Prospect takeaways from the Shriners Children’s College Showdown at Globe Life Field.

THESE PROSPECTS TOOK OPENING WEEKEND BY STORM:

Sophomore-eligible by age for last summer’s draft, Vanderbilt’s Colin Barczi was not selected and he returned to campus. He’d long been known for his plus arm strength and 70-grade raw power, but after two years batting .208 as a freshman and .253 as a sophomore, his hit tool was largely in question. With three Big Flies in their opening game against TCU, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound right-handed hitter quickly showed bat-to-ball with 80-grade power as his third home run was launched 458’ with a 118.3 mph exit velocity. Collectively, his three home runs traveled a total of 1,339 feet. His 85.3 mph bat speed is also 80-grade on the pro scale. Barczi’s display of tools and performance in front of a slew of scouting directors, quickly elevates him into day one (top three rounds) consideration. With that stated he’ll need to continue to produce. He obviously doesn’t need to hit three home runs every game, but there will need to be consistent hard contact. His present 80-grade raw power and easy plus arm strength are undeniable. Those two tools alone as a catcher make him no worse than a third round pick. If his hit tool picks up, he could slide into the top 50 overall picks.

Listed as a catcher, but tackling the DH duties for the Sooners, Brendan Brock was a relative unknown to scouting directors outside of Milwaukee heading into opening day. A junior college recruit and 14th round pick by the Brewers last summer, the 6-foot-1, 195 pound right-handed hitter barreled three balls in the opening game against Texas Tech. He finished his D1 debut 2-for-4 (double, home run) with four RBIs. His top shot was a 428’ home run that left the barrel at 112.3 mph (60-grade power). For the weekend he hit .500 with one home run, five RBIs and three stolen bases. Overall, he’s a 70-grade athlete, with a plus run tool and an above average arm. He also showed good baseball skills with good bat-to-ball and drew comparisons to Craig Biggio and JT Realmuto from scouts over the weekend. And similar to Barczi, Brock showed day one tools and in-game production that is typically associated with day one.

Oklahoma’s Saturday starter LJ Mercurius was electric at times, repeating an above average fading changeup in the 83-84 mph range and popping the mitt with a fastball up to 97.2. He settled in at 94 while commanding the pitch to both sides of the plate. The 6-foot-2 loose-armed right-hander also flashed an above average gyro slider in the mid-80s.

Pitching just seven innings over the past two seasons, Oklahoma State’s left-hander Hudson Barrett dialed his sinking fastball up to 94 mph and subtracted with a plus changeup in the mid-80s. It was an exciting start in a new place and for a new season for the 22 year-old, 4th-year junior transfer from UCSB.

And although the senior is not a top five round prospect, Damian Ruiz (Arkansas) caught everyone’s attention, reaching base 11 consecutive times during the tournament. After reaching five consecutive times out of the ninth spot in the order on Saturday, he was jettisoned to the top spot on Sunday, where he posted six more in a row (three singles and three walks). The transfer from Lamar hit .388 with 50 walks and a .511 OBP last season for the Cardinals.

Sawyer Strosnider (TCU) homered in his first at-bat of the season, sending a Connor Fennell changeup 382’ into the stands. The Horned Frogs’ centerfielder finished the three game weekend 2-for-8 with one RBI. He battled several tough left-handers and statistically did not have much to show for it, but his at-bats were very competitive and lessened any concern about a platoon type of hitter at the pro level. Defensively, he took some less than ideal routes in the outfield which were the first games of the 2026 season and in a MLB ballpark. However, his ball tracking abilities will need to be monitored throughout the spring. A former prep pitching with plus arm strength, it looked more average to slightly above over the weekend. He remains an above average-to-plus runner, but it’s not game changing in the big field or on the bases. However, his bat is his money tool and he remains a likely 1st round prospect/pick.

Gabe Gaeckle (Arkansas) commanded his fastball to both sides of the plate while sitting 94-95 mph at around 2550 rpm. The right-hander’s slider was above average at 85-88 as was his firm 88-89 mph changeup. The change was his best secondary offering on this look with its nasty arm side action – it played plus most of his outing. His curve ball played average at 81 mph with 26-2700 rpm spin. Overall, Gaeckle allowed two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. It wasn’t his best performance, but it was certainly good enough to remain considered a first round prospect.

Arkansas batterymate Ryder Helfrick is a physical specimen standing 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. There are no question marks about his abilities behind the plate. It starts with a 70-grade bazooka arm, continues with good receiving skills (especially bringing the low pitch into the strike zone) and ends with blocking skills that make him the complete defender. Offensively, there’s ample strength and bat speed for 70-grade raw power. The key will be for Helfrick to be competitive against spin, specifically sliders. He competed well in the box all weekend and finished 5-for-14 with two home runs and five RBIs. He also stole two bases. Helfrick and Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech) are the top two college catchers in this year’s draft class. 

