HT/WT: 6’8/220 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: South Walton (FL) | Commitment: Florida | Projected Age: 18.7
Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 220 pounds, Lord towers over opponents while on the mound. He’s built rail-thin and has extreme length to his body, giving him immense projection that few can match. However, while most kids his size tend to struggle with repeating their mechanics, Lord does a solid job of controlling his limbs and staying compact.
Lord employs drop-and-drive mechanics, moving well down the mound with good extension at release and a clean arm swing with impressive hip/shoulder separation. His arm speed is also notable. He can vary his arm angle and release point somewhat, though that should tighten as he adds more weight to his frame.
He has the look of an arm that can sit in the mid-to-upper-90s in time. Currently, he’s already flashed big velocity, reaching up to 97-98 MPH in shorter bursts. He typically sits 91-95 MPH over longer outings, and despite a steep angle to the plate, he misses bats in the zone and has quality carry and life. He toys with his fastball shape and mixes in a running two-seam that can tie up right-handed hitters’ hands.
So far, he’s flashed two types of breaking balls, though they can blend into slurves at times. At its best, his curveball is a hard upper-70s pitch with bite and an 11-5 shape, though he varies the sweep. It will become more consistent as he develops.
He’s also played with a change-up in the mid-80s that shows good upside, with depth and tumble to lefties, although he hasn’t used it much.
There is significant upside in Lord’s profile, given his projection and arsenal, which provides a development team with a solid foundation to build upon. Lord is committed to the University of Florida and will be 18 years and 7 months old on draft day.
HT/WT: 6’3/210 | Bat/Throw: R/R | School: Keller (TX) | Commitment: Tennessee | Projected Age: 18.11
One of the top two-way athletes in this class, Koeninger is a sturdy, extremely athletic player with impressive tools on either side of the ball. Scouts are currently divided on which route he’ll ultimately choose, though both routes include considerable upside when fully developed.
We’ll start with the bat, where he’s got above-average to plus power projection with feel to hit. It’s a short, direct path to the baseball at its best, featuring a unique backfoot swing to the outside of his body. Koeninger takes tight turns to the baseball and delivers a heavy barrel through the zone.
When he’s balanced throughout his operation, Koeninger can pummel the baseball, especially to his pull side. He can find himself getting himself too far out in front of his hips, which makes him susceptible to swing-and-miss. Ironing that out will be a key component in his development.
In the dirt, he’s a fluid lateral mover with plus or better arm strength across the diamond, meaning he’ll stay on the left side of the infield. As he fills out his already physical frame, Koeninger should shift over to third base, where he’ll be a viable defender at the next level.
If he chooses to pitch, he’s got starting pitcher upside with one of the best breaking balls in the class. His low-80s curveball can be an absolute hammer, featuring quality depth and snap out of the fastball tunnel. Koeninger can spin it very well, land it for strikes, and generate ugly swings from the opposition.
His fastball itself has power, reaching up to 97-98 MPH in brief stints, although he typically sits 91-95 MPH across longer outings. It’s steep to the plate from a high three-quarters release, displaying decent carry with tailing action late in the zone. He’ll flash some cut/ride qualities at times, too. There’s a firmer slider and nascent change-up in the arsenal, as well.
He’s a fluid mover down the bump with quality extension numbers, though he can find himself showing the ball to batters behind his back. It’s a short, but inconsistent, arm swing behind his back.
It’s a good mold of clay to work with on both sides of the ball, and there’s a non-zero chance that he continues doing both at the next level. Committed to Tennessee, Koeninger would be one of the older juniors in the 2029 class if he ends up in Knoxville.