(Cover photo via mlb.com)
The 2024 MLB Draft is not too far away. The draft will be 20 rounds over 3 days starting on July 14.
Once again, the Sooner State should be well represented with players that have ties to the Sooner State that will have their name called during the draft.
Leading up to the draft, we will take a look at some of the those players.
*Prospect Ranking: MLB Top 200 (MLB), ESPN Top 150 (ESPN), Perfect Game Top 500 (PG)
*When looking at the scouting grades, MLB uses a “20-80” system: 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average, 70-80 is well above average.
Today’s player: Owen Hall
If everything goes according to the rankings, Owen Hall will be the 2nd highest high school prospect from the Sooner State that will be drafted. He’s also the 2nd highest rated pitcher behind Kash Mayfield.
Hall played his high school at Edmond North where he consistently faced the toughest large school competition in Oklahoma.
Can’t imagine many, if any, pitchers having the velo that Hall already possesses in this year’s draft. He consistently sits mid 90’s and touches 97-98 according to reports. It’s that fast ball that brought out the scouts to watch Hall when he pitched. (Although don’t sleep on the off speed stuff.)
Prospect Rankings
- MLB – 74
- ESPN – 92
- PG – 83
Scouting Grades and MLB Report
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Hall made a huge impression at the Area Code Games in August, when he struck out 10 of the 18 batters he faced, including nine with a fastball that had an event-best peak velocity of 97 mph. He’s a consensus second-round talent heading into his senior season, though there are some scouts who believe he’s on an upward trajectory that could make him the first prep pitcher drafted. He may have to go early to be lured away from a Vanderbilt commitment.
Hall relies heavily on a fastball that sits at 91-94 mph and reaches 98 with explosive life up in the strike zone. With his athleticism and projectable 6-foot-3 frame, he could regularly deal in the mid-90s once he gets stronger. He throws two distinct breaking balls, with his low-80s slider showing more promise and getting more chases than his mid-70s curveball, which lacks consistency but elicits swings and misses.
Though Hall barely uses his mid-80s changeup, it could become an average pitch once he employs it more and gains more velocity separation from his fastball. He moves well on the mound and works with a high arm slot that creates induced vertical break on his heater and depth on his breaking pitches. He already pounds the zone with his fastball but needs to improve his control of his secondary offerings.
Per mlb.com
Outlook
Hall possesses one of the best fastballs in this year’s draft whether it be a high schooler or a college player. MLB scouts HAVE to like that. Because of that, I’m wondering why his rankings are where they are. Don’t get me wrong, those rankings put him in the 3rd to 5th round area which is still very good.
Is his commitment/signing to Vanderbilt “cooling” him off the higher rounds? We shall see. Either way, Owen Hall has a bright future ahead of him.
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