Looking at some potential pitching targets that might intrigue Arizona. Spoiler alert, the list is short.
The long and the short of things when it comes to the 2025 draft is, this is not the year to go shopping for a pitcher. While the COVID draft loaded up the next few seasons with plenty of higher-end pitching talent, this first season back to “normalcy” has a glaring lack of high octane, impact pitching. After Kade Anderson and Liam Doyle, the cupboard is rather bare. High school standout Seth Hernandez will also go very early in the draft, but he comes with a number of red flags, including being a power-throwing right-hander already committed to Vanderbilt.
That doesn’t mean that the first round is devoid of any arms worth considering. In fact, this is one area in which the Diamondbacks selecting at #18 could play into them finding value for their money, as most any other pitcher falling to (or slightly climbing to) #18 is not something terribly unlikely. It only takes one or two of these names slipping just one or two slots and the avalanche of talent starts.
The Candidates
Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
DOB: 20 April 2004
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 170 lbs.
B/T: R/R
Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 65 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
Bremner’s performance in 2024 had many evaluators expecting him to be a top-10 selection this year. However, now that he has settled into the rotation full-time instead of bouncing back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen, his stuff has stalled somewhat in its development. He still reliably pounds the zone with a 95-97 mph fastball, but the results are not what they were previously. Additionally, his slider, which fits the mold of a two-play gyro-slider, seems to have abandoned him somewhat. As a reliever/starter, the slider was a devastating pitch for him, stealing first pitch strikes and also getting wild swings and misses on third strikes. Now though, Bremner’s ability to carefully locate the pitch within the zone seems to have eluded him. Having had success with it before, many teams may see a chance for full-time coaching and advanced analytics to find where he is missing his spot. On the flip-side of things, Bremner also has a 70-grade change-up. This is a pitch he will throw to any batter in any count. The change demonstrates incredible depth, waiting until the last moment before dipping significantly. Bremner’s ability to disguise this change and the pitch’s ability to stay on fastball track make it arguably the best changeup to be found in this year’s draft.
Some questions remain as to where he will best fit. However, there is every indication that a bit pf patience will allow him to develop into a solid middle of the rotation arm. For teams looking for rapid advancement (think the Angels), he could be a rapid riser in the bullpen, reaching the Majors by Opening Day, assuming his command continues to hold as he finds bigger and greater challenges.
Gage Wood, RHP, Arkansas
DOB: 15 December 2003
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 205 lbs.
B/T: R/R
Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50
Wood is another reliever turned starter. Wood joined the Razorbacks as a closer in his freshman year. Then, he got better. Then, he got better again when he moved to the rotation full-time this season. With a 70-grade fastball, this is one of the best heaters to be found in the draft. Its biggest issue is likely tied to the fact that Wood is “merely” six feet tall, so he gets less extension and also less downward plane movement on the pitch. To counter that, he throws comfortably in the 94-96 mph range and can reach back for an easy 98 mph when he needs it. The velocity, combined with Wood’s ability to fill the zone from a low angle and release allow the pitch to play up, generating elite whiff marks on the pitch.
Wood pairs this pitch with a hard slider and well-shaped curve. The slider is an upper-80s offering, allowing it to work as a secondary hard pitch with movement not unlike a change, but he has some command issue with the pitch. His better secondary offering is his curve, a softer offering that he seems to be able to locate better. Sadly, outside of his recent College World Series performance, I was unable to see much of Wood this year, so the sample size is small. Wood also possesses a serviceable change that many feel could evolve into a average offering if he can be encouraged to deploy it more.
About that College World Serries performance I just mentioned though? Yeah, he was pretty special. Wood bullied and abused Murray State, recording 19 (!) strikeouts in only the third no-hitter in CWS history. Only a hit batter prevented him from securing a perfect game.
Like Bremner, Wood started in the bullpen because of concerns regarding his endurance. His junior season was cut short when he entered the season with a right shoulder impingement. This has raised some concerns about his long-term future. However, with regular fitness training and a professional coaching staff, there is every reason to believe he can stick as a starter. If not, he could quickly be converted to an elite level reliever, likely closing games.
Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (OR) – committed to Tennessee
DOB: 18 April 2007
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 229 lbs.
B/T: L/L
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
The first thing that stands out about Schoolcraft, more than any of his pitches, is his physical size. Schoolcraft is a giant of a young man, clocking in at 6’8”. He is also a standout, two-way player, playing solidly as a massive target to throw to at first base. However, any team looking at taking Schoolcraft in the first round is almost certainly going to convert him to pitching full-time, where his intimidating frame and plus repertoire make him a potential future lefty ace.
Schoolcraft knows his value. He also knows he needs to be performing sooner, rather than later. As a result, he went through the trouble of making himself eligible for this season’s draft instead of waiting for his originally slated 2026 chance.
Schoolcraft’s fastball sits at 97 mph with an easy delivery. Despite the strong velocity numbers, the pitch lacks some spin and movement, making it a relatively straight offering. That said, the extension that Schoolcraft gets out of his towering mound presence helps the pitch to play up. If he can be coached to add some movement, even at the cost of one or two miles per hour on the deliver, the pitch will play up into a 70-grade offering and make Schoolcraft a nightmare to face.
Schoolcraft’s second-best offering is a traditional, hard-biting slider that he throws in the low 80s and that he is able to spin onto the back foot. Hos ability to control the spin on his slider to give it differing depths and shapes has led many evaluators to see the potential for him to find movement with his fastball once he gets professional coaching.
Schoolcraft also features a solid change. For someone of his age and with his power stuff, he has a surprisingly good feel for the pitch and is able to throw it to batter on both sides of the plate. A big part of Schoolcraft’s success with that pitch is once again attributable to his size and the fact that he delivers all of his pitches with the same powerful delivery. Schoolcraft is able to disguise his offerings and take advantage of his extreme extension to make his pitches play up. Additionally, despite Schoolcraft’s size and tendency to go “all-out”, he is very adept at filling the strike zone, understanding that trusting his stuff will get him much further than trying to pick at the very edges of the strike zone.
On top of all this, Schoolcraft has a draft-worthy power bat at first base. However, his ability as a fielder is not what is raising eyebrows and putting him on most (if not all) day one draft boards.
Josh Hammond, RHP/3B/SS, Wesleyan Christian (NC) – committed to Wake Forest
DOB: 21 September 2006
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 215 lbs.
B/T: R/R
Scouting grades:
Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50
Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50
Josh Hammond is a bit of a wild card for everyone in the draft. In the U.S. U-18 tam, he was a power arm that looked like he was headed on to become a top-tier pitcher. But, the young man wanted to play everyday. So, he got to work with his bat and glove and his transformed himself into a day one level third baseman. Unlike Schoolcraft, there is far less consensus on where Hammond will end up. For teams with patience, there is a very real chance he could be drafted as a two-way player and allowed to determine his home through his performances in the minors.
On the mound, Hammond is a traditional power pitcher who humps it up there at 99 mph. He also features a power slider with great two-plane movement and a changeup that he shows surprising feel for given how little he relies upon it. At 6’1” and 215 pounds, he has a solid build that holds up well over long seasons. When pitching, he uses his lower half to generate his power. Unlike some of the names mentioned above, there is little doubt that Hammond has both the endurance and the stuff to be a full-time starter.
The catch here is that Hammond has made it very clear that he prefers hitting. As a position player, he has the glove and instincts to be an above average fielder. His pitching arm carries over well and allows him to get plenty of velocity on his throws to first base. With the potential to be a plus defender with serious power potential, Hammond makes an attractive third base or shortstop candidate as well. Given the sate of Arizona’s development pipeline, I do not see Hammond as a likely pick for Arizona. However, he may well represent one of the best fits for “Best Player Available” when Arizona selects with the 29th pick in the draft.
Next will be a look at some of the potential bats that seem to make the most sense for Arizona.