Scouting Robert Orloski, Josh Skowronski & More 2026 MLB Draft Gems

Will Howell, RHP, Memphis

Howell last spring emerged as a key cog in Memphis’ bullpen, where across 16 appearances he compiled a 2.36 ERA with 34 strikeouts to 17 walks in 26.2 innings. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Howell is plenty physical with big-time arm strength. There’s no shortage of rawness in his profile, and he’ll need to continue to refine both his operation and command, but there are intriguing traits in place.

Howell attacks out of an ultra-high three-quarters slot and relies heavily on his low-to-mid-90s fastball. He ran his heater up to 96 mph last spring, and it flashed above-average carry through the zone. Its riding life—last season it averaged over 19 inches of IVB—combined with Howell’s nearly six-and-a-half feet of extension make it a real weapon when it’s elevated. His command of the offering will need to improve, and if he’s able to locate his heater in the top half of the zone on a consistent basis it will become that much more effective.

Howell pairs his fastball with an upper-70s-to-low-80s slider. He threw a few last spring that took on a two-plane look—albeit with much more depth than lateral break—but the vast majority of his sliders had a true gyro shape. While Howell was able to generate a 39% whiff rate with his slider, it’s a pitch that lacks “oomph” right now and will need to become more dynamic as he transitions into professional baseball.

Howell looks the part of a two-pitch reliever at the moment, but it will be interesting to see if there are any new developments to his profile this season. Improved strike-throwing or an even somewhat-viable third pitch could help boost his stock.

Steele Murdock, RHP, UC San Diego

Murdock redshirted in 2024 and had a modest season from a “back of the baseball card” standpoint in 2025. However, he thrived in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched to a 2.16 ERA with 24 strikeouts to six walks across 16.2 innings en route to an all-star selection. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Murdock has a physical build with some length in his lower half. He moves well on the mound and features a repeatable delivery in which he attacks out of a high three-quarters slot with present arm speed.

Murdock’s fastball sits in the 92-95 mph range, but it’s been up to 97. It didn’t miss many bats during the spring, but this summer it generated a 29% whiff rate. His command of the pitch took a noticeable step forward between the spring and summer, and Murdock was able to locate his fastball in the top half of the zone on a far more consistent basis to get it over the barrel of opposing hitters for whiffs. That newfound command enabled him to optimize his fastball shape, which is modest, but the pitch’s velocity combined with Murdock’s above-average extension and his ability to spin the baseball all played in his favor.

Murdock’s go-to secondary is his mid-to-upper-80s slider. His feel for it is arguably better than his fastball, and it routinely flashes two-plane break with teeth. It’s an above-average pitch right now and one that Murdock throws with conviction. He uses his slider predominantly against righthanded hitters, who last spring posted a measly .113/.161/.132 slash line against it. Not only can Murdock land his slider for strikes, but he routinely generates empty swings with it. Last spring, it garnered miss and chase rates of 41% and 43%, respectively, and it figures to continue to serve as Murdock’s go-to putaway pitch as he progresses through professional baseball.

While his fastball-slider combination made up for 95% of the pitches he threw over the summer, Murdock last spring rounded out his arsenal with a mid-to-upper-80s changeup. It looks the part of an at least average third offering, and it flashes late and effective tumble.

If Murdock can carry over the strides he made in the command department into this season, it will help his entire arsenal play up. He is a West Coast arm on which to keep close tabs.

Robert Orloski, RHP, UTSA

After being used primarily as a starter his freshman season, Orloski last spring flourished as a full-time reliever. Across 27 appearances spanning 72.1 innings, he pitched to a 3.36 ERA with 77 strikeouts against 27 walks. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Orloski has a lean, high-waisted frame with room to fill out. He features a short arm stroke and attacks out of an ultra-high three-quarters slot that is borderline over the top. There’s some low-hanging fruit to clean up in his operation—particularly getting more into his lower half and toning down the effort a bit—but it should be pretty feasible for whichever organization drafts him.  

Orloski relies heavily on his fastball, a pitch he threw 66% of the time in 2025. It sits in the low 90s, but it’s been up to 97 mph and flashes big-time carry in the top of the zone. It averaged over 23 inches of ride last spring, and while part of that is natural due to Orloski’s high slot, it’s still a noteworthy mark. The heater also averaged north of 2,400 rpm. Unsurprisingly, it’s at its best and generates the most whiffs when he’s able to locate it in the top half of the strike zone.

