Ben Kudrna

Arguably the top prep arm in the upper Midwest in this year’s draft class, Kudrna has the projectable body, clean delivery, athleticism and strike-throwing ability that teams want to work with. He had a loud performance at the Area Code Games last year that helped solidify his position on the map, and he has continued to perform and rise up the board since. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound righthander has run his fastball up to 97, and he will sit 92-95 mph. The metrics are not great on the pitch right now, but with his size and the projection of future physicality, the belief is that he is going to end up throwing very hard. Kudrna has the ideal high school body when it comes to that projection, being narrow and high-waisted, tall with broad shoulders, and lean with plenty of room in the frame for physical growth and development. He has a fluid and pretty delivery, is very athletic, and offers a three-pitch mix with high upside. The 18-year-old’s secondaries still need work, but he has shown progress this year. Kudrna has also shown feel to spin his breaking ball and has flashed a plus slider with good tilt in the mid 80s at times, but he needs to continue to find more consistency with the pitch. The Louisiana State commit has a decent changeup in the low 80s right now, and he throws strikes.