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MLB.com - Watts-Brown originally committed to Texas Tech as a California high schooler, but the Red Raiders backed off him when he injured his shoulder playing quarterback as a senior and he wound up at Long Beach State. After redshirting while getting healthy in 2021, he made his college debut last spring, threw the school's first nine-inning no-hitter and set a school record with 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings (the fifth-best rate in NCAA Division I). He starred in the Cape Cod League during the summer before transferring to Oklahoma State, where he led the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts (124) and strikeout rate (13.6) despite an up-and-down spring. Watts-Brown's best weapon is a plus 83-86 slider that he commands better than his other offerings, showing the ability to get swings and misses in and out of the strike zone. His fastball parks at 90-93 mph and tops out at 96 with decent running action, but it's fairly ordinary in terms of velocity and life and gets hit harder than any of his pitches. He also employs a solid low-80s curveball with bigger break than his slider and an average mid-80s changeup with some fade and tumble. More athletic than physical, Watts-Brown has a slender 6-foot-3 frame and some questions about how well he'll handle a pro starter's workload. He shows some feel for pitching and should be able to refine his control and command as he gets more innings. His biggest need is to add some power or movement to his fastball so he can keep it off barrels. Video
Baseball America - Watts-Brown was a standout, multi-sport athlete in high school who excelled at baseball, football and basketball. He began his college career at Long Beach State, but redshirted in 2021 to recover from an arm injury he sustained in football. When he returned to the mound in 2022, Watts-Brown was named a Freshman All-American and his draft stock exploded over the summer when he showed improved velocity and some of the best all-around pitching upside during the summer in the Cape Cod League. In his first and only season with Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander posted a 5.03 ERA over 15 starts and 82.1 innings and led the Big 12 with 124 strikeouts and a 33% strikeout rate. He’s a good mover on the mound with a clean, fast arm, a bit of length in the back of his arm path and a three-quarter slot. Watts-Brown averaged 92 mph and touched 95 with a fastball that had around 19 inches of induced vertical break. He used that pitch less than half the time however, thanks to a high-usage, mid-80s slider that flashes plus with hard, tight spin and looks like a real out pitch. He generated whiffs at a 53% rate with the slider, with 40% usage, and often shows better feel to land it for strikes than either his fastball, his low-80s 12-6 curveball or his mid-80s changeup. Watts-Brown has fringy control and needs to improve his fastball command to make the most of a solid four-pitch mix. BA Grade:50/High Tools:Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
Twitter Reaction
Peter Flaherty III @PeterGFlaherty The Toronto Blue Jays have selected Juaron Watts-Brown.Projectable frame with an easy, repeatable operation. SL is a + pitch with 2-plane break, had an absurd 64% miss rate in ‘22. Bigger CB also flashes plus, FB up to 96.
Jeffmlbdraft @jeffMLBdraft Juaron Watts-Brown is the 4th guy from my Board to go today. He has one of the better sliders in the draft some people think he might be a reliever. I think he has a chance as a starter, needs better development but misses a ton of bats. Great athlete, he is a guy with growth
Kendall Rogers @KendallRogers think Juaron Watts-Brown will end up being a very good pick for the @BlueJays. It didn't really click for him at times this past spring, but the stuff is real and I really like the frame. That pick will look smart in due time, IMO. His best days are ahead of him.
Round 4 - 121st overall. RHP Landen Maroudis. Calvary Christian HS (FL). Bats, Throws. 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. Born December 16, 2004. Slot Value $547,100.
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MLB.com - Calvary Christian High School in Florida has one of the deepest high school pitching staffs in the country with right-hander Liam Peterson, lefty Hunter Dietz and Maroudis. Also the club's shortstop when he isn't pitching, Maroudis entered the spring third on the depth chart, but many evaluators believed he had vaulted to the top of the list based on his performance and upside. Maroudis is a solid infield prospect, a good athlete who can swing the bat well, but his future at the next level lies on the mound. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the chance to have an excellent three-pitch mix. His fastball had touched 96 mph early in the spring, though that velocity backed up a bit as he tired a bit thanks to his two-way duties. There's good ride and spin to the fastball, something sure to speak to the analytics fans. His changeup is his best secondary offering, ahead of the spike slurve he throws that's more of a frisbee-like slider than anything else, with some evaluators worrying a little bit about his breaking stuff due to how low his elbow is in his delivery. Committed to North Carolina State, Maroudis does a very good job of throwing strikes, and teams will certainly be interested in his fastball qualities as well as the upside that comes with his athleticism. Teams that think there could be another gear to reach once he stops hitting could be intrigued in the first few rounds. Video
Baseball America - Maroudis has a background as a two-way player, but his future looks brightest on the mound and he is a part of one of the deepest and most talented prep pitching staffs with Calvary Christian High in Clearwater, Fla. Maroudis has a 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame with plenty of strength in his lower half currently, but still more room to fill out and layer on good weight. Maroudis has a relatively simple operation with a three-quarter slot and some head whack and effort in his finish, with a spinoff to the first base side in his landing. His fastball has steadily climbed over the years, and now sits at 89-93 mph and touches 94. His changeup is advanced for his age, with more than 10 mph of separation off his fastball at 79-82 mph while maintaining his arm speed. It’s a potential plus pitch with impressive fade and sink to miss bats. His changeup is ahead of his breaking stuff, and Maroudis has thrown a get-me-over curveball, but showed more of a slider in the low 80s this spring. Maroudis has been a solid strike-thrower, though his fastball command can come and go, but his athleticism bodes well for his ability to make adjustments and repeat his delivery. That athleticism is also evident in his quick pickoff move as well. He is committed to North Carolina State. BA Grade:50/Extreme Tools:Fastball: 55. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 50.
