2028 Draft - Top 50 High School Prospects

As far as prodigious tools go, McLeon is as close as you're going to find in the 2028 class. The son of former 10-year NFL cornerback Dexter McCleon, "Jr." has elite athleticism on both sides of the ball with physical capabilities very few of his peers can match. While his future like ends up with a bat in his hand, it may be hard for teams to completely walk away from what McLeon can do on the mound.

At 6-foot-3 and north of 200 pounds, it's pretty exceptional what McLeon can do. He's a double-plus runner with plus arm strength that profiles in center or right field at the next level. So long as he doesn't slow down, he'll likely begin his professional career in centerfield with a chance to stick there if he doesn't outgrow the role. McLeon doesn't have traditional centerfield flexibility and route instincts, but given his run tool and athleticism, a pro organization will undoubtedly work to develop those more innate parts of his game in the low minors. Remember, Julio Rodriguez was labeled a right field prospect from the a young age. McLeon has some similar abilities as to what J-Rod was doing as a teenager.

McLeon's bat speed is top of the class. It's 70-grade raw power with hand speed and rotational metrics that point to a hitter that can make late decisions in the box and still deliver a heavy blow. McCleon has played a year or two above his grade going back to ninth grade to elevate the level of competition he's seeing on a regular basis, and because of it the hit tool has at times struggled to keep up. He's demonstrated quite a bit of swing and miss in his amateur career and strikeouts have piled up in more premium tournaments. He's had a tendency to chase sliders outside of the zone, and has had trouble connecting with the fastball, especially on the outside corner and elevated. It'll be interesting to see if McCleon's hit tool moves in a more favorable direction as his peers catch up to him given the amount of reps he will have seen against advanced pitching by the time he's 18 years old. For now, until proven otherwise, he looks like a guy who may only be an average hitter, but 40 homer output is in the tank. With this in mind, perhaps the Rodriguez comparison may not be quite so apt, but rather a Jo Adell likeness exists.

McCleon is already brushing 98 on the mound with a fastball that sizzles at the top of the zone. He possesses a lower-than-average launch with a generic fastball shape, however he takes advantage of his flatter approach angle and velocity to get whiffs in the zone and above it. McCleon also generates elite extension down the mound, elevating his perceived velocity across the board. McCleon's slider is short and firm in the low-to-mid 80s. His curveball is also on the short side, but even more firm in the low-80s. There's also a changeup that flashes solid depth. His ability to repeat shapes and execute strikes on all three secondaries is middling for the most part at this early stage.

McCleon has unbelievable tools across the board and metrics on the mound that suggest a high floor relief prospect as a fall back plan. If the hit tool takes a step forward, he's got a chance to be generational. If not, he has the look of a potential three-true-outcome slugger who provides more value in the instances he gets on base.

Chakar is one of the most complete pitching prospects in the 2028 class with an frame and arsenal ready for the next level right now. There are few boxes he isn't already checking.

For his age, Chakar's velocity comes effortlessly. His delivery looks built in a lab, designed by Justin Verlander with similar mechanical cues. It's an up tempo operation with a fast elbow spiral, occasionally stabbbing in the back a la Verlander. He keeps the arm action tight and throws his arsenal for strikes. Chakar lands out in front with solid extension through delivery, balanced and ready to field his position.

Chakar possesses a fastball that's already touching 96 mph with deception and shape. His plus extension allows the heater to play up even another tick. That's some carry and late tail that play nicely at the top of the zone. His capacity for spin on the pitch stands out in a major way, at times approaching 2500 rpm.

Chakar will drop his arm slot slightly to get to a low-80s slider that possesses bullet shape. He's still working to land that pitch for strikes on a consistent basis, but his feel for shapes at this age stand out. Chakar's spin traits on the breaking ball are middling for now -- something he'll want to work on if a player development system is to sink their teeth into his secondaries.

There's a seldom-used changeup thrown in the mid-80s featuring solid metrics, however this also isn't a pitch that is consistently executed.

Chakar's got a pro-ready frame, he easily gets to his velocity and has shown the potential for a four-pitch mix with a fastball that leads the charge. As they say, he just simply looks the part.

Perhaps the most famous name from the 2028 class, Striker Pence touched 101 mph as a high school freshman at Area Code Games in 2025. A star was born that day.

