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    Collegiate Corner: Five Surging SEC Stars

    theplaybookprophet.comBy Updated:No Comments7 Mins Read

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    We’re formally 4 weeks into the 2024 faculty baseball season, with SEC Opening Weekend lastly upon us. You’ll now not flip in your tv to search out top-ranked Arkansas battling Northwest Southeastern Central New Mexico State Tech. It’s SEC-on-SEC now. It is going to be fierce. Tigers. Bulldogs. Wildcats. Gators. Razorbacks. Commodores. Extra Tigers. Extra Bulldogs. After which you have got the Gamecocks of the world. We gained’t contact that one. At the least not publicly.

    By way of the primary 4 weeks, SEC stars have been stockpiling statistics in opposition to various qualities of competitors. Now, it will get actual. However although the competitors has been questionable so far, a handful of SEC draft hopefuls have begun separating themselves from the pack or considerably enhancing their inventory. We’ll get into 5 such gamers this week, with extra Collegiate Nook updates in retailer for the weeks forward.

    Charlie Condon, 1B/OF, Georgia
    Getting into the 2024 season as MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 draft prospect behind JJ Wetherholt, Nick Kurtz, and Travis Bazzana, Condon is making an early-season push to be proper within the thick of the 1-1 dialog. In my way-too-early rankings in August, Condon was at No. 5 on my collegiate board behind Jac Caglianone, Brody Brecht, Wetherholt, and Chase Burns. That got here on the heels of Condon’s redshirt freshman season in 2023, the place he exploded onto the collegiate scene with a loud .386/.484/.800 slash line, 25 residence runs, 17.7 Okay% and 13.0 BB%. Effectively, he has been even higher by 18 video games this season, slashing an unearthly .569/.670/1.308 with 13 homers, seven doubles, an 11.0 Okay%, and 19.8 BB%. He leads the SEC in batting, slugging, OBP, runs, hits, residence runs, and whole bases. Perhaps I ought to have simply stated “all the pieces.” He has cut up his time between first base, third base, proper area, and middle this yr, though he’ll solely be a primary baseman or nook outfielder on the subsequent degree resulting from his fringey pace and arms. Condon additionally doesn’t provide something on the basepaths, as he’s been caught in his lone try over 74 video games at Georgia. You’ll have to pay a fairly penny for Condon in first-year participant drafts, however he is likely one of the most secure, high-impact bats within the 2024 draft.

    Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee

    Amick transferred to Tennessee this offseason after two years at Clemson, the place he broke out as a real sophomore for the Tigers in 2023. In 46 video games, Amick batted .413/.464/.773 again by 13 homers, 17 doubles, and two stolen bases. He struck out at a 16.7% clip and walked at a meager 6.8% mark. Though the typical has come again to Earth this season, the facility numbers are even higher by 18 video games: .369/.440/.877, 9 residence runs, 4 doubles, two steals, 16.0 Okay%, 10.7 BB%. Amick is simply days away from his first-ever SEC collection, so will probably be important to watch his efficiency because the competitors reaches new heights. On the draw back, Amick is unlikely to stay at third base long-term resulting from his arm power, which means he’s destined to be a primary baseman or probably even a nook outfield man. He additionally has a really aggressive strategy, as evidenced by his Okay-to-BB numbers as a real sophomore. Nonetheless, he has put himself on the first-round radar for this July after coming into the marketing campaign because the No. 50 prospect per MLB Pipeline.

    Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M

    This one got here out of nowhere. Examine prime draft rankings far and vast – you gained’t see a lot of Prager. That’s as a result of he missed all of final yr with a torn UCL requiring Tommy John surgical procedure. The season earlier than that, as a real freshman in 2022, Prager was not all that spectacular anyway. He pitched 59 1/3 innings for the Aggies with a 5.16 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 8.0 Okay/9, and three.8 BB/9. He gained the Friday night time starter job at Texas A&M in fall and preseason camp, which was considerably of a shock however the stuff seemed good. The choice seems to be the right one. Prager has been untouchable: 4-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, 23.2 IP, 40 Okay, 3 BB. Zero runs allowed in 23 2/3 innings. 40 strikeouts in opposition to three walks. That’s a 15.2 Okay/9 and 1.1 BB/9. In a single outing this yr, he threw 74 of 92 pitches for strikes. The fastball sits within the low 90s, which he pairs with a low-80s CB/SL and above-average CH. There’s not a lot scouting information out on Prager but outdoors of sport movie, so count on extra on him right here at Razzball within the months forward main into July. If he can string collectively some sturdy SEC begins starting this weekend at Florida, he will likely be within the prime 50 collegiate prospects earlier than lengthy.

    Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida
    One among three Golden Spikes Award Finalists a season in the past, Caglianone has opened the 2024 season wanting extra polished as each a pitcher and a hitter. By way of 16 video games, Caglianone has slashed .412/.500/.647 with 5 residence runs. Most impressively, he has drawn extra walks (11) than strikeouts (seven) in 68 at-bats for an 8.8 Okay% and 13.8 BB%. These numbers are nice, however Caglianone was already a top-10 draft prospect within the sport as a hitter alone coming into the yr. What has remodeled his inventory is his work on the mound, as he has been the Gators’ finest pitcher by three begins: 2-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 16.2 Okay/9, 4.8 BB/9. In his final two begins alone, Caglianone has pitched 12.0 shutout innings on three hits, six walks, and 20 strikeouts with a .081 BAA. Of the final 46 batters he has confronted, the southpaw has struck out 22 whereas permitting simply three hits – in the meantime gathering 4 on his personal on the plate in that stretch. This can be a uncommon expertise that may go within the first 5 picks of the 2024 draft. Together with his latest efficiency, the one main query is whether or not his long-term residence in professional ball is on the mound, on the plate, or each.

    Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

    Pitching his first two seasons at Alabama, Holman broke out as a sophomore in 2023 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 9.7 Okay/9, and three.4 BB/9 in 81 innings. Because of this, he transferred to LSU and shortly took over the Friday night time function. To this point this yr, the idea has been a hit: 4-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 24.0 IP, 15.0 Okay/9 and 1.5 BB/9. Holman sits round 92-96 together with his heater, however his finest providing is a low-80 slide piece with official horizontal and vertical break. He additionally wields a barely above-average curve within the higher 70s and a fringey changeup that may want some growing as he works by the SEC slate. Holman is ranked because the No. 35 general draft prospect per MLB Pipeline at current. He’s a borderline first-rounder this July relying on how the remainder of the marketing campaign goes, but when he continues his present degree or efficiency that won’t be in query a number of months from now.

    That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! As at all times, I’m joyful to take this dialog into the feedback part or on Twitter, the place yow will discover me @WorldOfHobbs.



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