2027 MLB Draft - Top 200 Prospects

Lawson is one of the more premium Canadian prospects to become available in recent draft classes. A 19th round pick by the Cardinals in 2024, Lawson elected to bet on himself and head to Gainesville. He's an extremely dangerous hitter with a smooth, controlled, violent left-handed swing featuring exceptional torque and ground force. Lawson has posted hard-hit and barrel rates that rival anyone in college baseball throughout his time on campus, however he is susceptible to swing and miss against breaking balls when he falls behind in the count. Lawson presents organic loft in his swing and is already showcasing over-the-fence power.

Lawson is dangerous in the box, if not inefficient at times. He keeps his chase rates in check and generally takes what the pitcher is willing to give him. Perhaps the only knock on Lawson's offensive game at this point is he will, at times, appear passive in the box. That could be because pitchers tend to pitch around him, but he still falls into pitchers counts more often than he necessarily should, allowing the opposition to dictate an at bat. This forces him to swing at pitchers pitches more than he'd like. He'll go the other way when they're pitching him soft low-and-away, but pitches left inside are deleted. Lawson grew up swinging wood bats in Canada and he’s played in the MLB Draft League and on the Cape with wood, too. There won't be any sort of adjustment period when switching to professional baseball. He comfortably has plus raw power as it stands now with exit velocities registering north of 115 mph. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he still has some room to grow into more.

He's got a premium, long, athletic bluechip frame that has tested his ability to stay at shortstop, but he's spent time all over the infield in Gainesville. He's continued to play shortstop at Florida despite his size and added muscle, though he'll likely move to third base or centerfield as a professional. Lawson has grown into a plus run tool on campus that compliments above average arm strength. He's got a chance to be a five-tool player if his hit tool continues to blossom.

When Oregon State learned that Dax Whitney was walking away from first round money in order to play ball in Corvallis, they had to have been overjoyed. He's had some of the best stuff in the country from the moment he stepped foot on campus. Finally draft-eligible once more, some believe he's one of the best pitching prospects the draft has seen in recent memory.

Whitney is a tremendous mover with a high leg kick through his wind up, a clean hand break and ultra-repeatable operation. He's a long, tall righty with projection remaining in his upper-half and an already sturdy, well-built lower half. He's got broad, squared-off shoulders and a high waist, two signs of a guy who figures to continue to add velocity as he matures. He extends well down the bump and lands consistently out in front with above-average extension and lower-half drive. He uses his legs quite well and generates considerable velocity because of it. Whitney is even keel and stoic in his craft. Never too high, never too low. He's not one to celebrate on the bump after a big strikeout and brings a workman-like attitude to his starts.

The only talking point surrounding Whitney will likely be his arm action. It is short, quick, compact and tight -- not prototypically fluid like most other arms. He hides the ball behind his ear throughout his delivery. Whitney's delivery is awfully similar to Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford.

Whitney has special fastball. Not only is it deceptive, his over-the-top delivery produces considerable carry through the zone with Tyler Glasnow-esque cutting action. It's a super-effective pitch at generating whiffs, aided by above average spin rates, up to 100 mph. Whitney's endurance and arm strength are awesome, holding 96-99 mph well into the later innings. It's a menacing weapon on the top rail, and Whitney commands it well. This is a 70-grade fastball enhanced further by plus command.

Whitney throws two breaking balls. His slider is hard and firm, thrown in the mid-to-upper 80s featuring above-average spin. It's touched 91 mph. It's something of an outlier, occassionally featuring lift and heavy lateral tilt resembling a hellish cutter. It's a nightmare for right-handed hitters focused on catching up with his velocity.

A bigger curveball mirrors his fastball brilliantly, thrown in the low-80s with considerable vertical tilt. He's added a bit more horizontal break these past two seasons in an effort to mimic his fastball and cutter/slider out of the hand. It's almost 20 mph lighter than his fastball and generates feeble swings and frozen hitters.

As if that three-pitch combo wasn't enough, there's also a changeup in the upper-80s bucket, with darting, diving life to the arm side. Whitney kills spin brilliantly and repeats his release point and extension unlike any other arm in the class. It lives on a pitch plot all on its own.

Unfortunately for the Beavers and Whitney, he tore his UCL and underwent elbow surgery in May of 2026. While he hopes to pitch before the 2027 Draft, that is not a guarantee. Either way, there is little question that Whitney is the best pitching prospect in the 2027 class and perhaps the best prospect in the class regardless of position if you believe he'll come back as strong as ever. Had he not gotten hurt, he was a real threat to become the next pitcher to be drafted No. 1 overall in recent history joining the likes of Paul Skenes (2023) and Casey Mize (2018).

Dylan Seward is one of the most exciting, explosive players in the 2027 Draft. His tools are seemingly limitless.

A switch-hitter, Seward has traits to fall in love with from both sides of the plate. As a righty, it's tighter turns with a flatter path, a keen ability to backspin the baseball with strength behind the ball. He's short into the zone and long through it; a picturesque swing. From the left side there's a bit more trunk tilt and emphasis for loft, a steeper plane into the zone that can limit his opposite field game power. Seward loses very little bat speed batting left handed and projects to slug from both sides. Seward is going to grow into more and more power with his athletic frame and wiry levers. It's already solid average power projection. There's always been some swing and miss in Seward's game from both sides of the plate, most notably outside of the zone. He's not a guy that has expanded the zone at unhealthy clips, but when he's faced advanced arms that have shown the ability to get ahead with bigger stuff, he can be susceptible when he's forced to protect, especially against spin. Seward's has always shown the ability to keep his strikeouts in check. He may not be a plus hit tool profile, but there's enough here to believe he'll eventually blossom into an above average hitter at worst.

The intrigue is just as tantalizing on the bases and in the field. A plus defender at the shortstop position, Seward has above-average arm strength befitting of a player expected to handle the left side of the dirt. Seward is always under control with the glove. His hands, footwork and actions all work in collaboration with decisive, efficient movement patterns when fielding the ball. His direction and internal clock stand out. To top off the profile, Seward is a 80-grade runner who can change the game with his speed.

This is a reasonably complete profile with star upside. Seward has the tools to hit at the top of a lineup or right in the middle of it. He's an impact defender with the chance to go to several all-star games as a professional.