Arms are starting to warm up as the calendar turns to March, and the top college pitchers are showing out and holding their stock. Meanwhile, several late Day 1 and early Day 2 hurlers are making their move.
Here are some of the best performers from the weekend.
RANKINGS: Top 300 Draft Prospects
Jamie Arnold, LHP — Florida State
RANK: 2
vs Georgetown: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO, 76 P, 51 S
Arnold sat 92-95 in this one, hitting 95 once, but struggled with fastball control. But the left-hander’s slider was outstanding, generating 13 whiffs on 25 swings.
For the season, Arnold is averaging 93 mph on his four-seamer and throwing strikes at a 67% clip, but the breaking ball has been the finisher.
Left-handed batters have had little shot thus far, collecting two hits in 20 plate appearances and striking out at a 40% clip, but right-handers haven’t fared much better (.135 AVG, 42% K).
Arnold has yet to face big-time competition, but ACC play starts in two weeks and Arnold is lined up to face loaded Wake Forest April 4 in Tallahassee.
Tyler Bremner, RHP — UC Santa Barbara
RANK: 3
vs. Fresno State: 7 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 4 SO, 74 P, 50 S
It was Bremner’s longest of three outings this season and he completely overmatched Fresno State, touching 98 mph and sitting around 95 mph most of the outing. His plus changeup was again very good, inducing seven whiffs on 11 swings, and his mid-80s slider collected three more on eight swings.
He threw all three pitches for called strikes, and the slider — the pitch under the microscope this spring — was mostly above-average in this one.
Because Bremner won’t face the best competition, his stock is all about the scouting report, and there’s a lot to like, but clubs are going to have to be convinced his breaking ball is a good one.
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP — Oklahoma
RANK: 25
vs. CSUN: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 7 SO, 96 P, 65 S
Witherspoon is an impressive right-hander with velocity into the upper 90s, something he’s showing as a starter like he has in a relief role. All 50 of his fastballs registered at 95 mph or better in this start, topping out at 98, and hitting 97 on several occasions. His final pitch of the game was a 96 mph heater.
Witherspoon, however, can spin it, too. He has a cutter (88-90), slider (85-86), and curveball (78-80), all of which have missed bats this season. He has a firm changeup he hasn’t thrown much but in the early going lefties haven’t done much about it (.200 AVG, 37% K), largely due to the competition. But Witherspoon’s ability to throw strikes with all four pitches has been key.
Right-handed batters aren’t fans (.128 AVG, 44% K), but big-league clubs have to be loving the development early on in 2025.
Kade Anderson, LHP — LSU
RANK: 47
vs. Kansas State: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO, 91 P, 56 S
Anderson continues to get outs with a good fastball that plays beyond its velocity thanks to deception and carry, and he’s getting results thus far with his mid-80s slider.
In this start he induced eight whiffs on 17 swings on that breaking ball and seven of 12 on the heater, easily making up for below-par control and command that resulted in three walks and two homers allowed.
He’s not throwing his high-70s curveball right now, but Anderson has done nothing but show development, particularly with his secondaries, and has his fastball usage down to 52% after a 66% mark a year ago. He’s even getting some value from his low-80s changeup, helping him dominate right-handed hitters (.128 AVG, 41% K).
Anderson will face Max Belyeu, Jalin Flores, and the Texas Longhorns later this month in Austin, a good test for the southpaw after a strong start to 2025.
JD Thompson, LHP — Vanderbilt
RANK: 53
vs. UCLA: 5 IP, H, 2 ER, BB, 8 SO
Thompson has thrown plenty of strikes in his first three outings with a four-pitch mix led by a low-90s fastball inducing a 30% whiff rate this far.
He was 91-94 mph this past weekend, touching 95 and getting nine whiffs on 23 swings from the Bruins’ lineup. He added seven more with his secondaries, including a low-80s slider, low-80s changeup, and a small handful of mid-70s curveballs.
Conference play will tell the full story, but early on Thompson has held batters to a .229 average and just two extra-base hits (both doubles), but right-handers have done some damage (.308 AVG), something to keep an eye on heading toward SEC play as the southpaw looks to prove he can start in pro ball.
Liam Doyle, LHP — Tennessee
RANK: 71
vs. Oklahoma State: 4.1 IP. 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 89p, 56s
He wasn’t efficient in this one, but it was otherwise more of the same from the left-hander.
Doyle threw 41 of his 69 fastballs at 95 mph or higher, including several 97s and a 98 in the first two frames. He stayed at 95 throughout his 89 pitches. Cowboys batters couldn’t catch up, whiffing 11 times in 29 swings, thanks to hop and run on the pitch in addition to the plus velo.
He threw 78% fastballs in this outing, but his slider flashed plus at 82-85 mph.
There’s effort in the delivery, a history of above-average control but has had issues with the long ball thanks to command problems and a lack of a full arsenal. At Ole Miss a year ago, he served up 12 homers, 10 to right-handed batters, three on a seldom-used changeup.
There’s reliever risk, but the stuff isn’t the problem and he’s yielded just one home run in his first three starts in 2025.
Justin Lamkin, LHP — Texas A&M
RANK: 164
vs. Oklahoma State: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO
Lamkin’s fastball sat 91-95 in this one as he located it often, generating nine whiffs on 32 swings and allowing just one hit, a single. He hung a slider that was hit hard, but it was otherwise dominant (15 whiffs, 27 swings on 37 total), showing improved depth and consistent break.
He threw his changeup just three times and it’s been hit a bit this season so if he wants to start he’ll need a weapon for good right-handed batters, but he’s added velocity to both his four-seamer and slider and has time to show a third pitch to clubs who believe he can continue to get value in the zone and throw a lot of strikes (99 pitches, 78 strikes vs OSU).
Michael Salina, RHP — St. Bonaventure
RANK: 168
vs. Middle Tennessee: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 9 SO, 81 P, 56 S
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Salina was outstanding this past weekend, working mostly with his fastball and slider, inducing 19 whiffs between the two offerings and using his changeup (4) and curveball (1) less than sparingly.
He pitched at 94-96 mph most of the game, touching 98 three times and 97 three more, but his velocity dropped to 92-93 in his final inning, probably mostly about the early season and weather since he’s held mid-90s velo into the sixth before.
The curveball has a reputation, but his changeup needs work looking ahead. He’s athletic and throws from a high slot, creating plane and a difficult-to-barrel heater.
Marcus Phillips, RHP — Tennessee
RANK: 179
vs. Rice: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, BB, 8 SO, 87 P, 62 S
Phillips threw plenty of strikes in this one, hitting 100 mph in the first and 98 in his final inning. Rice swung and missed 15 times on 41 swings, including on 5 of 11 offerings of Phillips’ mid-80s slider.
Phillips has used a changeup just 12 times in three starts, but it flashed at times, and he used a cutter in the past we’ve yet to see in 2025.
He’s built like a defensive end but is a two-way player with plenty of functional athleticism, despite fringey foot speed. It’s a lengthy arm path, which can make it difficult to repeat, throw strikes, and command pitches, but he’s walked just six of 55 batters thus far.
DOYLE: What They’re Saying — Holliday, Carlson, Fien
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