Carter Holton

Holton might be a player who goes a bit under the radar as one watches him walk to the mound, thanks to an undersized, 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame. As soon as he starts pitching, though, it’s hard not to like him. Holton showed impressive stuff from the left side last summer to go along with a competitive demeanor on the mound and an advanced approach to pitching. Holton mostly sat in the 90-94 mph range last summer and has been in a similar spot this spring, touching 95 and occasionally getting to that peak velocity late in games. He throws both a curveball and a slider, but the pitches blend together at times in shape and aren’t always easily distinguishable. His best breaking ball looks like more of a curveball, with 1-to-7 shape and good vertical bite. Holton also throws a changeup, which is more of a solid offering right now. Holton’s entire arsenal plays up because he does a nice job sequencing, changing speeds and attacking hitters with tempo while changing eye-level. He hides his arm pretty well behind his body, even though at times his arm stroke is a bit longer than scouts would prefer. While nothing is plus at the moment, it’s not hard to see an entire pitch-mix of above-average offerings with solid control. Holton is a Vanderbilt commit, but in a matchup with Bubba Chandler in the Georgia playoffs he stole the show in front of a good mix of scouting directors—so despite limited physical projection, he might not make it to campus.