Baseball Season Preview: Top Three Freshmen
With Baylor Baseball’s season opener against Central Michigan being less than a month away, it's time to start breaking down some of the biggest storylines and questions heading into the 2023 season.
Today, I’ll break down who I believe are the three freshmen who can make the biggest impact this season. And in the coming days, I will highlight the top three wildcards on the team and my three biggest questions for the team.
Blake Rogers – Initially a Steve Rodriguez commit from Sunnyvale, California, Rogers has more than enough talent to contribute right away to the backend of the Baylor bullpen.
At 6-foot-6, Rogers has great command for a true freshman, can hit the strike zone consistently and has the ability to force a ton of ground balls. Under James Leverton’s pitching program, D1Baseball reported that Rogers touched anywhere from 88-91 mph on his fastball this fall.
Kolby Branch – The true freshman from Lucas, Texas, will likely be the Bears' starting second baseman this season.
While it’s hard to gauge exactly how much a freshman will contribute to the team, some around the program believe Branch could be one of the best hitters in the lineup right away.
At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Branch has power potential from the right side and is also capable of flashing a solid glove up the middle.
Jordan Medellin – I noted back in the fall, “Medellin has the tools to be a future star. He has great range at shortstop and has one of the better arms for an infielder I have seen covering baseball over the past year.”
I don’t expect Medellin to have starting opportunities right away, but I definitely think he has the talent to contribute in some capacity this season.
It will be interesting to see how his bat progresses throughout the spring because his defensive ability jumped off the field in the fall scrimmages I watched.