The highest ranked lefthander in this year’s college class, Hunter Dietz (Arkansas) missed the entire 2025 season recovering from TJ surgery. When the 6-foot-5 lefthander took to the hill at Globe Life on Saturday, making his first collegiate start he wasted little time showing the nasty stuff that has him ranked as the top lefthander in this year’s college draft last. Thrown easy, his fastball touched 98, but his biggest weapon was a hard 87-90 slider with very good depth. It’s a plus to better pitch on any scale. Control of his arsenal was close to average, with many near misses, each one seeming to go against him from the man in blue. Dietz’s body language was affected and his confidence waned. Moving forward, his mound presence and ownership of the game will be further scrutinized, but there’s no doubting his raw stuff. It’s first round caliber, all coming out of a 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame.

Chase Brunson led the Horned Frogs in batting .400 (4-for-10, 3 doubles) with the top exit velocity (102.2 mph) on a single through the 6-hole. His doubles weren’t bolts, but were well-placed around the field with EVs of 86.8, 81.0, 90.8 mph. TCU’s everyday centerfielder last season, the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has moved to right field this year where he showed above average arm strength and speed. The right-handed hitter has yet to establish himself as a first round prospect at this point, but there is upside with tools, body type and projection.

An area scout favorite, Oklahoma’s Camden Johnson singled twice, walked twice and added a stolen base during Friday’s opener. He ran a 4.07 from the left side on an infield single. At the plate the lefthanded hitter showed a handsy swing, especially with two strikes trying to put the ball in play. He will need to stay better connected and behind the ball to more consistently tap into his average raw power which maxed at 109.7 last season. He homered off the foul pole on Sunday, a 363’ blast that left the barrel at 106.1 mph. Defensively, at the hot corner he showed good reads and reactions with a quick first step and an above average arm. He’s a sure-handed defender who could also play second base and possibly shortstop. Those skills, combined with his ability to simply play the game, Johnson has an attractive draft package that has super utility upside and will likely land him in the top three rounds.

It’s long been established that Cameron Johnson has a huge arm. What he hasn’t established since he’s been in college is strike-throwing and out-collecting. With a relaxed and poised approach, the 6-foot-6 lefthander’s focus was on simply throwing one pitch at a time. He pounded his 93-96 mph fastball into the zone and complemented it with his best pitch, a plus, big bottom changeup 84-88 mph. It’s super easy velocity and low effort producing a ton of fastball movement. Other than a long second inning, Johnson pitched a solid six with 11 strikeouts. He especially excelled in the final two frames with five strikeouts among his last six outs recorded. Overall, in a vacuum, it was easily a day one draft performance. However, it must be kept in mind as a step in the right direction and not what he has permanently become. That will sort itself out in the coming months. No matter, it was an exciting day to be a Cam Johnson fan.

Horned Frogs’ power righthander Tommy LaPour showed the velocity he’s long been known for as he touched 98 mph, but the quality of his secondaries and control of his arsenal left some question marks. A good athlete, LaPour flashed an above average changeup at 86-88 mph, but his below average slider (82-83), lacked the shape and velocity and a professional grade breaking pitch. And for a power pitcher he did show a good feel to mix at times. It wasn’t his finest outing (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 SO), but also was not his worst.

FUTURE DAY ONE DRAFT PROSPECTS

In addition to the boatload of high-end 2026 MLB Draft talent on display, several 2027s and even one 2028 shined bright. TCU's freshman shortstop Lucas Franco wasted little time in his second collegiate at-bat by sending one 421’ deep with an exit velocity of 113 mph. With at least four plus tools and playing a premium position. His first collegiate at-bat was a well-barreled flyout to center field at 107.4 mph and his third at-bat a 101 mph triple. It is much too early, but as a premium athlete at a premium position with at least four plus tools (sound familiar...Roch Cholowsky), Franco is my current favorite for 1-1 in 2028.

Future day one lefthanded pitchers were also on full display throughout the weekend. Mason Brassfield (TCU) started for the Horned Frogs on Saturday against Arkansas. The 6-foot-4 sophomore hides the ball well behind a shoulder tilt delivery. His fastball spun quickly in the 2700 rpm range at 92-95 mph. His slider graded above average at 2800-2900 rpm and 83-86 mph. He struck out six in four innings of work. Noah Franco entered in the seventh inning for TCU and quickly began pumping upper-90s heaters while spinning a 3000 rpm slider. The 6-foot-3 quick-armed Franco allowed no runs on no hits and struck out four to earn the save. Arlington prep Cord Rager (Oklahoma) pitched in front of his home crowd for the Sooners and did not disappoint against the home town Horned Frogs. The true freshman hurled five innings and allowed just one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out eight. He simply overpowered TCU with his 93-95 fastball, especially in the first inning when he struck out the side in order. Cole Gibler (Arkansas) relieved Gaeckle in Friday’s contest against Oklahoma State. His best pitch was, and always has been, a plus 82-84 breaking ball. It’s often referred to as a slider due to its velocity, but it has a curveball shape. The pitch is a further separator due to Gibler’s ability to throw it on the black to both sides of the plate. His fastball sat 93-94 and he mixed an average quality changeup at 83-86 mph.