Draft HQ: Top College Power/Speed Draft Prospects
October 8, 2024
When it comes to turning power and speed tools into game production at the college level, there were seven players in Division I baseball last season who had 20+ doubles OR 20+ home runs AND 20+ stolen bases.
Nobody combined the power/speed tools better than Vance Honeycutt (North Carolina) who went deep 28 times and swiped the same number of bases. With elite level defense as his top tool, he parlayed his other abilities into the 22nd overall selection by Baltimore. Down the street, but in the same neighborhood was Kentucky’s second baseman Emilien Pitre who produced 20 doubles and 26 stolen bases, to go along with ten home runs. Pitre was selected in the 2nd round, 58th overall by Tampa Bay.
Other members of the 20-20 club included Kai Roberts (Utah) who was selected in the 7th round after posting 21 doubles, 7 home runs and 32 stolen bases. Dillon Lewis (Queens) was chosen in the 13th round by the hometown Yankees after 14 doubles, 22 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Shortstop Colton Becker slugged 22 doubles, 14 home runs and swiped 29 bases for Morehead State before a successful stint in the MLB Draft League with 25 stolen bases in 24 games. He then signed as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City. The sixth member of the club was Northern Kentucky’s Treyvin Moss who swiped 30 bags, doubled 22 times and homered 11 as a fifth-year senior for the Norse.
This brings us to the question, who are some potential 20-20 power/speed performers for the ‘25 season?
Infielder Sam Gates (George Washington) was the remaining member, and only returnee, of the super seven from 2024. He returns for his senior season after posting a 24 2B/ 7 HR / 23 SB this past spring. At 5-foot-10, 170 pounds and a maximum exit velocity (EV) of 107 mph last spring, there isn’t great raw power, but with plus run speed (6.45-6.55 sixty yard) and sneaky pop, he will likely maintain his well-earned reputation as a top college producer.
Another East Coast sleeper is portal transfer Josiah Ragsdale. Now at Boston College, the center fielder is a sleeper prospect who runs near plus-plus and stole 24 bases at Iona last season. His max EV was 108 which led to 13 doubles, eight triples and seven home runs to go along with a .323 batting average.
Beyond Gates and Ragsdale, there are numerous other candidates among mainstream prospects who possess the power/speed tools to join the club in 2025. At the very top of our current 2025 MLB Draft rankings resides Jace LaViolette (Texas A&M). At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, the Aggie center fielder looks like a thoroughbred and runs like one too. He bagged 18 bases and swatted 21 long balls as a freshman, before slugging 28 more as a sophomore. His stolen bases dipped to seven, but his speed did not. He’s a plus runner underway with a max EV of 116 mph in 2024, which grades as plus-plus (70) on the pro scale.
Ethan Conrad (Wake Forest) narrowly missed the 20/20 club of last season with 18 doubles and 16 stolen bases. He also led the country with 13 triples, to go along with nine home runs. At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds he runs a 6.50 sixty and recorded a top EV of 111 mph (50/55 grade) mph this past spring. Already receiving first round follow grades, Conrad should be a fun watch this spring.
Tooled-up with a 70-grade arm, above average raw power (111 max EV) and above average run speed Dean Curley was the Vols everyday shortstop as a freshman in 2024. At 6-foot-3, 210-pounds he may slide over to the hot corner this season where his tools may profile even better. Last spring he homered 12 times to go along with nine stolen bases. At the plate this summer for the USA CNT he showed a patient approach, good knowledge of the strike zone and saw the ball well with very few chases. Also possessing great makeup and baseball instincts, Curley is a pick to click as a soph-eligible in 2025.
Clemson center fielder Cam Cannarella stole 24 bases as a true freshman in 2023, but was limited in 2024 as he played through a shoulder injury and spent much of the season as the DH for the Tigers. However, he did homer 11 times and the prediction here is that he eclipses 20 stolen bases once again and flirts with 20 home runs after summer and fall of recovery and strength gains. He is on schedule to be 100% healthy and ready to go in December. Cam Maldonado (Northeastern) started slowly in 2024 and played in just 46 games for the season, but he still managed to steal 28 bases after swiping 32 as a freshman in 2023. He also produced 13 home runs and 13 doubles that season, but those totals fell to six and eight last spring even though his maximum EV increased from 107.3 to 108.7. After a strong summer in the Cape, the 6-foot-3, quick-twitch Maldonado is trending towards day one this summer.
A trendy “pick-to-click” by the scouting industry, Brendan Summerhill (Arizona) first showed off his toolset in front of a national audience at the 2022 Super 60 when he ran a 6.54 sixty and showcased the second best bat speed in the event per Blast at 78.2 mph.
