Breaking Down Baylor Baseball's 2024 Recruiting Class: Hitters
On Nov. 9, second-year head coach Mitch Thompson and the Baylor baseball program announced the 2024 recruiting class, which included four right-handed pitchers, four outfielders, three left-handed pitchers, three infielders, a catcher and a two-way player.
The 2024 recruiting class is Thompson’s first class that was completely handpicked by him and assistant coaches Zach Dillon, James Leverton and Jim Blair. Thompson and the staff’s philosophy is to rebuild the Baylor program through high school recruiting with gritty, blue-collar players who want to win and embody what it means to be a Bear.
Today, I’ll break down the hitters from the 2024 class and reveal some notes and observations from the staff. A few months back, I broke down the pitchers in the class, and you can read that article here.
Drew Britton | INF | Pike Road, Ala. | Pike Road HS | L/R | 6-0 | 210
Drew Britton is an athletic 6-foot-0, 210-pound infielder who moves well for his size and is likely to play either second or third base. Britton also plays football, and the attributes that come with that – physicality, toughness, coachability – are things that the coaching staff loves to see in prospects.
“His makeup is going to fit really well into what we want in a player,” one coach said. Britton was overlooked by the SEC powerhouses but had a ton of interest from solid mid-major programs across the southeast.
Brytton Clements | INF | Laredo, Texas | Alexander HS | R/R | 6-2 | 170
Brytton Clements is a late-bloomer shortstop prospect who the staff looks at with long-term potential. It took a while for Clements to grow into his 6-foot-2 frame and he was likely overlooked throughout the recruiting process due to his skiness.
“I think he’s the kind of guy you look up after three years and say, ‘He’s got a chance to be a star,’” one coach said. He’s a toolsy player with athleticism and is solid defensively, but he still has a ways to go hitting-wise.
Camden Clewett | RHP/C | Montgomery, Texas | Montgomery HS | R/R | 6-0 | 205
Camden Clewett is a physical right-handed hitting catcher who had some promise on the mound before having to undergo Tommy John surgery. Prior to the injury, he was a strike-thrower who had a three-pitch mix and could sit 88-90 miles per hour on his fastball.
Baylor has two catchers in the 2023 and 2025 recruiting classes, so what Clewett can bring on the mound post-injury will be something to monitor.
Samuel Jenkins | OF | Dallas, Texas | Trinity Christian Academy | L/R | 6-2 | 205
From an athleticism standpoint, Samuel Jenkins has a “big-league body” and fits the mold of what the coaching staff is looking for in players. He’s a physical left-handed hitter who has a chance to be a player that can really do damage with his bat. “He fits [Baylor] like a glove, has winning makeup and wants to be good,” one coach said. However, something to watch is that when players are coming from a private school, the jump to a Power Five school may be a little wider than for others.
Anthony Martinez | C | Kutztown, Pa. | P27 Baseball Academy | R/R | 5-10 | 195
Anthony Martinez was an unsigned catcher who quickly grew on the coaching staff after watching him in Florida last summer. Martinez can steal strikes behind the dish, can throw runners out and plays with high energy. “He checks a lot of boxes that you want at [the catcher] position,” one coach said. Martinez will have to improve offensively but has the makeup and defensive prowess to be successful.
Brayden Mulkey | OF | San Antonio, Texas | Davenport HS | L/L | 5-8 | 175
Brayden Mulkey is an athletic, 5-foot-8 outfielder who has speed and an “off the charts” makeup – a common theme in this year’s recruiting class. Mulkey appears to be one of those really good baseball players that you can’t necessarily overlook despite his smaller size. “I think we’re stealing a pretty good one here,” one coach said.
“I think he’s got the chance to be a very offensive player with a bat as well,” another assistant coach said. “He’s shown some surprising power for his stature, but his swing is super compact which lends to things being simple and repeatable for him.”
Ryder Rutledge | OF | New Braunfels, Texas | New Braunfels HS | R/R | 6-3 | 175
Ryder Rutledge, the grandson of D.W. Rutledge, is a long, athletic outfielder who can really run out of News Braunfels High School. “The more physical he gets, the better he’s going to be, but he already has some tools that we can’t really teach on our own,” one coach said. Rutledge wanted to be at Baylor and “his makeup is his No. 1 attribute,” according to the coaching staff.
Hunter Snow | OF | Carmel, Ind. | Carmel HS | L/R | 6-3 | 190
Hunter Snow is arguably Baylor’s best-hitting prospect in the 2024 class. One coach noted, “I think he's 20 pounds away from just being an absolute horse – a guy that can still move and be that big. I think [he’s] probably a professional baseball [player]. He’s a guy who will put on more weight, plays a corner [outfield position] and just hits a ton.”
The staff noted there could be some draft interest for Snow this upcoming summer after he had a very successful stint at the East Coast Pro last August. But his dad, Justin, played football at Baylor which is an encouraging reason to believe he’ll end up in Waco. “I think he can be a game-changer outfielder for us,” another coach said. “He plays for a really good summer league team. … And when he went to the East Coast Pro, he went off to the point where I think [Coach Thompson] was getting some calls from some people like, ‘Hey, y’all have gotten a really good one.’”
Brett White | INF | North Liberty, Iowa | Solon HS | L/R | 6-1 | 210
Brett White is the son of an Olympian softball player and is a big, athletic third baseman that the coaching staff feels has long-term potential. During his time in high school, White has dominated in both baseball and football, racking up multiple All-State and All-District awards.
“He’s got a good feel for his swing,” one coach said. “He has strengths to all parts of the field. He’ll hit a home run to the backside. He’ll hit a home run to the pull side. I think he’s a really tough, competitive blue-collar kid.”
*For more statistics and high-school achievements, click here*