The nephew of San Francisco Giants star Hunter Pence, Striker is presently a two-way prospect, however most believe his future is on the mound. Given his size, arm speed and feel for spin, it's hard to argue in any other direction.

Pence is a good mover. He generates above-average extension down the mound and gets some added value from a launch height roughly six inches higher than the MLB average. His fastball shapes are usually fairly generic, however he can get north of 18 inches of induced vertical break when he stays behind the baseball. He spins the fastball exceptionally well with rpms north of 2500 at times. Given the arm speed, capacity for spin and sheer velocity, a good player development program will probably be able to get his shapes into a good spot at the next level.

A low-to-mid 80s curveball is his go-to secondary. It's got heavy lateral break with sweeper tendencies. Bigger vertical depth gives it shape more befitting of a curveball. His two-plane movement profile in the low-to-mid 80s suggest the ability to at some point grow into a plus breaking ball. He'll also flash a changeup that lags behind the fastball and curveball.

Pence has big bat speed from the left side of the plate and will also show off double-plus arm strength when given the opportunity to play third base. His size and levers can be prohibitive in the field and at the plate with quality of contact seeming to take the biggest hit. To Pence's credit, the athlete is awfully impressive in that he rarely whiffs and swings at the right pitches, but he's still at a place where repeating his swing can be a challenge at times.

This is 101 mph from a 6-foot-6-inch high school pitcher with MLB bloodlines. He's got a capacity for spin and, importantly, throws strikes. From this chair, Pence is a pitching prospect through and through, and perhaps the top right-handed pitching prospect in the class if his craft continues to blossom over time.

Gillespie has been punching above his weight class going back to the summer of 2025. He's a polished left-handed hitter with feel for peppering the middle of the field. That said, the athleticism is trending up and he's growing into more impact as it does.

Gillespie is a line drive hitter who can get to the pull-side when he wants. His feel for the barrel and adjusting his hands to match the pitch plane stands out. Gillespie is capable of creating launch and loft on pitches anywhere in the zone. For now, the game power projects at least average. He's got fast hands and rotates hard through the zone. Gillespie has more of compact, anchored swing that generates its damage with backspin, not pure bat speed. He can, at times, be a bit passive in the box. While that has helped him draw walks, it's also forced him into pitchers counts too often. He's in no hurry to expand the zone, but he probably lets too many hittable pitches go by at this stage.

Gillespie is a primary shortstop with above average arm strength projection at present, however most of it is moving to his left. He's particularly effective converting outs on tough plays when fielding the ball moving to his left behind second base. Gillespie can play with a flair about his game that can at times result in avoidable errors. His internal clock on infield choppers has been tested. Still, the potential exists here for enough lateral range to play the shortstop position at a high level, so long as the passive traits and defensive feel for the game continue progressing in an upward fashion. He's trending toward a plus run tool with a quick-twitch first step that works both on the bases and on the dirt.

Gillespie has the look of one of the premier prospects in the 2026 class. It's middle of the diamond tools, good size, a strong left-handed swing, and a decorated baseball card littered with production.

Tweedt is a fun player to watch play the game. Despite his unassuming frame, Tweedt brings a loudness into the box with a confident disposition and attitude to his at-bats. A primary outfielder, Tweedt has a chance to play centerfield going forward if the frame and body continue on their current trajectory.

Tweedt looks ready for battle in the box. He's got high-set hands, neutral to his frame with some rhythm and waggle over the crown of his helmet. He anchors hard into his back hip with weight transfer that signals real intent. Tweedt does have a longer path for the barrel to travel with some tip in his load. That said, he stays awfully compact and short to the ball when he gets going forward. He's shown very little whiff in his game to this point, however he may be challenged as the pitching gets more and more advanced in the coming years. Moving parts have had a way of threatening a good hitter's progression at this stage. Tweedt is a reasonably mature hitter, but will expand the zone on the outside corner, especially when teased with a fastball. He likes to use the whole field and has shown a natural ability to get the ball in the air. There's above average power projection from a bat speed perspective. He'll have no problem getting there if he grows a couple more inches.

Tweedt is already posting run times that suggest an above average run tool at full maturation. He's a willing runner who likes to steal bases and generally gets high marks for his baseball IQ. Tweedt has average arm strength projection. The tools fit in centerfield. This is an exciting player that will simply have to stand the test of time with the bat and its moving parts against better arms.