Hatcher’s Hotlist is a weekly segment that covers a handful of standouts from the past seven days around the state of Florida. I will travel around the state covering high school and junior college baseball games and compiling a “hotlist” weekly. 

Take a look at my four standouts from this past week featuring an MLB Draft arm, top of the class 2025, a lanky 2024 southpaw, and a 2023 outfielder. 

Hatcher's Hotlist

2022 Walter Ford, RHP, Pace

Alabama Recruit. Athletic build at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds with room for physical development. High follow 2022 MLB Draft arm. Ford is only 16 years old, recently reclassified from the 2023 class. I got to see Ford in action for the first time this past Friday up in Valdosta, GA pitch against a solid Lowndes Baseball program who gave Ford and Pace everything they had. In my look the fastball showed some late riding life through the zone at 2700 rpm spin rate, sitting 92-93 mph the majority of the outing and topping at 94 mph. The slider control was inconsistent in the first inning, missing low glove slide, Ford made adjustments and landed the pitch the remainder of his outing. The slider showed sharp action with a tight break and got a lot of swing and misses, the pitch is above average to plus at 2851-2933 rpm spin rate. Ford showed a changeup at 84-85 mph. Ford would go on and turn in a solid outing striking out nine hitters over five innings pitched with zero walks, one run on four hits. Remember the name and age of Ford in this year's 2022 MLB Draft. 

FB: 91-93 T94
SL: 79-83
CH: 84-85

5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K’s

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