Brady Neal

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #376 prospect in 2026 draft
  School: Alabama. Committed/Drafted: Brewers ’22 (17). Age At Draft: 21.8.
  
  Neal was considered one of the top prep catchers in the country when he was at IMG Academy. He reclassified into the 2022 draft class as one of the youngest players in the class. He ranked 83rd on the BA 500 in 2022, making him one of the highest-rated prospects to make it to school. He was part of LSU’s national title team in 2023 as a backup catcher, and then became a regular in 2024. He transferred to Alabama for the 2025 season, but he seemed to lose his swing along the way. Neal hit .219/.373/.336 in his draft year, which torpedoed his draft stock. He opted to return to school for his senior season and it’s paid off, as he’s combined the plate discipline he’s long showed with better contact skills and improved power. Neal is a savvy hitter who looks to get a fastball he can drive back up the middle, and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll spit on breaking balls out of the zone to draw his walks. But if a pitcher can spin a breaking ball for strikes, he doesn’t have a great answer, making him an easy at-bat for advanced pitchers. Neal was Alabama’s primary catcher in 2025, but he slid to right field in 2026 as transfer John Lemm became the main backstop. He profiles much better in pro ball as a lefthanded hitting catcher with on-base skills than as an outfielder with modest power and speed.
• Ranked #468 prospect in 2025 draft
  School: Alabama Drafted/Committed: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 20.8
  
  Neal ranked as a top-100 player in the 2022 class out of high school as a young-for-the-class backstop with a well-rounded game. He made it to campus at LSU where he showed some on-base ability and flashes of power, but transferred to Alabama for the 2025 season. A 5-foot-10, 190-pound lefthanded hitter, Neal has never quite lived up to his prep pedigree as a hitter in college and finished his first three seasons as a career .236/.397/.434 hitter. Neal does have a solid understanding of the zone and his 17.6% career walk rate shows he’s plenty willing to take a free pass, but he really struggles to make contact against secondaries. Neal has all the tools to stick behind the plate and be a solid catcher. He has soft hands while receiving, and quick actions and footwork on his throws with a better exchange than pure arm strength. Neal’s glove and pedigree could appeal to a team in rounds 11-20 that believes it can help him rediscover more of his impact at the plate.
• Ranked #83 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. Committed/Drafted: Louisiana State
  Age At Draft: 17.8
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
  Originally a member of the 2023 class, Neal reclassified and will be 17 years old on draft day and one of the younger players in the class. He stood out for his sweet lefthanded swing over the summer showcase circuit and continued to hit well in front of big scouting crowds and against solid competition with IMG Academy this spring. Neal has a compact swing, and he consistently finds barrels against quality high school velocity and secondary pitches. He uses the entire field and hits the ball hard, though scouts don’t see big-time raw power just yet. It’s possible he grows into more in the future, but he has a fairly maxed-out build at 5-foot-9, 181 pounds. Neal is a solid athlete who moves well and puts himself in good positions to receive behind the plate. He also has the advantage of handling big-time arms like lefthander Jackson Ferris regularly, and he caught lefthanders Drew Gray and Mason Albright in 2021. Neal has solid arm strength and moves well enough to potentially play an outfield corner but should stick at the position with continued refinement. He is committed to Louisiana State but is one of the more well-rounded prep catchers in the class.