Twitter Reaction
Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB Whoa. The Blue Jays landing RHP Landon Maroudis in the 4th round? Had a second-round grade on the Largo, FL prep. Really loose and athletic. Up to 96 with sink and a mirroring short slider. Was expected to be a tough sign away from NC State.
Jesse Litsch @JesseLitsch 2023 Landon Maroudis @SportsCalvary Maroudis the @NCStateBaseball commit continues to show why he is one of the better players overall in the 2023 class. Long loose arm with tons of upside. Showed great mound presence after a couple hiccups behind him. FB: 90-93 SL:79-82 CH: 83
Round 5 - 157th overall. LHP Connor O'Halloran. Bats Right, Throws Left. 6-foot-2, 190 pounds. Born September 1, 2002. Slot Value $385,000.
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MLB.com - The son of Greg O'Halloran, who played briefly with the 1994 Marlins, Connor was a mainstay on Canada's 18-and-under teams before heading to Michigan. He barely pitched as a freshman in 2021 before becoming the first hurler in school history to record multiple 100-strikeout seasons. The 2023 Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year, he's one of the most polished left-handers in this year's college class. O'Halloran succeeds more with control and deception than stuff. His lone above-average pitch is his low-80s slider, which features plenty of sweep along with some depth and works against both left-handers and right-handers. His fastball hovers around 89 mph and tops out at 93, though it plays up thanks to its flat approach angle and carry up in the zone. His low-80s changeup is a decent third offering with some fade. O'Halloran has little margin for error but makes few mistakes. He has an easy, athletic delivery with a low arm slot that creates deception without compromising his ability to throw strikes. His control and command have improved significantly this spring and he comes with a high floor as a likely back-of-the-rotation starter. Video
Baseball America - A native Canadian who spent three years with the 18U National Team in high school, O’Halloran had an up-and-down 2022 with Michigan, but showed solid swing-and-miss stuff and finished the year with 104 strikeouts in 92.2 innings. In 2023, he dominated early in the season and put together a career year, with a 4.11 ERA over 15 starts and 103 innings, as well as a 25.5% strikeout rate and career-low 6% walk rate. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound lefthander throws from a deceptive and low, three-quarter slot and is able to locate his low-90s fastball well to either side of the plate. He averaged 89-91 mph on the pitch this spring and touched 94, and will need to be able to spot the pitch with precision at the next level to keep hitters off of it consistently. His best offering is a high-spin slider in the low 80s, which boasted a 42% miss rate, and it was an equal opportunity bat-misser against both righties and lefties—though given his arm slot and sweepy shape, it should be more consistent in same-side matchups in pro ball. He mixes in a mid-80s changeup with some tumbling action that should be a key pitch for him to prevent platoon advantages in pro ball. O’Halloran doesn’t have the loudest pure stuff, but he could develop into a touch-and-feel back-end starter if he can add a few more ticks of velocity. BA Grade:40/High Tools:Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
Twitter Reaction
Taylor Blake Ward @TaylorBlakeWard 5-157. Blue Jays: Connor O'Halloran, LHP, Michigan -- Ontario-born polished arm w/ high-floor rotation upside, upper 80's FB w/ good plane and life, SL w/ sweep/depth flashes plus, playable CH w/ fade, control artist w/ starter's kit build/delivery, backend rotation/swing arm
Jeffmlbdraft @jeffMLBdraft Blue Jays take a local kid with Connor O'Halloran. He missed a lot of bats from the left side, typical control and command lefty. Not great stuff but enough to be a back end starter
Round 6 - 184th overall. OF Jace Bohrofen. Arkansas. Bats Left, Throws Right. 6--foot-2, 195 pounds. Born October 19, 2001. Slot Value $304,700.
