USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team annually puts together a roster of the best players in the country, making it a must-see for scouts as they preview the upcoming draft class.
The 2022 team was one of the most talented scouts had seen in years. It featured Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, Jacob Wilson, Rhett Lowder, Kyle Teel, Jacob Gonzalez, Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Brayden Taylor-nine of the top 20 players drafted in 2023.
The same was not true of Team USA in 2023. That's because the 2024 draft class looks like a down group compared to the historic 2023 group.
There are still plenty of intriguing players on this year's top 10 ranking, though each player comes with a few more question marks that will need to be addressed during the fall and next spring season.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1693837706/articles/WGbqG46br1693909684763/1678687869.jpg]
1 JJ WETHERHOLT
2B-WEST VIRGINIA
Age: 20. HT: 5-10. WT: 190. B-T: L-R.
Wetherholt is one of the best pure hitters in the country. That was on full display this spring with West Virginia when he led the country in hitting while slashing 449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He was named Big 12 Conference player of the year. Wetherholt went 8-for-24 between Team USA scrimmages and games against Taiwan and Japan, with three home runs, six walks and six strikeouts.
Wetherholt's speed wasn't on display as much with Team USA this summer. He nursed a hamstring injury and didn't run much in scrimmages-but his feel for the barrel and impactful hands were quite obvious. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Wetherholt might not seem large, but he's well built and strong and puts a charge into the ball with strong wrists and forearms. His clean lefty swing features a slightly uphill path.
2 BRADEN MONTGOMERY
OF/RHP TEXAS A&M
Age: 20. HT: 6-3. WT: 215. B-T: B-R.
One of the best two-way players in the country, Montgomery took a big step forward as a hitter with Stanford during his sophomore season in 2023.
He improved his plate discipline by upping his walk rate from 6.6% to 16.5% and cutting his strikeout rate from 26.6% to 20.6% and slashed .336/461/.611 with 17 home runs. With Team USA this summer, Montgomery went 11-for-47 with two home runs, 14 strikeouts and four walks.
The switch-hitting Montgomery's best tool is probably his throwing arm, which is one of the best in the country and has earned top-of-the-scale grades.
That arm translates to the mound, where he can pump fastballs into the upper 90s-though he's thrown just 30.2 innings in two seasons for Stanford, mostly out of the bullpen. There's a chance he pitches more frequently after transferring to Texas A&M for the 2024 season.
3 SEAVER KING
INF-WAKE FOREST
Age: 20. HT: 6-0. WT: 190. B-T: R-R.
King was one of the biggest up-arrow college players from the summer after a second strong season with Division II Wingate (N.C.) this spring. The 6-foot shortstop hit .411/.457/.699 with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases and then played with Team USA and on the Cape, where he continued to impress as both a hitter, runner and defender. He transferred to Wake Forest for 2024.
King played all over the infield for Team USA, though he has the actions and the arm strength to stick on the left side. He made a number of tough plays coming in on the ball and showed solid anticipation and an internal clock at shortstop. King is a contact-oriented hitter with a spread-out stance, low handset and slight arm bar. He went 14-for-51 during scrimmages and games.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1693837706/articles/WGbqG46br1693909684763/1883911191.jpg]
4 JAC CAGLIANONE
1B/LHP FLORIDA
Age: 20. HT: 6-5. WT: 245. B-T: L-L.
A Golden Spikes semifinalist who just led the country with 33 home runs, Caglianone is one of the most tooled-up players in the country, with explosive upside as a slugging lefthanded hitter and hard-throwing lefty reliever. He came to Team USA late after a deep run in the College World Series and went 6-for-34 with a .176/.293/.382 slash line, including 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Caglianone is massive with 70-grade raw power, but he has an extremely lengthy and uphill swing to get to that power and is aggressive in his swing decisions. He had a chase rate of nearly 50% with Team USA with a 28% overall miss rate. On the mound, Caglianone has been up to 99 mph, though he is currently a below-average strike-thrower.
5 JACE LaVIOLETTE
OF TEXAS A&M
Age: 19. HT: 6-5. WT: 228. B-T: L-L.
LaViolette is a large, physical outfielder who stood out for his offensive potential and power as a high school prospect in the 2022 class. He made it to campus at Texas A&M, where he was one of the most impactful freshmen in the country. He slashed 286/.414/.629 with 21 home runs and 18 stolen bases. His 21 home runs broke a Texas A&M freshman record that had stood since 1987.
LaViolette has the frame of a corner outfielder, but he mostly played center field with Team USA. He showed solid foot speed and a quick first step while doing so. Multiple scouts said he was "clearly" the top outfielder on the CNT this summer, despite being one of just a few underclass prospects on the roster.
LaViolette sets up with a wide base and doesn't engage his lower half too much in his swing, but he still has the strength to drive the ball out-especially to his pull side. He went 14-for-48 with a 292/.346/.417 slash line, 15 strikeouts and four walks.
6 CHARLIE CONDON
1B/OF GEORGIA
Age: 20. HT: 6-6. WT: 215. B-T: R-R.
Condon was BA's Freshman of the Year this spring after he hit .386/.484/.800 with 25 home runs. He led the Southeastern Conference in slugging and ranked seventh in the nation in that category. His .386 average was good for second among SEC hitters, behind only No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews.
Condon is a bat-first prospect with plenty of raw power. At 6-foot-6, 211 pounds, he can drive the ball a long way, though most of his power has gone to the pull side or straightaway center field. With Team USA he went 18-for-54 with a .333/.356/.574 sl...
