Brandon
Menser

Verbally committed to Cincinnati.

RHP Brandon Menser (Sesser Valier) is a high-level uncommitted arm in Illinois' now senior class. He stands in a hard-to-miss 6-foot-3, 176-pound frame with long levers and all kinds of projection still to come. He earned Illinois State Games Most Valuable Pitcher honors after tossing two innings on the mound with four strikeouts and no hits, runs or walks allowed. His fastball played with heavy carry through the zone (avg. 19.4” IVB), sitting 87-89 mph and topping out at 91 mph with quality spin to pair (avg. 2486 rpm). He mixed in a curveball with 12/6 action, sitting 74-79 mph with an average of 2680 rpm as well as an average of -15.4 inches of induced vertical break. He rounded out his polished three-pitch mix with an 80 mph changeup with slight fading action to the arm-side. A must-know prospect that is trending up in Illinois.

Positional Profile: RHP/3B
Body: 6-3, 175.9-pounds.
Delivery: Loose, athletic movements down the mound; quick arm; explosive; easy tall/fall operation with more in the tank, works in-line.
Arm Action: RH. Long, loose arm swing into an over-the-top release. Struck out four in 1.2 IP without allowing a walk, run or hit.
FB: T91, 87-90 mph. Firm; lively; explodes out of the hand w/ some tail; high spin offering. T2599, 2486 average rpm.
CB: 74-78 mph. Sharp break; 12/6 action; deceptive; plus two-strike offering; confident in pitch; 2700+ rpm; batters didn't see well; drops off table, depth. T2680, 2572 average rpm.
CH: 81-81 mph. Arm-side fade; profiles well with fastball. T1693, 1693 average rpm.

Positional Profile: RHP/3B
Body: 6-4, 180-pounds. Lean, wiry frame with more to come.
Delivery: Simple, athletic mover, high leg lift with tuck and coil, tall/fall down the mound.
Arm Action: RH. Long, clean arm action, 3/4 slot.
FB: T89, 87-88 mph. Firm out of the hand, quality spin. T2458, 2411 average rpm.
CB: 74-76 mph. 12/6 action, maintains fastball arm speed. T2550, 2409 average rpm.
CH: 76-78 mph. Downer action, noticeable decel. T1559, 1482 average rpm.

One of the top uncommitted junior arms in Illinois, No. 31 overall on our recently updated 2025 rankings. Lean, lanky 6-foot-4, 180-pound multi-sport athlete that’s far away from what his future physical self will look like. Started on the mound for the Spartans on Thursday in a home contest against Nashville. Raw, upside, and athletic mover downhill. Short arm stroke, over-the-top slot, twitchy arm speed. Fastball touched 89 twice in the first, pitched at 86-88 mph through three innings of work. Played mostly straight with some downhill action to it at times. Curveball flashed swing-and-miss upside at 74-75 mph; tight 12/6 spin with big depth and sharp break at times. Battled through some defensive woes in this look and didn’t have his best stuff, but still holds considerable projection in all aspects to his game that make him a high-follow uncommitted arm in Illinois.

We’d heard plenty of positive things about Menser heading into the event and the 6-foot-4, 165-pound southeastern Illinois’ native rose even higher than our expectations. A quick-twitch athlete with loose, athletic levers, Menser pumped the day’s firmest fastball, touching 90 mph in his first inning of work and pitching in the upper-80s throughout, averaging 19 inches of vertical carry, too. It’s a fast arm with explosive arm speed that has the potential to really run it up there from a velocity standpoint, especially as he gains more comfort moving down the mound and adds more strength to his frame. Off his heater, Menser showed arguably the day’s best breaking ball; a power mid-to-upper-70s pitch with straight downer bite thrown with conviction and intent behind it, spinning at more than 2500 RPM. Presently, there’s plenty to like with Menser, and the upside itself is incredibly intriguing, too. He’s a high-end name-to-know arm in the state’s current junior group.

Positional Profile: RHP/3B
Body: 6-4, 165-pounds.
Delivery: Simple tall/fall type mover, high leg lift tucks in at balance point, strides in line to target and lead leg flashed stability at times. Repeats.
Arm Action: RH. Noticeable arm speed. Short arm path, finishes with intent from a high 3/4 window.
FB: T90, 87-89 mph. Jumps out the hand with carry and life, particularly up in the zone. Challenged often, strikes. T2408, 2313 average rpm. CB: 72-77 mph. Downer spin with power, swing-and-miss potential. T2554, 2382 average rpm.
CH: 77-79 mph. Slight deceleration in arm spin. Limits spin with some fade at times. T1625, 1555 average rpm.