Orloski’s most-used secondary last spring was his low-to-mid-80s slider, though it lacks sharpness and its shape will vary. Sometimes it looks like a true gyro slider, while at others it’s a shorter, cutter-like pitch with some gloveside life. The former is usually thrown in the lower end of Orloski’s velocity band, while the latter typically falls inside the higher end. 

He used it less than his slider, but the secondary pitch I think Orloski should hone in on developing is his mid-to-upper-70s curveball. Like his slider, it’s a pitch that lacks teeth at the moment, but it flashes effective depth at times. It also makes sense to develop given Orloski’s arm slot, as his fastball and curveball—especially if it takes a step forward—would make for an intriguing north-to-south profile. He threw it just 3% of the time last season, but Orloski rounds out his arsenal with a mid-80s changeup that flashes tumble.

Cole Royer, RHP, Kennesaw State

We often use the phrase “good clay to mold” when talking about pitchers, and Royer is an arm who fits the description to a T.

Royer threw just 6.2 innings last spring at Georgia Tech, and he proceeded to enter the transfer portal and eventually committed to Kennesaw State. There’s certainly a chance Royer comes into his own while taking on a more elevated role for the Owls, and they’re a program that flies under the radar as it pertains to player development. They’ve had at least one pitcher selected in 16 of the last 18 drafts, and that’s a streak that figures to continue this July.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, Royer has a lanky, uber-projectable frame. He works exclusively out of the stretch and features a whippy arm stroke with present arm speed. He attacks out of a lowered three-quarters slot with a bit of crossfire in his delivery. His fastball has been into the mid 90s, and although it takes on a dead zone shape, it plays up thanks to the over seven feet of extension Royer is able to generate. I’ll be curious to see what kind of tweaks a player development department is able to make to the pitch’s shape, because Royer’s velocity—which should only tick up as he continues to fill out—and extension serve as two intriguing building blocks for his heater.

Royer pairs his fastball with an upper-70s-to-low-80s sweeper. It will need to become a more dynamic pitch, and it’s pretty easy to envision it growing into exactly that as Royer matures physically. He routinely spins it in the 2,700 rpm range, and it looks the part of a potential true swing-and-miss pitch. Its shape is inconsistent, but it was still effective in a small sample last season against righthanded hitters.

Royer’s pitchability will need to improve across the board, and he’ll need to add a viable third pitch to get lefties out, but there’s an exciting foundation in place.

Josh Skowronski, OF, Winthrop

Skowronski began his career at Kentucky, but after his freshman year, he opted for a change of scenery and chose to take his talents to Winthrop. Needless to say, it’s a move that’s paid off for him, as he hit .305/.436/.588 last season with nine doubles and 13 home runs. Skowronski rode the momentum he built during the spring into the summer, as he posted a .321/.454/.541 line with 13 extra-base hits, 24 RBIs and 26 walks to 18 strikeouts across 33 games in the Cal Ripken League.

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Skowronski has a strong, athletic frame with physicality throughout. It’s a pro body. Between last spring and this fall, it appears as if Skowronski has made a couple small tweaks to his setup. He’s now standing a bit taller in the box and looks looser and more relaxed. He has a small hand press in his load and deploys a quick toe tap that he’ll eliminate in two-strike counts. Skowronski is an advanced athlete who moves well in the box and has big-time hand speed.

Skowronski last spring did the vast majority of his damage against fastballs. He hit .333/.458/.677 with 15 extra-base hits—including nine home runs—against heaters, while working overall and in-zone contact rates of 87% and 93%, respectively. Conversely, secondary offerings proved to be a bugaboo. Skowronski struggled to see spin and pick up shapes out of the hand, which led to plenty of swings and misses down in the zone. He ran a miss rate of at least 34% against every offspeed offering this past season, so adding a coat of polish to his pitch recognition skills will be key.

However, if there’s a silver lining, it’s that Skowronski’s swing decisions were solid. His overall chase rate last season was just 21%, and only a couple handfuls of his swings came outside the “shadow zone” on Synergy.

While Skowronski’s exit velocity numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page, last season he posted a hard-hit rate of 47% to go along with a barrel rate of 28.7% and good angles. He has a knack for getting the ball up in the air to his pull side, which is where he’ll flash above-average power.

Skowronski has turned in plus run times—this fall he ran a 6.44-second 60-yard dash—and his legs serve him well on the grass. While he’ll need to crisp up his routes, Skowronski has an average arm and will stick in a corner outfield spot professionally.