majority of them will hear their names called in the top 100 picks for their respective draft.
On the year, Bohrofen has his slash line up to .402/.533/.750. He’s pummeled ten homers and has five stolen bases on his belt as well. Reinforcing his early-season non-conference production in SEC play has his name being talked about in the second round.
Not enough people are talking about how good @jace_bohrofen is pic.twitter.com/K8OZ977AD6
— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) April 15, 2023
Bohrofen has a sweet left-handed swing built for damage with organic loft and plenty of bat speed. He’s always posted top-of-the-scale batted-ball data, but until now his swing decisions and contact rates have lagged behind his raw power. He looked like he may have been figuring some things out on the Cape this summer with Falmouth, but the swing and miss was still present and scouts weren’t sure if he’d hit enough for the power to play consistently at the next level. Those questions seemed to be getting answered. Defensively, Bohrofen is a solid-to-above average runner with a strong throwing arm. His profile is best suited in a corner. If the hit tool can serve as at least an average tool at the next level, he’s got a chance at becoming a five-tool type of player with a smattering of average-to-solid average tools; power being the calling card.
Arkansas will finish the 2023 season with weekend series’ against Georgia, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. Plenty of good arms in those programs for the upstart Bohrofen to drive the point home as we approach July.
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