Landon Schutte has emerged as one of the top high school pitchers in the country and a potential early-round pick in July\u2019s MLB draft. The highly regarded right-hander from Oakdale, California, has devoted himself exclusively to baseball throughout high school, a commitment reflected in his time on the travel circuit and weekly two-hour drives to the Kinetic Performance Institute in Morgan Hill for specialized mound training.<\/p>\n
After competing on the showcase circuit against the top players in the 2026 class, Schutte\u2019s focus and work ethic have helped elevate him among the nation\u2019s elite prep prospects.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, it goes back to the little kid in me who just fell in love with the game,\u201d Schutte said. \u201cI wanted to spend every minute of every day doing anything baseball-related. As I\u2019ve gotten older, I\u2019ve realized not everyone can play this game, especially at a high level, so I\u2019ve learned to appreciate the circumstances I\u2019ve been given.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schutte, 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, throws a five-pitch mix from a compact delivery with smooth arm action. He is a power pitcher who attacks the zone and relies on his fastball to set up his secondary offerings.<\/p>\n
His fastball touches 95 mph and features arm-side movement that is difficult for hitters to drive. His curveball is his best secondary pitch, a power offering with depth that generates swings and misses, spinning at 2,600\u20132,800 revolutions per minute. He also mixes in a sinker for a different look and has been refining his slider and changeup to incorporate them more effectively into his arsenal.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy competitiveness is my biggest strength,\u201d Schutte said. \u201cI\u2019m not scared of anyone. I love to be in the zone. If a guy hits it, it\u2019s a tip of the cap. But most of the time, I\u2019m not getting hit because I feel like my stuff is some of the best in the country, and I can compete against anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
With his senior season approaching, Schutte has focused this offseason on sharpening command and consistency. He\u2019s working on repeating his delivery, improving his release point and attacking hitters with conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to be able to control every pitch,\u201d he said. \u201cJust throwing it where I want it, when I want it. Sometimes I try to be a little too pinpoint and just miss a strike. Just having a little more conviction and control would do wonders for my game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond his draft prospects, Schutte is also a Georgia commit. He cited his relationship with coach Wes Johnson, who has a proven track record of developing pitchers for professional baseball, major league coaching experience and a history of building a strong program at Georgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWes Johnson stood out to me. The track record he has, and the way he understands pitching as a whole, is phenomenal,\u201d Schutte said. \u201cHe sat us down on our visit for two hours and just talked through what he can do for me and how he can help me with the things I need to work on. I really felt a connection with him there. Super excited to play for him. I don\u2019t think there\u2019s another guy in the country I\u2019d want to play for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Video of Landon Schutte. <\/p>\n
Dan Zielinski III<\/a> has covered the MLB draft for 11 years. He has interviewed 613 of the top draft prospects<\/a> in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations<\/a> as an \u201cMLB draft expert.\u201d Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3<\/a>.<\/p>\n