Aaron Northcraft

Aaron Northcraft led Mater Dei deep into its sectional playoffs, beating top-ranked Norco and ace Matt Hobgood, a likely first-rounder. Northcraft settled down after giving up a three-run homer in the first and continued to boost his draft stock. He's a 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander who has modified his delivery, better incorporating his lower half. Delivering his pitches from a near sidearm slot, Northcraft has improved his stuff noticeably since last year. His four-seam fastball sits at 87-90 mph, and his best offering is his 84-85 mph two-seamer, which shows both sink and armside movement. He lacks control of his curveball, but that pitch shows interesting, sweeping break. A Southern California recruit, Northcraft needs some mechanical adjustments, but his combination of size and lively stuff could get him into the first five or six rounds.