He has a silky-smooth left handed swing that is geared to use all fields. He put it to good use this summer in the Cape, batting .286/.358/.440 with five doubles and two home runs. At 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, he’s a long, lanky athlete who’s a plus runner on the bases and a long strider in the outfield, which gives him a chance to stick in center field for the long run. Summerhill’s plate discipline, bat-to-ball skills and speed make him a great table-setter—he batted leadoff at Arizona 32 times last spring—but he also has enough physicality to be a middle-of-the-order run producer. His maximum EV last season was 110 mph which is average (50) on the pro scale.
With just one stolen base last season Georgia's Tre Phelps isn’t likeliest in this group to produce a 20-20 in 2025, but make no mistake, this Bulldog has both power and run tools. A draft-eligible sophomore this summer, Phelps has five-tool potential. He batted .353 as a true freshman for the Bulldogs and also led the USA CNT Summer League Tour team with a .385 average (5-for-13) with a triple and a home run. He’s an aggressive, early count hitter with a balanced and quiet hit approach. There’s plus raw juice (112 max EV) in his swing and he gets to it during games. Phelps can also turn around any fastball and he’s a plus runner underway.
A true five-tool talent, Nick Dumesnil had a breakout season at Cal Baptist in 2024 and followed it up with an outstanding summer in the Cape. He batted .311/.371/.489 with 12 doubles, four home runs and 26 stolen bases in 27 tries. He stands out for his impressive bat speed and flashes real power to all fields (113 max EV). He is a solid college center fielder, but will likely lack the closing speed to stick there as a professional. No worries though, his plus arm strength makes him a good fit in right field at the next level.
Although he struggled with results at the plate this summer for the USA CNT (1-for-16, .063 batting average) and Harwich in the Cape (.205/.350/.253), Daniel Dickinson (LSU) showed good athleticism and an easy swing. His batting practice swing was especially impressive, showing loft power through the middle of the field produced by consistent barrels and a natural feel for finding it. His max EV last season for Utah Valley was 110 mph and he homered 18 times. He also stole 32 bases with good instincts and above average speed. Dickinson will be a very interesting follow this spring as he converts from the thin air of the WAC to the greater challenges of the SEC.
Harrison Didawick (Virginia) has top 100 overall pick potential with defense, speed and power as his top tools. He’s a sure-handed defender with plus speed and above average range, but well below average arm strength. In the batter’s box the left handed hitter had a maximum exit velocity of 109 mph last spring, which equates to near average raw power, and that power should continue to improve as he continues to fill out his lanky 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame. Didawick will need to cut down on his strikeout rate (23.5%) to maximize his draft value this summer, but the tools are all in place.
An unsigned 19th round draft pick out of high school by the Diamondbacks, Oregon State outfielder Gavin Turley has plus bat speed and strength in the box that produced a max EV of 112 mph last spring. He’s a much better runner underway than down the line (4.40s) and his speed plays in the outfield where he shows above average range and catches everything he gets to. With his plus raw power comes plenty of empty swings. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Turley struck out at a 27.3% clip in 2024, but improved a bit this summer in the Cape to a 23.3% rate. Overall at this point in the draft cycle, Turley is similar to 2024 fourth round picks, Dakota Jordan and Rodney Green, Jr. as a high-level athlete who needs to make more consistent contact at the plate in order to be considered for day one selection in 2025.
After spending his freshman season at Alabama, Max Williams homered 14 times for Florida State in 2024. The left handed hitter can turn around any fastball, as evidenced last spring leading off game one of the series with an opposite field blast against Wake ace Chase Burns. It was a 420-foot bullet with a 104 mph exit velocity against a 99 mph heater from Burns. Overall, Williams’ max EV last season was 114 mph with an 89 mph average. Both are plus measurements. With above average speed he also stole five bases in six attempts. Williams is not the likeliest of those on this list to produce a 20-20 season, but his power/speed tools are legit and will likely be highly valued in the 2025 draft.
A pair of Juco transfers also have the potential to join the above prospects for a 20-20 season. Following Travis Bazzana to the States from Australia, Brent Iredale (Arkansas) made a stop in Hobbs (N.M.) at New Mexico JC prior to his arrival this fall in Fayetteville. Richard Bonomolo (Alabama) spent two years in Mt. Carmel (Ill.) at Wabash Valley JC. Both were ranked as two of the top Juco prospects for this past summer’s draft. The Aussie Iredale ranked No. 2, while Bonomolo was slated at No. 15. Ultimately, neither was drafted due to their strong commitments. Look for both to hit the ground running in the SEC, despite the obvious challenges the league presents, especially with first year players.