2028 High School Draft

Son of Derek Swafford, a former third round pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Theo is one of the more polished, productive hitters in Southern California. Shortstops produced out of the Golden State have long been favored by scouts, and Swafford looks to be the next in line.

While he doesn't have some of the same size that some premium Southern California shortstops before him had, Swafford's hit tool ranks up there with the best of them. A 5-foot-11-inch switch-hitting dynamo, Swafford has remarkable barrel accuracy in a swing driven by fast hands and adjustability in his upper-half. It's a swing that brings back shades of players like Eli Willits and Colt Emerson. The hands work so well, driving the production in the swing. There's some length in a stride that creates extension and stretch in Swofford's core, uncoiling to deliver what should eventually become average raw power. For now, he's more of a slasher, making waves with line drives into the gaps. Swafford simply doesn't swing and miss, and he doesn't chase outside of the zone either. He lives up the middle of the field and has proven plenty capable of catching up to velocity and getting to the pull-side. It's as polished a profile as you'll find for a pure hitter at this early stage in the amateur evaluation. An above-average to potential plus run tool projection should add a bit more value in time.

Swafford has the actions that should profile at shortstop at the next level. He's a decisive defender with soft hands and actions around the pillow. First-step quickness and lateral mobility have continued to trend in the right direction as the athleticism has ticked up. If he's forced off the '6', the traits are present for a dynamic glove at second base.

Swafford's bat really stands out to carry the overall profile. He's a gamer in the truest sense. How much impact he grows into and whether he's a true shortstop at the end of the day will be the questions most asked by scouts as 2028 approaches. In any case, this is about as steady a floor as you'll find in a high school prospect. He can play.

Johnson's ascent as a ballplayer is what scout is all about. He's grown considerably over the last twelve months and has worked hard to iron out the kinks that were holding back his game. He just continues to get better.

Johnson recent had a significant hitch and hinge in his swing that was deterring his results against better arms. He was working with an exaggerated load, balancing on his back leg before pushing forward. That's mostly gone. He was late against velocity and spin would give him fits from a contact-quality perspective. He seems to have dramatically erased that mechanic from his load. Johnson is looking more smooth and fluid through the zone with length and bat speed these days. Johnson is already flashing some of the better peak exit velocities for his class. He's got excellent projection as he keeps growing.

Johnson is a primary shortstop now, but many think he's destined for third base or the outfield at the next level. It's above average arm strength and a future above average run tool. Johnson could play centerfield when all is said and done.

Johnson is the son of former big league outfielder Reed Johnson.

Welch is a line drive hitter with a flat barrel and some twitch in his lower-half. He's a scrappy player that likes to put the game in motion. It's a strong hit tool with an anxious approach to hitting. That said, there are few in the class that can get to the pull-side quite like Welch. He gets the barrel going out in front and works to create impact. It may only be fringy raw power projection, but it might play up a tick or two thanks to how efficient he is from a batted-ball perspective.

Welch's lateral mobility stands out, as does his internal clock. He's a steady defender at shortstop. It's also above average arm strenght projection. There's plenty to like on the defensive end.

Welch's wiry, lean, thin frame will continue to fill out and the production in the slugging department will continue to climb. He's already got the fundamentals of a truly advanced hitter despite his size and lite physical traits. He'll need to show impact as the draft approaches considering he will already be 19.2 years old for the event.

A well-liked outfield prospect in the Midwest, Watters bring a smattering of tools that should lend well toward a role going forward. The bat is what has scouts most bullish.

A well-built left-handed hitter, "Flip" has grown into more size and strength over the last calendar year, tightening up his swing, generating more bat speed along the way. He's become more compact and quick-trigger in the box, with hand speed that stands out in a big way. Watters rotates hard through the zone and can generate big exit velocities when he stays connected, already peaking north of 107 mph. There are some moving parts in his lower half and hands that can get things moving a little early at times. That should iron itself out over time. Watters has shown to be a reactionary hitter with most of his fly balls and line drives going to the opposite field against premium pitching. As he continues to get stronger and receives more and more reps against the elites, those fly balls and line drives should make their way up the middle of the diamond and to the pull-side with backspin and far more regularity. Importantly, he's shown very little swing and miss in his game and tends to pull the trigger on the right pitches.

Watters has seen his speed take a jump over the last year, trending toward plus once fully mature. He's got fringe-average to average arm strength in the field, normally positioned in left field in tournaments and showcases. Watters is trending toward a true centerfield prospect with the chance to impact the game in every way. His brother, "Bino" played outfield for LSU in 2027.

Formerly a member of the class of 2029, Di Maggio reclassified into 2028 when it became very obvious he was too advanced for his age group. A well-balanced profile with an uncommon amount of polish for his level, Di Maggio figures to be a force offensively, with blossoming athletic skills yet to fully determine if his future is in centerfield or right field. And yes, the late, great, Joe DiMaggio is the cousin to Mattis' great grandfather.

As a high school freshman facing pitchers three years older than he, Di Maggio slashed .500/.645/1.024 with 34 walks and just one strikeout at Dos Pueblos. He hit 11 homers, setting a new school record. That sort of dominance is seldom seen from a 15 year old. He parlayed his freshman season into a summer circuit performance that was even better. Across 31 games and over 100 plate appearances in 2026, Di Maggio slashed .447/.592/.684 against even greater competition, including a run with Team USA U15. Di Maggio boasts plus bat-to-ball skills, plus pitch selection skills, and a unique ability to find the barrel. He's a line drive machine. Better still, he's an above average runner whose 6-foot-3-inch frame continues to show athletic growth.

Di Maggio has a unique swing. He sets up with a wide base, slightly open to the pitcher with some frenetic tempo in his waggle. He has a short, quick stride with a moderate leg lift and understated move foward. He will at times exaggerate his leg kick and stride to try and tap into more power in ambush counts. Di Maggio's balance and ability to repeat in the box stand out. He lets his hands handle his timing windows, rather than working to coordinate with his lower half. His ability to lag the barrel and create stretch in his upper-half is where Di Maggio generates his power. It's safe to assume above average raw power in the tank, perhaps more as he adds strength. Di Maggio is not the most elastic hitter, instead relying on tension to let the strength in his hands/shoulders play. Given what he's shown thus far, it's fair to project a potential plus hitter with above-average or better power in games at full maturation.

As noted, Di Maggio is an above average runner who gets strong reads in the field. He's got arm strength that plays in all three spots. His throws present carry and accuracy on the bag. If Di Maggio gets to above average or plus speed and can hold it, he's got a chance to play center, otherwise he'll comfortably slide into right field.

Di Maggio has a lot of similarities to 2026 SoCal draft pick Jared Grindlinger. Incredible polish, age, size and length, and tools that play from the left side. He's one of the top talents in the 2028 class, and a model darling.