Bullet point summary by AI
- This year’s MLB Draft has several late-round prospects with immense upside that could redefine team rosters.
- Each player combines rare tools with either proven hitting ability or explosive power, creating a high ceiling despite lower draft positions.
- The debate over which sleeper will deliver the most immediate impact could shape minor league strategies for years to come.
Most of the headlines in this year’s MLB Draft involve guys like Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey, and understandably so. That trio is expected to be selected in some order with the first three picks of this year’s draft, and could all be future stars in the Majors. The draft is more than three picks long, though.
The players below are expected to go much later in the first round, if not even beyond that. But while they might be overlooked now, they won’t be for long.
OF Zion Rose, Louisville
Zion Rose is one of the best pure hitters in this year’s class. He displayed a combination of contact and power few could match at Louisville, ending the season hitting .417 with 19 extra-base hits in 36 regular-season games. He even added 24 stolen bases to his ledger while drawing more walks (19) than strikeouts (15). Oh yeah, and he finished with a .491 on-base percentage, which essentially means he reached base half the time he stepped up to the plate.
The bat plays. His defense is a clear concern, though, and that’s why he’s projected to go late in the first round, if not in the second round. Rose was a catcher moved to the outfield, and while he’s certainly athletic enough to play in a corner, he has not looked the most comfortable. This will undoubtedly scare some teams away, but his bat is too good to pass on, especially with him being a good enough athlete to eventually become a good enough defender in a corner outfield spot.
OF Trevor Condon, Etowah (GA)
MLB’s best rookie this season has been Kevin McGonigle, a left-handed hitter who made solid contact at an elite rate yet was overlooked because he was undersized and wasn’t a freak athlete. Trevor Condon has drawn some comparisons to McGonigle, as an undersized left-handed hitter, and he has even more speed than McGonigle does.
His combination of contact and speed in the outfield gives him an incredibly high floor as someone who should spray the ball all over the diamond and play quality defense. If he can tap into power as McGonigle has, then whoever selects Condon will be beyond thrilled.
OF Sawyer Strosnider, Texas Christian
While Condon has an incredibly high floor, Sawyer Strosnider is the opposite. His floor is not quite as high, because his hit tool is a major concern. Strosnider hit just .273 with 43 strikeouts in 50 games. Now, he did draw 43 walks, so his on-base percentage was over .400, but his in-zone contact rate is not where anyone would want it to be. That’s concerning, as not enough contact in college could lead to real trouble in professional baseball.
With that being said, his other tools are too eye-popping to overlook. Strosnider is given a 60 grade for both his power and his speed, meaning he’s well above-average in both areas. He’s a terrific athlete who can hit a ball 450 feet in his sleep. That kind of combination is hard to find, particularly late in the first round, where Strosnider is projected to go. There’s a lot of risk, but also a lot of reward on the line with Strosnider, and the upside is high enough for him to be considered more than just a later sleeper.
RHP Cade Townsend, Ole Miss
What makes Cade Townsend interesting is that there just isn’t as much tape to go off of. He only played one year of high school baseball, threw fewer than 100 innings in his two collegiate seasons, and he missed some time this past season with shoulder inflammation in his pitching shoulder. He was unable to even pitch in Omaha while his team made a run to the College World Series. Still, while it’s fair to be concerned about the track record or lack thereof, the stuff is just too good to ignore.
Townsend throws hard and has a legitimate five-pitch mix, headlined by a curveball and a slider, both of which were given a 60-grade by MLB Pipeline. He could certainly use a bit more development, but he has the stuff to be a very solid starting pitcher in this league. The limited track record will likely cost him some, but make no mistake – this is one of the best pitchers in this year’s class.
