Prep Baseball Illinois Pitcher of the Week: Lucas Grant
May 6, 2025
Joliet Catholic has one of the best pitching staffs in the entire state, and that is especially due in part to having Purdue commit Lucas Grant (2025) at the front of that rotation. The Hill got off to a slower start to the year, but they’ve been on a bit of a roll as of late, winning six of their last seven. One of these wins came against one of the top lineups in the state, as they took down No. 7 at the time Nazareth Academy 10-0 behind a stellar outing from Grant, earning him this week’s Pitcher of the Week honors.
Grant took the mound against the Roadrunners on Monday and twirled six shutout innings, only allowing two hits along the way with 15 strikeouts against no walks - landing 62 of his 85 pitches for a strike. The line itself is impressive, but it's the lineup he did it against that really makes it that much better, having to deal with a couple of the county’s top left-handed bats and plenty of college-cabiler prospects behind them.
The southpaw has continued to establish himself as one of the top arms in Illinois over the last couple of years, now sitting at No. 19 in the state. A recent standout from our Preseason ProCase this past winter, Grant is a long-levered, projectable prospect with a ton of ceiling still left to tap into. His fastball will routinely play in the low-90s with natural sinking action and arm-side run, setting up a deceptive changeup and bullet slider from the same window. He’s able to land all three of his pitches for strikes, ultimately what makes him so effective, and there’s an ease and repeatability to his operation that profiles him as more of a starter at the next level. The numbers speak for themselves as Grant now has 39.2 innings on the year with only 21 hits allowed, 70 strikeouts to only nine walks, a 1.59 ERA and .756 WHIP. He’ll be a fun one to watch throughout the coming years, as his best days are surely still ahead of him.
We're thankful for the POTW submissions we received from the coaches across the state. The players who garnered POTW consideration will earn a place within tomorrow's Diamond Notes story, so be on the lookout for that.
Scouting Report
Purdue commit, currently ranked No. 16 in the state. 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, high-waisted with long legs, more room to develop physically as he matures. The southpaw threw it well in his season debut, striking out six over three innings, scattering two hits and allowing one earned run. He has a simple delivery with some pace to it, working with a medium/high leg-lift into a coiled balance point, working with a slight drop/drive operation and cross-fire stride. He hides the ball a bit on the backside, coming through from a tight ¾ window. His fastball played with heavy arm-side run and sink, playing around 86-89 mph in the first inning and topping out at 90 mph. His changeup played well off his fastball, selling the pitch with arm-speed and playing with natural fade. His final offering was a bullet slider at 79-81 mph, showing shorter shape with an intent to keep it below the zone. High-follow southpaw with a true three-pitch mix and starter upside.