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MLB.com - The top position player in a deep 2020 Oklahoma high school class loaded with pitching, Bohrofen was a top-three-rounds talent who ultimately couldn't be lured away from college. He didn't hit enough to claim a regular job as an Oklahoma freshman or Arkansas sophomore, though he did perform well with wood bats in the Cape Cod League in both summers. He has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the Southeastern Conference this spring and regained his former prospect status. A left-handed hitter with a sound swing, Bohrofen has improved at making contact and driving the ball in the air throughout his college career. He tried to do too much in his lone season with the Sooners, but since has learned to let his plus raw power come naturally. He has developed a more discerning eye at the plate and his prodigious strength leads to high exit velocities, though his propensity to swing and miss in the strike zone concerns some clubs. While Bohrofen will get drafted mostly based on his offensive production, he's a decent athlete. He has fringy-to-average speed and good instincts on the bases and in the outfield corners. He's a capable defender in left or right field with an average arm. Video
Baseball America - Bohrofen ranked as the No. 141 prospect in the 2020 class out of high school and stood out for his plus raw power and corner outfield profile. He began his career at Oklahoma but transferred to Arkansas in 2022, and struggled in his first year thanks to contact issues and a high strikeout rate. He turned in a career season in 2023, when the 6-foot-2, 205-pound lefty-hitting outfielder slashed .313/.431/.604 with 16 home runs and 15 doubles in 60 games. Bohrofen was on a torrid streak to start the season, but conference play brought him back down to Earth. He stands upright at the plate with a slightly open front side and has quick hands with consistent, tight turns and an explosive back hip. Bohrofen does have a pull-oriented approach that causes him to pull off the ball at times, and that has created issues specifically with contact against breaking stuff and changeups. He’s a fastball hitter who has done well with velocity and posted a 1.164 OPS against fastballs, but just an .849 OPS against breaking balls and offspeed stuff. He’s an average runner with average arm strength and should be an adequate defender in an outfield corner, though left field is a better fit than right field in pro ball. BA Grade:40/High Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 55. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 50.
Twitter Reaction
Peter Flaherty III @PeterGFlaherty The Toronto Blue Jays have selected OF Jace Bohrofen. Broke out this spring to the tune of a .318 average, 15 2B, and 16 HR. Love his operation at the plate - electric bat speed with an explosive back hip. Quality wood bat track record for Bohrofen, too.
Taylor Blake Ward @TaylorBlakeWard 6-184. Blue Jays: Jace Bohrofen, OF, Arkansas -- explosive pwr OF, LHH w/ quick hands/explosion gets barrel through zone w/ authority and abv-avg pwr, toned down swing/approach to get to off upside w/ more refinements to avoid s/m platoon outlook, fringe run w/ corner OF profile
Round 7 - 214th overall. SS Nick Goodwin, Kansas State. Bats Right, Throws Right. 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. Born September 6, 2001. Slot Value $238,700.
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MLB.com - An immediate starter at Kansas State, Goodwin tied the school's freshman home run record with 10 in 2021. He never has posted big numbers for the Wildcats, though he acquitted himself well with wood bats in the Cape Cod League last summer after struggling there the year before. He could become the program's first position player selected in the top five rounds since Jared King a decade ago. Goodwin has made more consistent contact as a junior, though scouts still consider him more of a power-over-hit guy. He uses his right-handed swing to drive balls in the air to his pull side and could provide 15-20 homers per season in pro ball. He works counts and draw walks, though he could be more selective about which pitches he puts in play. With fringy speed and an arm that rates as average to maybe a tick above, Goodwin is unlikely to stay at shortstop at the next level. He has improved his defensive consistency this spring and can make the routine play, but he profiles better as an offensive second baseman or a utilityman. He made eight errors in 27 games at second on the Cape last summer. Video
Baseball America - Goodwin had a productive spring for Kansas State in 2023 and hit .285/.394/.511 with 12 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He can impact a game in more ways than one, and also has a solid history of performance in the Cape Cod League. The athletic, 6-foot-1, 205-pound righthanded hitter has good strength in his wrists and forearms that produces good bat speed and exit velocities that can reach a maximum near 110 mph. Goodwin is a low-ball hitter and looks to lift for damage, with all of his home runs this spring going to the pull side. Though he has shown the ability to level off on pitches up in the zone, his lower quadrant average speaks much louder. Goodwin is aggressive at the plate but will take his walks. He improved his strikeout rate significantly year-over-year, going from a 23.1% strikeout rate in 2022 to a 13.5% rate in 2022. Defensively, Goodwin possesses instincts and proper actions with an above-average arm that will allow him to stay on the dirt at the next level. Second base may ultimately be his spot, but he will have the ability to move around the dirt and perhaps take on an outfield role as well. He’s a well-rounded player who fits at some point on the second day of the draft. BA Grade:40/High Tools:Hit: 40. Power: 50. Run: 50. Field: 45. Arm: 55.
Round 8 - 244th overall. OF Braden Barry, West Virginia. Bats Right,Throws Right. 6-foot-4, 190 pounds. Born February 6, 2002. Slot Value $194,600.
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Round 9 - 274th overall. OF Sam Shaw. Lambrick Park SS (BC). Bats Left, Throws Right. 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. Born February 26, 2005. Slot Value $175,900.
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Round 10 - 304th overall. RHP Josh Mollerus, Oregon. Bats Right, Throws Right. 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Born October 6, 1999. Slot Value $166,200.
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