Holden Powell

Powell won the Stopper of the Year Award as college baseball’s best reliever as a sophomore and was on track for a repeat bid this spring. He delivered eight scoreless appearances and a 20-to-2 strikeout-to-walk mark as UCLA’s closer before the season shut down. Evaluators consider Powell arguably the top reliever in the 2020 draft and expect him to move quickly to a major league bullpen. Powell’s fastball ranges from 91-96 mph, sitting 93-94, and he backs it up with a wipeout power slider that draws consistent plus grades. He commands his slider better than his fastball and has had flashes of control problems in the past, but he threw plenty of strikes this spring to alleviate those strike-throwing concerns. Powell has shown the ability to close or pitch multiple innings, giving him multiple pathways to a major league bullpen. He is a pure reliever with no chance of starting, but his stuff and competitive, closer mentality give him a chance to be an impactful late-inning arm.