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Who had the best fastball this spring?

July 3, 2025
By: Andy Sroka
Managing Editor, Scouting

The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.

This week’s topic: Now that every state's spring HS season is in the books, we'll spend the next few weeks highlighting some of the best tools of the spring. We'll start today with 'Best Fastball of the Spring'. Feel free to submit the player you think this best applies to, it could be just the highest velo you saw this season, or the fastball that got the most whiffs this year – whatever it means to you. (If you didn't have a HS season, you're welcome to submit a player from an in-game fastball you saw over the last few months.)

+ Learn of our directors stationed nationwide by visiting the staff directory.
+ View which Prep Baseball events are headed your way next at this page.
+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.

♨️ The ‘Hotlist’ (6/26):

Arizona

+ Brett Crossland, RHP (Corona del Sol HS, 2025) | Texas:

“RHP power arm out of the best team in the state. Winning pitcher in 6A championship game. 3 pitch mix, FB, CV, and kick change that everyone thought was a SL. Dominating performances each time he took the field. Although the heater gets up to 97, it's his command and feel for his OS that makes him my Hotlist submission. Even through a no-hitter at one of the games I attended and didn't even celebrate afterwards. ”

– Antonio Torres, AZ Director

Canada

+ Shane Brinham, LHP (North Shore Twins HS, 2025) | Michigan:

“Shane Brinham's velocity on his fastball has steadily trended upwards since the Future Games in 2023, peaking this summer at 93mph. While the velocity itself helped him generate whiffs this spring, the Michigan commit was creating 2700+ spin on the pitch during his outings in the MLB Draft League, topping at 2800+.

The left-hander has some quality characteristics on the pitch which has helped him excel this spring and now has him tabbed as one of the top prep arms in the country heading into the draft.”

– Cam Black-Araujo, Asst. Director

Colorado

+ Ethan Wachsmann, RHP (Grandview HS, 2026) | Wake Forest:

“Wachsmann brought the heat this spring as the junior presented a fastball up to 97 mph (2600+). The draft stock is on close watch for the 2024 Future Games alumni who broke-out at the event in Georgia just last summer before committing to Wake Forest. ”

– Caleb Dameron, Colorado Staff

Florida

+ Wilson Andersen, RHP (Jesuit HS, 2026) | Mississippi State:

“Wilson Andersen led our Heat Sheet this spring with his fastball getting up to 98 mph in an early-season outing against Venice. Andersen sat 94-97 for most of the spring and earned 2nd Team All-State honors with a 1.04 ERA and 105 strikeouts.”

– Rocco Iervasi, Director of Operations

Illinois

(4/24/25)

+ Jack Bauer , LHP (Lincoln-Way East HS, 2025) | Mississippi State :

“It's a pretty simple answer here, as Bauer broke the internet with his fastball early in the spring when he hit 101.8 at LakePoint. He proceeded to his 103 mph later in the spring, making him the fastest-throwing high schooler of all time, and he would routinely sit in the 98-100 mph range each time out. He elevated his prospect status in a way we've never seen before, and he has a chance to hear his name extremely early in this upcoming draft. ”

– Peter Hamot, Assistant Scouting Director, Illinois/Wisconsin

Minnesota

+ Jack Butterworth, RHP (Minnetonka HS, 2025) | Arizona State:

“Butterworth has been one of the state's best arms over the last two years and that has a lot to do with his fastball and the way it plays. Velo that works in the upper 80s to low 90s while topping out at 92.7 at the Midwest Procase. The righties fastball has good movement with up to 14 inches of horizontal and 16 inches of vertical break, and pairs it well with his slider. ”

– Andy Judkins, State Director

Mississippi

(2/26/25)

+ Landon Harmon , RHP (East Union HS, 2025) | Mississippi State:

“Harmon not only possesses one of the top high school fastballs in America, he also pounds the strike zone with it. The Mississippi State signee and Major League draft prospect carried the Urchins to another State Championship this season, their 2nd in the last 3 years. ”

– Matt Miller, State Director

Nevada

+ Alexander Mercurius, RHP (Durango HS, 2025) | Oklahoma:

“Alexander Mercurius consistently sat 93-95 each outing this year. Our latest metrics for him was from the 2024 ProCase - West where he earned one of the top fastball velocities of the event.”

– Brett Harrison, West Region Supervisor

North Carolina

(3/18/25)

+ CJ Gray, RHP (A.L. Brown HS HS, 2025) | NC State:

“Brown drew a slew of MLB Scouts throughout the spring of 2025 as they worked to piece together his prospect status. The athletic 6-foot-2, 200 pounder played football in the fall after electrifying the NPI in 2024 with his explosive fastball / slider combination. On multiple occasions, Gray sat 93-95, bumping 97 this spring season. Following the season, Gray went to the MLB Draft Combine where he made headlines with his pure stuff and potential ceiling.”

– Brandon Hall, Mid-Atlantic / NC Director of Scouting

Oklahoma

+ Savion Sims, RHP (Edmond Santa Fe HS, 2026) | Oklahoma:

“Our number one player in the 2026 class was 'must see' every time he stepped on the mound. This spring, we saw him run the fastball up to 99 while also comfortably sitting in the mid 90s for 6A State Champions Edmond Santa Fe. At 6'8'', the frame is especially imposing on the mound but the substance that comes from the lanky right hander has more than lived up to the hype.”

– Bret Schwartz, Oklahoma Scouting Director

South Carolina

+ Cooper DeVries, RHP (Eastside HS HS, 2027) | Uncommitted:

– Sean Smith, Operations Manager

Tennessee

(6/5/25)

+ Bo Holloway, LHP (Nolensville HS, 2026) | Vanderbilt:

“One of the best pure fastballs in the entire country. Easy arm speed without the presence of overthrowing and jerkiness. Lives in the 2400-2600 rpm range with velocity topping 97. Shotgun spray at times but hard to match plane. Late arm-side run. ”

– Hunter Martin, State Director

Wisconsin

(6/5/25)

+ Peter Kussow, RHP (Arrowhead HS, 2025) | Louisville:

“While there are some contenders here for this week's topic, the top-ranked senior in the state is the slam-dunk choice here. Peter Kussow's fastball is elite, and not just for its 95-96 mph highs. It has late arm-side run and effectively rides through the zone, and it leaves in and around the strike zone at a high rate, and that earned him 75 strike outs in 42.1 innings in his final prep spring. What Kussow accomplished this spring was proof that he can show premium velo throughout the duration of a start, and it's that trait that has earned him genuine attention from the pro scouting community. The Arrowhead prospect has a chance to be one of the first right-handers selected out of the Midwest in July.”

– Andy Sroka, National Managing Editor, Scouting

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