PHOENIX -- Most players who have true Draft aspirations and have been invited to the annual MLB Draft Combine have been involved in more than their fair share of pro-style workouts. Taking batting practice, as well as infield/outfield for position players, and throwing bullpens for pitchers are the norm at showcase events at all levels.
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Doing this under this kind of spotlight, on a big league field, with all 30 teams' decision-makers on hand, raises the stakes a bit more. The workouts held at the Combine don't typically move the needle one way or the other too much, but in the past five years, countless players certainly have put a solid foot forward to at the very least solidify their standing for July.
This year was no different. Overall, onlookers were impressed with the level of offensive talent, particularly from the high school ranks, with 22 prep hitters from MLB Pipeline's Top 200 Draft Prospects list taking swings on Tuesday. They weren’t the only ones to stand out on the first day of action. Here’s a list, in alphabetical order, of Combine participants who shined:
Caden Bogenpohl, OF Missouri State (No. 93): Physically imposing at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Bogenpohl doesn’t always get to his easily plus raw power in games, but he sure put on a show in BP here. The outfielder hit the two hardest balls of the day, at 119.4 mph and 115.7 mph, while also hitting the second farthest ball ball (417 feet). In total, he hit 10 balls at 110 mph or harder.
Peyton Bonds, OF, Rutgers (No. 74): Bonds got hurt this spring, interrupting a very strong season with the Scarlet Knights. His physicality was also on display (6-foot-5, 230 lbs.), hitting seven balls over 100 mph, three greater than 110 and showing no ill-effects from the time missed.
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Blake Bowen, OF, JSerra HS, Calif. (No. 66): Bowen’s name hasn’t come up in the same conversations as a lot of the other high school bats being mentioned as potential first-round picks, but it’s hard to ignore how toolsy he is. It might be three or four plus tools, especially the further removed he gets from focusing on football and baseball, and his raw power gets 70 grades on the scouting scale from some. Few prepsters hit the ball harder, with Bowen registering 15 EVs over 100 mph.
Trevor Condon, OF, Etowa HS, Ga. (No. 22): Condon’s combination of plus hit and 70 speed are very exciting, and his left-handed swing looked very comfortable in the box. People on hand also loved his ebullient personality, which drew Pete Crow-Armstrong comps.
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Mulivai Levu, 1B, UCLA (No. 79): Ask top prospect Roch Cholowsky, and he’ll tell you he thinks his Bruins teammate is the best hitter in the country. Levu backed that up by hitting .340 with 18 homers this spring and he had a very impressive all-around BP, showing he could drive the ball to all fields, then reaching seats repeatedly in his last round. While most think he winds up at first base, he showed decent athleticism at third and in the outfield during I/O workouts.
Rocco Maniscalco, SS, Oxford HS, Ala. (No. 56): One of the youngest players in the class -- he just turned 17 in May -- he certainly didn’t play like it here on Tuesday. He hit an impressive 22 balls 100 mph or harder (he did get extra swings because he’s a switch-hitter), but showed excellent hitting ability from both sides, while also excelling defensively at the six.
Tyler Putnam, RHP, Battle HS, Mo. (No. 134): Very athletic on the mound, Putnam’s velocity can fluctuate, but he topped out at 99 mph here today, with plenty in the 96-98 mph range.
Aiden Ruiz, SS, The Stony Brook School, NY (No. 36): Perhaps the best defensive shortstop in the class, Ruiz was smooth as ever on the dirt. Scouts who might not have seen him since last summer might have been surprised by the increased impact he showed at the plate, something some evaluators saw some of this spring. He hit 10 balls 100 mph or harder and showed an ability to drive the ball from both sides.
Dylan Vigue, RHP, Georgia (No. 199): If a Day 1 award was being given out for life and movement, Vigue would be a very strong candidate. He threw both his sinker and sweeper with a ton of action. He topped out at 95-96 mph, with his heater and his 86-87 mph slider registering very high spin rates.
Ethan Wachsmann, RHP, Grandview HS, Col. (No. 82): Back in 2024, Trey Gregory-Alford came from Colorado as a high school right-hander and made people sit up and notice by hitting triple digits at the Combine, leading to an over-slot deal from the Angels in Round 11. This year’s TGA could be Wachsmann, who came from the Granite State and touched 100 mph twice, with two of the three top velos on the mound. He also had the top three spin rates, in the 2800-2900+ rpm range, with his breaking stuff.
Exit velocity (mph)
119.4 -- Bogenpohl
115.7 -- Bogenpohl
115.5 -- Martin Shelar, OF, Marist HS, Atlanta (No. 193)
115.4 -- Rintaro Sasaki, 1B, Stanford (unranked)
115.1 -- Dominic Santarelli, 1B, St. Joseph HS, Kenosha, Wisc. (No. 135)
114.9 -- Bogenpohl
114.4 -- Bogenpohl (2 times)
114.0 -- Santarelli
113.9 -- Santarelli
Projected distance (feet)
464.9 -- Colin Barczi, Vanderbilt (unranked)
458.1 -- Sasaki
442.2 -- Alex Weingartner, SS, St. Augustine HS, Buena Vista Township, New Jersey (No. 156)
441.6 -- Bowen
440.5 -- Barczi
439.7 -- Bogenpohl
438.8 -- Bogenpohl
434.3 -- Sasaki
428.4 -- Santarelli
427.4 -- Jack Natili, C, Cincinnati (No. 87)
Fastball velocity (mph)
100.0 -- Wachsmann
99.9 -- Grayson Willoughby, RHP, Trinity HS, Louisville, Ky. (No. 197)
99.9 -- Wachsmann
99.3 -- Putnam
98.5 -- Willoughby
98.3 -- Putnam
98.2 -- Wachsmann
97.9 -- Willoughby
97.7 -- Putnam
97.5 -- Wachsmann
Spin rate (rpm)
2916 -- Wachsmann
2870 -- Wachsmann
2863 -- Wachsmann
2837 -- Colin White, LHP, Harrison HS, Powder Springs, Ga. (unranked)
2824 -- White
2808 -- White
2792 -- White
2785 -- White
2783 -- Vigue
2761 -- Vigue