Team USA prospect reports

2016 Summer Collegiate Baseball Content:
Player of the Year | Team of the Year | All-America Team


1. Kyle Wright, rhp, Vanderbilt (JR)
Wright enters the 2017 draft season as Perfect Game’s No. 1 overall prospect thanks to his size, command and overall stuff. He has a prototypical frame for a staff ace at 6-foot-4, 220-pounds. His fastball can be straight at times but touches 95 mph and sits at 89-94, comfortably working in the 92 mph range deep into starts. He can cut and sink his fastball and does a good job keeping the pitch down in the zone while also throwing an upper-70s breaking ball that he’s able to vary the shape of and a mid-80s changeup. His feel for his secondary pitches is the one area he’ll need to polish to reach his lofty potential, which should also allow him to miss more bats consistently.

2. Alex Faedo, rhp, Florida (JR)
After going 13-3 as a sophomore at Florida Faedo effectively served as the staff ace for Team USA, going 3-0 in four starts with a 0.56 ERA and a 21-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 innings of work. He is built in a similar fashion to Wright, as the two are often considered the top two college players eligible for the 2017 MLB Draft, at 6-foot-5, 220-pounds with long and lean yet wiry strong limbs and the ability to dial his fastball into the mid-90s early in games. His stuff is a tick better than Wright’s at this stage, with a much more pronounced breaking ball in his mid-80s slider that serves as his out pitch. He is also working to throw a more consistent changeup, which again like Wright gives him three very good pitches.

3. Jeren Kendall, of, Vanderbilt (JR)
The one position player who stood out the most was Kendall, a potential five-tool outfielder who is an exciting player to watch. A lefthanded hitter, Kendall takes a professional round of batting practice working the ball from gap to gap, an approach that carries well over to the game. He turned on a pitch and drilled a line drive home run at Dodger Stadium as part of the team trials, showing his over-the-fence power, and also has a strong throwing arm and impact speed on the bases with very good instincts and first-step quickness. The biggest concern – which isn't significant – with Kendall is his size, generously listed at 6-foot, 190-pounds, but he plays the game much bigger than his stature thanks to his standout athleticism.