Top Pennsylvania 2019 MLB Draft Prospects

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State List Talent Ranking: ????????
(Stars are listed on a 1 to 5 scale relative to what the state typically produces, with 1 being the weakest)

1. Sammy Siani, OF, Penn Charter HS, Philadelphia (BA RANK: 44)
Source: HS • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 175 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Duke

The younger brother of highly touted 2018 draft prospect Mike Siani (who signed with the Reds for $2 million as the 109th overall pick), Sammy is a talented draft prospect in his own right, albeit in a different way from his brother. While Mike stood out because of his raw tools, Sammy has impressed scouts thanks to a simple and efficient lefthanded swing that gives him a better chance to hit for a high average than his brother. He has a small leg kick, but quiet hands in his load, with a slight uppercut path and a long one-handed finish. Sammy’s swing is looser and involves more hands than Mike’s, and while he’s listed at just 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, evaluators have been impressed with Sammy’s extra-base power and think he has enough hitting ability to get to average power in the future. While he’s not a true burner like his older brother, the younger Siani is a plus runner who can handle center field. In fact, he was voted by scouting directors as one of the three best defensive outfielders in this year’s high school class. He has below-average arm strength but takes good routes in the outfield, and he is a better runner underway than out of the batter’s box from home to first. A Duke commit, Siani could wind up being drafted higher than his brother, although Mike got paid well over the slot value for where he was selected.

2. Jack Kochanowicz, RHP, Harriton HS, Rosemont, Pa. (BA RANK: 61)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 220 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: Virginia

A 6-foot-6, 220-pound righthander committed to Virginia, Kochanowicz is a projectable arm out of the Northeast with a high, three-quarter arm action and clean delivery. Despite his long frame and levers, Kochanowicz has a strong feel for throwing strikes. Over the summer, he sat mostly in the 89-92 mph range, but his fastball ticked up slightly this spring and scouts have seen him closer to 90-94 mph. He throws a mid-70s curveball that has solid 11-to-5 spin and good depth, but he casts the pitch at times and it can also get loopy. At the moment, it projects as a solid-average breaking ball, but Kochanowicz will need to improve the power and consistency of the pitch for scouts to grade it any higher than that. He also throws a firm, 85-87 mph changeup that shows promise, but it’s closer to a third average offering. While Kochanowicz doesn’t have a single plus pitch, it wouldn’t take much additional strength to get his fastball there on velocity alone. All of his offerings play up thanks to his extension off the mound and a slight crossfire delivery.

3. Chris Newell, OF, Malvern (Pa.) Prep HS (BA RANK: 85)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 187 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Virginia

An athletic outfielder with a lean, 6-foot-3, 187-pound frame, Newell has an enticing toolset and significantly raised his draft stock last summer. At a Perfect Game event in Atlanta, Newell was one of the showcase’s best hitters and also displayed strong defensive potential in center field. Offensively, he has above-average raw power from the left side, with twitchy bat speed and a smooth, uphill, fly ball-oriented swing. He’s also an above-average runner and shown above-average arm strength in the past, but that has been inconsistent this year as Newell has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. While he’s not a pitching prospect, he had been in the low 90s on the mound previously, which speaks to his arm strength at it’s best. The questions with Newell are in regards to his hit tool, and the fact that he doesn’t have much of a track record outside of the Atlanta event. He has a power-over-hit offensive approach, and scouts put 45 grades on his hit tool with plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. They also wonder whether he will be more of a corner outfielder rather than a true center fielder as he continues to physically mature. There’s a lot to like with Newell, but he is expected to be a tough sign out of his Virginia commitment.

4. Levi Stoudt, RHP, Lehigh (BA RANK: 112)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: – • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

A 6-foot-1 righthander with a simple, clean delivery, Stoudt has been a solid presence in Lehigh’s starting rotation for three years, posting a 2.97 ERA through his first 34 starts. Stoudt pitches off of a plus fastball that’s in the 91-95 mph range, with an athletic, repeatable delivery and consistent release point. Stoudt has a split-changeup that is currently an averaging offering, and he’s shown a breaking ball that can be solid-average at times. However, he’s experimented with different grips on his breaking ball, so he’ll need to improve the consistency of the offering moving forward. There are plenty of starter’s traits with Stoudt, even if he doesn’t have top-end pure stuff, and he’ll need to improve his secondaires to increase his potential upside. While Stoudt has put up consistent numbers over three years in the Patriot League, he also showed solid stuff last summer over in the Cape Cod League, despite the fact that his control backed up severely in that 25-inning stretch. Stoudt walked 5.68 batters per nine innings last summer, but he’s never walked more than 3.21 batters per nine innings while pitching for Lehigh.