The 2022 team was one of the most talented scouts had seen in years. It featured Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Wyatt Langford, Jacob Wilson, Rhett Lowder, Kyle Teel, Jacob Gonzalez, Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Brayden Taylor-nine of the top 20 players drafted in 2023.
The same was not true of Team USA in 2023. That's because the 2024 draft class looks like a down group compared to the historic 2023 group.
There are still plenty of intriguing players on this year's top 10 ranking, though each player comes with a few more question marks that will need to be addressed during the fall and next spring season.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1693837706/articles/WGbqG46br1693909684763/1678687869.jpg]
1 JJ WETHERHOLT
2B-WEST VIRGINIA
Age: 20. HT: 5-10. WT: 190. B-T: L-R.
Wetherholt is one of the best pure hitters in the country. That was on full display this spring with West Virginia when he led the country in hitting while slashing 449/.517/.787 with 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. He was named Big 12 Conference player of the year. Wetherholt went 8-for-24 between Team USA scrimmages and games against Taiwan and Japan, with three home runs, six walks and six strikeouts.
Wetherholt's speed wasn't on display as much with Team USA this summer. He nursed a hamstring injury and didn't run much in scrimmages-but his feel for the barrel and impactful hands were quite obvious. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, Wetherholt might not seem large, but he's well built and strong and puts a charge into the ball with strong wrists and forearms. His clean lefty swing features a slightly uphill path.
2 BRADEN MONTGOMERY
OF/RHP TEXAS A&M
Age: 20. HT: 6-3. WT: 215. B-T: B-R.
One of the best two-way players in the country, Montgomery took a big step forward as a hitter with Stanford during his sophomore season in 2023.
He improved his plate discipline by upping his walk rate from 6.6% to 16.5% and cutting his strikeout rate from 26.6% to 20.6% and slashed .336/461/.611 with 17 home runs. With Team USA this summer, Montgomery went 11-for-47 with two home runs, 14 strikeouts and four walks.
The switch-hitting Montgomery's best tool is probably his throwing arm, which is one of the best in the country and has earned top-of-the-scale grades.
That arm translates to the mound, where he can pump fastballs into the upper 90s-though he's thrown just 30.2 innings in two seasons for Stanford, mostly out of the bullpen. There's a chance he pitches more frequently after transferring to Texas A&M for the 2024 season.
3 SEAVER KING
INF-WAKE FOREST
Age: 20. HT: 6-0. WT: 190. B-T: R-R.
King was one of the biggest up-arrow college players from the summer after a second strong season with Division II Wingate (N.C.) this spring. The 6-foot shortstop hit .411/.457/.699 with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases and then played with Team USA and on the Cape, where he continued to impress as both a hitter, runner and defender. He transferred to Wake Forest for 2024.
King played all over the infield for Team USA, though he has the actions and the arm strength to stick on the left side. He made a number of tough plays coming in on the ball and showed solid anticipation and an internal clock at shortstop. King is a contact-oriented hitter with a spread-out stance, low handset and slight arm bar. He went 14-for-51 during scrimmages and games.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1398697516/1693837706/articles/WGbqG46br1693909684763/1883911191.jpg]
4 JAC CAGLIANONE
1B/LHP FLORIDA
Age: 20. HT: 6-5. WT: 245. B-T: L-L.
A Golden Spikes semifinalist who just led the country with 33 home runs, Caglianone is one of the most tooled-up players in the country, with explosive upside as a slugging lefthanded hitter and hard-throwing lefty reliever. He came to Team USA late after a deep run in the College World Series and went 6-for-34 with a .176/.293/.382 slash line, including 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Caglianone is massive with 70-grade raw power, but he has an extremely lengthy and uphill swing to get to that power and is aggressive in his swing decisions. He had a chase rate of nearly 50% with Team USA with a 28% overall miss rate. On the mound, Caglianone has been up to 99 mph, though he is currently a below-average strike-thrower.
5 JACE LaVIOLETTE
OF TEXAS A&M
Age: 19. HT: 6-5. WT: 228. B-T: L-L.
LaViolette is a large, physical outfielder who stood out for his offensive potential and power as a high school prospect in the 2022 class. He made it to campus at Texas A&M, where he was one of the most impactful freshmen in the country. He slashed 286/.414/.629 with 21 home runs and 18 stolen bases. His 21 home runs broke a Texas A&M freshman record that had stood since 1987.
LaViolette has the frame of a corner outfielder, but he mostly played center field with Team USA. He showed solid foot speed and a quick first step while doing so. Multiple scouts said he was "clearly" the top outfielder on the CNT this summer, despite being one of just a few underclass prospects on the roster.
LaViolette sets up with a wide base and doesn't engage his lower half too much in his swing, but he still has the strength to drive the ball out-especially to his pull side. He went 14-for-48 with a 292/.346/.417 slash line, 15 strikeouts and four walks.
6 CHARLIE CONDON
1B/OF GEORGIA
Age: 20. HT: 6-6. WT: 215. B-T: R-R.
Condon was BA's Freshman of the Year this spring after he hit .386/.484/.800 with 25 home runs. He led the Southeastern Conference in slugging and ranked seventh in the nation in that category. His .386 average was good for second among SEC hitters, behind only No. 2 overall pick Dylan Crews.
Condon is a bat-first prospect with plenty of raw power. At 6-foot-6, 211 pounds, he can drive the ball a long way, though most of his power has gone to the pull side or straightaway center field. With Team USA he went 18-for-54 with a .333/.356/.574 sl...
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Baseball America (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2023