Brandon
Barriera

Now the top arm in the class, LHP Brandon Barriera (American Heritage HS, FL), electrified in his final start of the spring with a fastball that ran into the upper 90s. Loose and whippy with some electricity coming out of the hand, Barriera stands out even more thanks to a vicious breaking ball with plus potential for spin, and a killer offering to counter the elite velocity of the fastball. Wiry-athletic, the frame should continue to develop in coming years, and the hopes of acquiring an elite starter is surely being considered by clubs picking in the top 10.

There is a lot to like in this southpaw, headed to Vanderbilt and the Fastball has been up to 96 mph. Long limbs on Barriera allow him to throw from a ¾ arm slot with a long, loose arm action. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, there is still room for physical development which should project added velocity for Barriera. The Slider is a solid out pitch and was impressive at 2680 rpm spin rate which tunnels well with the heater. Barriera brings a lot to the table with his competitiveness and mound presence which makes him a very high draft follow and projected Day 1 guy for this year's 2022 MLB Draft. 

Barriera has a loose, live and athletic frame with a very quick arm out of a 3/4 slot. The ball comes out of his hand easily and gets on hitters quickly. The fastball was 94-96 mph with hard, late tail. He throws quality fastballs in the zone, pounding both sides of the plate with plus command. He gets tight spin on his slider at 81-83 (2600 rpm), which is very deceptive with late, hard diving action. The changeup has deception with good sink.

Barriera has been in the spotlight since his freshman year and showed well at the Florida Preseason Classic against a loaded IMG Academy lineup. He tossed three innings across two appearances at the PDP League, striking out four and allowing just one hit, which was a jam shot that just cleared the infield and erased via pickoff. He gets good angle to his fastball, which was up to 96 mph, and puts hitters away with a plus slider that has sharp, late break at 80-83. The changeup has deception with good sink and he commands all three pitches to both sides of the plate.

Barriera, the number two overall player in the 2022 rankings, got the start in the first game (8:30AM) for the Cannons Baseball American team, and while he wasn’t his sharpest self, he still showcased his elite stuff including a fastball that touched 89 mph. The wiry, long-limbed left-hander worked 85-87 with runners on base throughout, and was able to make big pitches, including multiple swings and misses on fastballs to get out of jams. The arm works freely through a medium-sized swing with quickness and normal effort out front, and it seems likely that he will add even more velocity in the future as his frame continues to fill out. His slider was seldom needed, but worked across the plate at 72-74 when he threw it with varying results.There is some late life to the fastball in the zone, and he throws each pitch with conviction, athletically working through a repeatable delivery. Cannons Baseball was not tested in the game, so it lacked some of the energy that might have helped elevate Barriera’s stuff. That stuff will likely play up much higher throughout the summer when he is sent to the mound in bigger games, and it will be paramount to follow the shape of the slider as he continues to craft it.

Uncommitted, currently one of the top prospects in the state and country, ranked No. 2 in Florida and No. 14 Overall. 6-foot, 155-pounds, highly athletic, strength throughout frame, muscular build, moves loosely, projectable. Arm action is short, circular on the back-side, arm speed is quick to a ¾ slot. Tall and fall delivery, sit on back-side, leads with hip, works online, lands square, finishes athletically. Fastball worked 86-88 with some run. Curveball, 68-69, 1/7 shape, depth, late bite. Changeup, fade and sink action, 73-74. High follow 2022 MLB Draft prospect.