5. Dan Hammer, RHP, Pittsburgh (BA RANK: 163)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 200 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Hammer has impressive pure stuff, even if he hasn’t had the best performances over the last three years with Pittsburgh. Hammer has posted an ERA north of 5.00 each season, and through his first 66 innings this spring, he has a 6.55 ERA with 80 strikeouts (10.9 per nine) and 37 walks (5.1 per nine). His best performance actually came last summer in the Cape Cod League, where Hammer started three games and relieved three, posting a 2.16 ERA in 25 innings with 20 strikeouts and just five walks. While there, he showed better command of a changeup and sharp breaking ball than he has this spring. Scouts like Hammer’s pure stuff, headlined by a solid-average fastball in the low 90s and an in-between breaking ball that could be a plus offering. He also has a changeup that some scouts think is a plus pitch as well. Hammer’s breaking ball will range in shape from 11-to-5 to more of a slurve. The key for Hammer will be improving his control, which is below-average. He’s walked 4.6 batters per nine innings over his first 187 innings at Pittsburgh, though those numbers have always been better in two summers on the Cape. Scouts think he can make the necessary tweaks thanks to a solid arm action and delivery.

6. Will Bednar, RHP, Mars (Penn.) Area HS (BA RANK: 190)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 210 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Mississippi State

A strong, 6-foot-2, 210-pound righthander committed to Mississippi State, Bednar showed scouts a fastball that ranged from the upper 80s to low 90s last summer. This spring, he came out with improved velocity and reached the 95-96 mph range, cleaning up a delivery that previously featured some head whack and crossfiring action in his lower half. Bednar had previously struggled to consistently repeat his release point, although it sounds like he has started moving in the right direction to correct that this spring. Bednar throws two distinct breaking balls, a sweeping slider in the 78-81 mph range and an 11-to-5 curveball that has shape but needs more power to become a swing-and-miss pitch. Bednar also has a changeup that could develop into a fourth solid offering. Bednar has professional bloodlines as his older brother, David, is currently a pitching prospect with the Padres and has touched 100 mph with a similar build and frame as the younger Bednar.

7. Dante Biasi, LHP, Penn State (BA RANK: 253)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Cubs ’16 (22)

Biasi is a 6-foot, 205-pound lefthander who was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 draft. He redshirted his freshman year and has seen an uptick in his strikeouts this season as a sophomore, fanning 98 batters in just 69 innings (12.4 per nine) against Big 10 competition. The lefthander uses a three-quarter arm slot and a repeatable delivery with a shorter arm action and stride, occasionally manipulating his leg lift in an effort to disrupt hitters’ timing. He can run his fastball up to 95 mph and throws a slider that shows above-average potential as well. With two above-average offerings and scattered strike throwing, some evaluators think he could be best suited for the bullpen in pro ball. His other secondary offering is a changeup that lags behind his fastball-slider combo.

8. Grant Norris, SS, Somerset (Pa.) HS (BA RANK: 386)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 185 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Duke

A 6-foot-2, 180-pound shortstop committed to Duke, Norris showed some raw power over the summer, with solid contact ability to the pull side with a small leg kick. Norris has a solid arm strength from the left side and has some athleticism to make difficult plays, but he too frequently struggles on routine plays for scouts to think he can stick at shortstop at the next level. There is some promise with his righthanded bat, but most teams will likely want to see him prove it in the ACC and find a more natural defensive home.

9. Kellan Tulio, LHP, Emmaus (Pa.) HS (BA RANK: 407)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Louisville

A big-bodied lefthander who stands 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, Tulio has been up to 92 mph with his fastball that has some arm-side running life, and also thrown a big, low-70s curveball. Scouts are intrigued with Tulio’s frame and arm strength, but he’s struggled heavily with control and needs plenty of work repeating his arm slot. Tulio is committed to Louisville.

10. Reggie Crawford, 1B/LHP, North Schuylkill HS, Ashland, Pa. (BA RANK: 412)
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 206 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Connecticut

A 6-foot-4. 206-pound two-way player, Crawford has added a significant amount of good weight over the offseason and started to separate himself more as a hitter than a pitcher this spring. He’s a power over hit bat who will be limited to first base and needs to show more feel to hit, and has been into the low 90s on the mound. Crawford is committed to Connecticut.

11. Tyler Yankosky, RHP, Millersville (Pa.) (BA RANK: 415)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 225 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Yankosky moved from Division II Millersville’s rotation to its bullpen this year. There are not many pitchers drafted out of D-II bullpens, but Yankosky has shown consistent above-average velocity (94-95 mphand he’s touched 97). Yankosky flashes an above-average cutter in addition to a fringy breaking ball, but he didn’t use the cutter all that often. An excellent golfer in high school, Yankowsky’s command and delivery explain why he’s a reliever. At 6-foot-6, 225 pounds he has a pro body.

12. Jason Reynolds, RHP, Lehigh
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

 

13. David Platt, RHP, Palisades HS, Kintnersville, Pa.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Indiana

 

14. Thomas Schultz, RHP, Our Lady Of Lourdes HS, Coal Township, Pa.
Source: HS • Ht: 6-6 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Vanderbilt

 

15. Eric Grintz, C, Downingtown (Pa.) West HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 195 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: North Carolina

 

16. Tyler Kehoe, OF, Archbishop Carroll HS, Radnor, Pa.
Source: HS • Ht: 5-10 • Wt: 182 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: South Carolina

 

17. Christian Scafidi, RHP, Pennsylvania
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 265 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted