Prep Baseball Report is conducting its annual review of recruiting classes, in which Nathan Rode and Shooter Hunt evaluate the current senior talent committed to programs in each of the Power Five conferences, as well as notable mid-majors—or as we like to call them, Power Majors—and the draft risk each of those classes carry. Numbers in the charts below denote where players are ranked in the 2021 Overall Rankings.

ALABAMA

OVERVIEW: Miller has easy, athletic movements in the field and quick-twitch actions on both sides of the plate, all of which put him in the conversation as one of the top shortstops in the country. Holman has a strong frame and high-spin fastball that can sit 90-92. He also mixes in a sharp, downer curveball and changeup that dives at the plate. Hayslip sports an impressive 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame with broad shoulders that has present strength and room for more, which only adds to his left-handed power. Banks is long, lanky and projectable with a fastball up to 93. Clarke recently finished rehab from Tommy John surgery and was seen hitting 95 in a bullpen session video. Sute can spray the ball to all fields and is a strong defender behind the plate with pop times around 1.9 seconds. Woods has a quick arm out of a high slot that produces an 89-91 fastball.

DRAFT RISK: High. Wisconsin can be a tough place to scout hitters, but with the draft now in July, teams will have an extra four to six weeks to see Miller. Plus, the success of Dodgers SS Gavin Lux (first round, 2016) and Noah’s older brother Owen (third round, 2018) will likely ease some minds too. Athletes at premium positions typically don’t make it to campus. Holman shined at the Area Code Games and is in great position to be a spring riser. Hayslip showed flashes of being an early-round prospect over the summer. Coming back from TJ, Clarke didn’t get a chance to show his stuff for scouts, but his video surely put him on the radar, whether it was the velo, frame or left-handed looseness. There’s a lot of upside to this class, but the Crimson Tide could get hit hard next July.  

ARKANSAS

OVERVIEW: Bishop is a dynamic athlete with quick-twitch actions all over his game. He’s a plus runner with lightning-quick hands at the plate, producing electric bat speed. Gray, who moved from Illinois to IMG Academy for his senior year, was long considered a top prospect with the bat while showing two-way ability. Now, it seems pretty clear his best upside is on the mound, where he generates easy low-90s fastballs and one of the best curveballs in the class. Smith had Tommy John surgery last year, but when healthy can pitch in the low 90s as well and mixes in a sharp slider. Muncy is part of a strong California shortstop class and has a whippy barrel from the right side to go with fluid actions on defense. Diggs is an excellent athlete with above average to plus speed and a pure left-handed swing. Stovall is also a strong hitter, routinely finding barrels against some of the country’s top pitchers. Varnado has a slender, athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 175 pounds with tons of projection. He has a line-drive, gap-to-gap approach with some natural lift that should lead to more power as he fills out. Tygart might be the biggest sleeper in the group with a 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame that still holds plenty of projection, and elite stuff to go along with it. Should he harness that premium stuff while on campus, the Hogs could be looking at a Friday Night Starter. Soliz, who moved to Alabama from Texas in the spring, is physically imposing at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. He hits with controlled aggression and has a quick bat. Trapani runs his fastball up to 95 and mixes in a sharp breaking ball, both of which should help him contribute to the Razorbacks’ pitching staff early in his career. Viars and D’Arcy add only further depth to this class, and with considerable thump. Viars is a left-handed slugger who has seen consistent upticks in power, and D’Arcy hails from one of the top high school programs in the country in the best conference in the country, and could challenge for playing time from day one.

DRAFT RISK: High. Bishop and Gray could easily hear their names in the first round if they even just maintain what they did over the summer, let alone improve. Smith will need to show he’s healthy in the spring, but as the top southpaw in Texas, he’ll be squarely on scouts’ radars when the season starts. Diggs’ athleticism and tools don’t usually last long in a draft. Muncy and Stovall are proven hitters, so it’ll come down where teams think they wind up defensively and how that factors into their signability. It wouldn’t be surprising to see half this class sign. It would still be a talented group descending on Fayetteville next fall, but surely the Arkansas staff is hoping they keep at least a couple of those top prospects.