Greene leads top 25 high school prospects for 2017 Draft

With the high school summer showcase season wrapped up, it’s time to put a bow on it with an early ranking of the top 25 prep prospects for the 2017 MLB Draft.

For Draft fans, there were two main takeaways from the showcase circuit, which includes Perfect Game National, USA Baseball’s Tournament of Stars, East Coast Pro, the Area Code Games and a couple of high school all-American games. The first was the consistent pitching dominance of two-way star Hunter Greene (Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, Calif.), who cemented himself as the industry consensus top high school prospect. The second was the emerging depth of position players, a speedier group than prep classes of the past.

Of the top 25 players in this ranking, at least four players — Jordon Adell, Quentin Holmes, Cole Brannen and Adam Hall — grade as plus-plus runners. Jordan Anderson and Garrett Mitchell also have plus wheels, and there are others here like Brady McConnell and Royce Lewis who have at least above-average speed. But these players do more than just burn up the basepaths — they all swing the bat with projectable hitting tools as well.

Having attended the Perfect Game National and Tournament of Stars showcases in June, this ranking was compiled from my scouting notebook, and it was supplemented with feedback from scouts and industry sources who attended other showcase events. Also, this is where we put the usual caveat that it’s a very early juncture for a Draft prospects ranking, as evaluations of teenaged baseball players can and will change dramatically in the span between now and next June.

Top 10:

1. Hunter Greene, RHP, Notre Dame HS (Sherman Oaks, Calif.) 6-foot-3, 195 pounds; R/R; Committed to UCLA

Greene is a first-round talent as a shortstop, but the industry prefers him on the mound, where he’s a potential top-five pick and a possible top-of-the-rotation starter. He has an outstanding feel for his three-pitch arsenal, which includes a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 98 mph, a plus slider and an advanced changeup.

2. Jordon Adell, CF/RHP, Ballard HS (Louisville, Ky.) 6-foot-3, 198 pounds; R/R; Committed to Louisville

Adell is probably the best athlete in the draft, a 70-grade runner with electric bat speed and plus raw power. He has swing-and-miss challenges to overcome, but he made noticeable progress at the plate as the summer wound down. Adell also has a plus-plus arm that produces lasers from the outfield and low-90s heaters from the mound.

3. Brady McConnell, SS, Merritt Island (Fla.) HS 6-foot-2, 169 pounds; R/R; Committed to Florida

Equipped with average or better tools across the …

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