MLB Draft Combine: Tools, comps, and future stars

July 3, 2025

The MLB Draft Combine was exactly what it was supposed to be: top-tier athletes, high-level prospects, and players with a clear pro future. For me, there are a couple of core purposes to this event.

First is the medical side and the broader showcase element — a presentation to everyone watching the game, from fans to front office personnel. Baseball is the only major sport where, once players are drafted, they often disappear into the minor leagues for years. This isn’t the NBA, NFL, or even hockey. So, the Combine matters — not just for evaluation, but for engagement.

It also gives clubs a chance to get players under the microscope — both medically and in terms of how they carry themselves. Importantly, players benefit too. If they undergo the medicals — pass or fail — they’re guaranteed 75% of their bonus slot. That takes pressure off.

But as Scott Boras pointed out in The Athletic last week — a piece I was quoted in — players don’t get to know how each club interprets those medicals. They just get the results. That creates a bit of a blind spot for players and families making tough decisions.

Once you get past the few players who separate themselves at the top — and mind you, they aren’t always the best players in the class — that’s when it gets fun. That’s when you start to see guys where you can really envision the role, the ceiling, the fit.

We had over 90 Future Stars Series players at the Combine, plus another 15–20 who didn’t make it due to College World Series commitments or injuries. So I focused primarily on the guys we knew, though others definitely made impressions, too. I settled on 24 players worth highlighting. Every one of them has a role.

Here’s how we do it in draft rooms: Name. Carrying tool. Comp. Simple. Let’s roll.

HITTERS

Kayson Cunningham, SS — Johnson HS (TX)

BATS/THROWS: L/R
HT/WT: 5-10/182

• Tool: 70 Bat
• Comp: Jose Vidro
• First-rounder with pure hit ability.

Luke Hill, IF — Ole Miss

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-1/200

• Tool: Bat/Run combo
• Comp: Aaron Hill
• Can play across the dirt; will produce and run.

Brandon Compton, OF — Arizona State

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 6-1/225

• Tool: Power
• Comp: Brad Wilkerson
• Swing and miss, but when it connects, look out.

Antonio Jimenez, SS — UCF

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-1/200

• Tool: 80 Arm
• Comp: Marwin Gonzalez
• Soph-eligible SS with playable glove and bat, but elite arm strength.

Cooper Flemming, SS — Aliso Niguel HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: L/R
HT/WT: 6-3/190

• Tool: Bat
• Comp: Ben Zobrist
• 70 bat, 60 glove — maturity and frame development will determine ceiling.

Landon Schaefer, SS/3B — Fayetteville HS (Ark.)

BATS/THROWS:
HT/WT:

• Tool: Versatility
• Comp: Chris Taylor/Jordy Mercer
• Plays up the middle — how far he goes depends on him.

Cardell Thibodeaux. OF — Southern

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 5-8/175

• Tool: Athlete
• Comp: Claudell Washington
• Corner OF who can help in CF. He’s going to hit.

Rashad Hayes, SS — Bishop O’Dowd HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT:6-1/175

• Tool: Balance
• Comp: Pokey Reese
• 55s across the board — steady profile with more if it clicks.

Brayden Jaksa, C/OF — Irvington HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-6/216

• Tool: Power
• Comp: Jayson Werth
• 60 power, long swing, could be a 30-HR guy. Catcher bat might play him off the position.

Tim Piasentin, 3B — Foothills Composite (Ont.)

BATS/THROWS: L/R
HT/WT: 6-5/218

• Tool: Power
• Comp: Kevin Maas
• Corner bat, starts at third but likely ends up at 1B or RF.

Colby Shelton, IF — Florida

BATS/THROWS: L/R
HT/WT: 6-0/185

• Tool: Hit
• Comp: Jason Kipnis
• Likely moves off short, but bat plays. Should’ve made the Main Event.

Tre Phelps, OF — Georgia

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-2/204

• Tool: Power
• Comp: Edwin Encarnación
• Didn’t work out, but he’s got juice.

Landon Hodge, C/2B — Crespi Carmelite HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: L/R
HT/WT: 6-2/195

• Tool: Defense + Power
• Comp: Mike Zunino
• Middle-of-the-field catcher with pop. Second/third-round type.

Sam Parker, OF — Chipola JC (Fla.)

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 6-4/220

• Tool: Raw power
• Comp: Willie McCovey (stylistically)
• Not a Hall of Famer, but man, the look and bat strength are real.

Eric Hines, OF — American Christian Academy (Ala.)

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 6-4/220

• Tool: Power
• Comp: Glenn Braggs (Physically)
• Power bat with a chance to hit 40. Built like an NFL first-rounder with basketball athleticism.

PITCHERS

Ma’Kale Holden, RHP — Thompson HS (Ala.)

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-1/215

• Tool: FB/CB
• Comp: Mike Jackson
• Future 70–80 fastball with a hammer breaker.

Griffin Stieg, RHP — Virginia Tech

BATS/THROWS:
HT/WT:

• Tool: Sinker/Slider
• Comp: Duane Ward
• Was up to 98 pre-injury. Heavy stuff, ends up in the ‘pen.

Mac Heuer, RHP — Texas Tech

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-4/235

• Tool: Power stuff
• Comp: Brad Penny
• 97 on the black in the Caribbean Classic. One of my favorites.

Micah Bucknam, RHP — Dallas Baptist

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-1/212

• Tool: Fastball command
• Comp: Seth Etherton
• Will play with velo, projects for a swingman/bullpen role.

Tye Briscoe, LHP/1B — Wylie HS (TX)

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 6-0/190

• Tool: Two-way athlete
• Comp: Eric Valent
• Gritty, athletic — needs growth, but intriguing.

Cameron Millar, RHP — Alhambra HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-2/195

• Tool: FB/SL
• Comp: Jeff Weaver
• 88–91 previously; now touching 97. Lives 94–95 with polish.

Dylan Wood, RHP — Franklin HS (Calif.)

BATS/THROWS: R/R
HT/WT: 6-5/205

• Tool: FB shape
• Comp: Young Edwin Jackson
• Quirky. A lot of spin. Needs polish, but there’s something there.

Alton Davis, LHP — Georgia

BATS/THROWS: L/L
HT/WT: 6-5/185

• Tool: Deception/Velo
• Comp: Darren Oliver
• Low angle, sink/slider from the left side. Tough look. Could move fast.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun Combine class — full of upside, full of questions. Players start to run together once you move beyond the top 10–15, which makes things complicated in draft rooms.

It all comes down to performance, makeup, and fit. Every one of the players I listed has a chance to play in the big leagues — and many will. The only question is who lands in the right place with the right opportunity.

Let the games begin.

Author
Recent Posts

Jeremy Booth

Jeremy Booth is the Founder and CEO of PROGRAM 15 and the President of Baseball Operations for The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series. He serves as a baseball analyst for CBS TV KHOU 11 in Houston and is the Co-Host of the Extra Bases Podcast. In addition, Jeremy is a Front Office Insider at ESPN 97.5, and his first book, Inside the Mind of a Scout, was released in 2023. As a scout, Jeremy has consulted in the player development and scouting departments for MLB organizations, including the Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Seattle Mariners, where he signed players who went on to claim major exposure and professional success.