By:Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director

The 2018 rankings were released on Monday, with a large shake ups spot. Including Jaden Hill moving up from No. 19 to No.3 after exploding on the scene late in the spring lighting up the radar gun with a fastball up to 92 mph. We take a look at the  right-handers from this class that landed in the top 20.

No. 2 Connor Noland RHP Greenwood High School
Noland is a 6-foot-2 185 right-hander with a large frame and an athletic build. He uses a simple delivery with consistent rhythm. He commands his fastball 86-88 mph flashing 90 mph. He compliments his fastball with a sharp 11/5 curveball with late break and solid depth. He has a feel for his changeup but throws it on a limited basis. He pitches from H 3/4 arm slot with a quick arm, with a high elbow. Overall Noland is an advanced pitcher with a quick arm. 

No. 3 Jaden Hill RHP Ashdown High School
Hill is a 6-foot-4 195-pound right-hander with a large frame and physical build. He pitches from an H ¾ arm slot with a quick clean arm. He has a repeatable delivery with a distinct balance point. He finishes tall and online to home plate. He commands his fastball 88-90 mph touching as high as 92 mph. He compliments the fastball with a slider 76-79 mph with sharp 10/4 action. Overall Hill is a big physical athlete with a quick arm and a feel for a solid slider.

No. 6 Connor McCullough RHP Maumelle High School
McCullough is a 6-foot 160-pound right-hander with a slight frame and a thin build. He pitches 83-86 mph working as high as 87 mph with his fastball. He compliments his fastball with a change up and curveball. His changeup is thrown 76-77 mph with fade action. The curveball works 71-73 mph with sharp 10/4 break. He uses a ¾ arm slot with arm slot with a quick arm. He uses a simple delivery with a hesitation at his balance point. Overall McCullough has a quick arm with a feel for both secondary pitches.

No. 7 Wade Beasley RHP Foreman High School
Beasley is a 6-foot-2 200-pound right-hander with a large frame and build. He pitches from an H ¾ arm slot with a fastball 86-89 mph with slight sink. He compliments his fastball with a sharp 10/4 slider thrown 72-74 mph. He repeats his mechanics with a simple delivery. Overall Beasley is a large framed right-hander with a quick arm and a feel for the slider.

No. 13 Will Richardson RHP Woodlawn High School
Will Richardson is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound RHP. He works from a Low 3/4 arm slot with a quick clean arm and he gets good extension. He locates his fastball on both sides of the plate at 82-84 mph with late sink and touched 86 mph. His changeup is a polished pitch thrown 71-73 mph with arm side run. He also locates Frisbee breaking ball consistently 72-75 mph. He repeats his mechanics consistently with balance and rhythm. Richardson has a projectable frame and an advanced feel to pitch.

No. 14 Miller Pleimann RHP Fayetteville High School
Pleimann is a 6-foot-2 right-hander with a projectable frame and athletic build. He pitches from an H ¾ arm slot with a clean arm action. His delivery is simple and is repeated on a consistent basis. His delivery is tall and fall. He maintains balance through his tall finish. The fastball works 82-85 mph with arm side run. The slider works 73-74 mph with late 10/4 action. He also commands a change up 72-75 mph thrown with near fastball arm speed. Overall Plieman has a projectable frame with an advanced feel to pitch.

No. 16 Landon Brown RHP Shiloh Christian High School
Brown is a 5-foot-11 185-pound right-hander with solid frame and build he commands the strike zone with a fastball 84-86 mph with slight sink. He compliments the fastball with a solid curveball with 11/5 break thrown 71-74 mph. He pitches from H ¾ arm slot with a short quick arm action. He repeats his delivery which allows him to command the strike zone on a consistent basis. Overall Brown is right-hander that commands the strike zone with two solid pitches.

No. 20 Bennett Shoptaw RHP Little Rock Christian Academy
Shoptaw is a 6-foot-1 175-pound right-hander with an athletic frame and build. He uses a short quick arm action from a ¾ arm slot. He repeats his mechanics consistently without a distinct balance point. He finishes tall to the plate. His fastball works 82-85 mph with slight run. He uses a 70-73 mph 11/5 curveball with late break as his secondary pitch. Overall Shoptaw is a solid two pitch right-hander with a feel to pitch.

Related Content