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Minors | General | 12/11/2024

PG Down on the Farm: NL Central

David Rawnsley

It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature. We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect. Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with. Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals. Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered.

The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues. Sometimes that is the same player, other times not.

And there is plenty of variation among organizations in their quantity and quality of prospects, whether it be those with PG backgrounds or not.

The profiles will be organized by League/Division and run on the following schedule:

American League East (December 2)
American League Central (December 4)
American League West (December 6)
National League East (December 9)
National League Central (December 11)
National League West (December 13)

National League Central

Cincinnati Reds -- RHP Rhett Lowder

High School: North Stanly HS (New London, NC)
Travel Team: South Charlotte Panthers
College: Wake Forest
Final PG Class Ranking: 491
Drafted: 1st round (7th overall), 2023, Cincinnati
Highest 2024 Level: MLB
2025 Age: 23

Lowder was an outstanding pitcher in WWBA tournaments from 2017 to 2019, mostly for the South Charlotte Panthers. He struck out 8 hitters (1 walk) in 6 innings at the 2019 WWBA 17U National Championships and came back in the fall to strike out 12 (0 walks) in 7 innings at the 2019 WWBA World Championships. His 2018 appearances were very similar, capped out by his striking out 17 hitters (2 walks) in 10 innings at the WWBA 16U National Championships.

The difference in the “High School” Lowder versus later editions was simple; Lowder was listed at 6-foot-3, 165-pounds and looked like a young kid in his photos, although he still had the past shoulder length hair. He worked generally in the mid-80’s with his fastball, topping out at 89 mph going into his senior year, and had a low 70’s downer curveball that was his strikeout pitch. Needless to say by the numbers, he was a high level strike thrower.

Lowder was ranked 491st in the final PG class of 2020 rankings and ended up at Wake Forest, where he strengthened up to 200 pounds over his three years. He was part of the Demon Deacons starting rotation from the beginning, although he struggled as a freshman with a 6.12 ERA. Armed with a mid-90’s fastball to go with a slider to replace his high school curveball and an outstanding change up, and the same impeccable command, Lowder was the ACC Pitcher of the Year in both 2022 and 2023, including going 15-0, 1.87 as a junior with 143 strikeouts and only 24 walks allowed in 120 innings.

Lowder was the second college pitcher selected (after Paul Skenes) in the loaded 2023 draft class and signed with the Reds for a $5.7M bonus.

2024 Summary

Lowder cruised through three levels of minor league ball to start his pro career, going 6-4, 3.64 overall in 108 innings with 113 strikeouts and only 24 walks, with a bulk of those innings in AA. Called up for his first MLB start on August 30, Lowder went an impressive 2-2, 1.17 in six starts and didn’t allow a home run in 30 innings. His 1.9 bWAR actually ranked 12th of all rookie pitchers in MLB despite only making six starts.

2025 Perspective

The Reds will start the 2025 season with a much deeper list of starting pitcher candidates than they’ve had in years, especially after acquiring Brady Singer from the Royals. The numbers game says that Lowder will start the season in AAA but he will get a close look in spring training based on his 2024 debut.

2023 Featured PG Player: RHP Connor Phillips

2024 Update: Phillips went 3-9, 8.01 in 19 AAA starts, allowing 99 hits in 78 innings while walking 60 hitters and allowing 16 home runs.

2022 Featured PG Player: SS Edwin Arroyo
2021 Featured PG Player: RHP Graham Ashcraft

Chicago Cubs -- RHP Cade Horton

High School: Norman HS (Norman, OK)
Travel Team: Midwest Elite
College: Oklahoma
Final PG Class Ranking: 27
Drafted: 1st round (7th overall), 2022, Chicago Cubs
Highest 2024 Level: AAA
2025 Age: 23

Horton was a two-way standout from his first appearance at Perfect Game events as a freshman, although he always listed himself as a primary shortstop. A frequent showcase attendee, Horton made his first showcase appearance as a freshman at the 2017 National Indoor Showcase in St. Louis and received a PG Grade of 8.5 from this scout, who filed this report:

Cade Horton is a 2020 SS/RHP with a 6-0 160 lb. frame from Norman, OK who attends Norman HS. Big athletic build with plenty of strength potential, looks bigger and stronger than listed. Graded out slightly higher as a pitcher at this event but has definite two-way potential. Has a smooth low effort delivery on the mound, very relaxed and calm mound demeanor, simple directional delivery mechanics that are easy to repeat. Fastball was 81-83 mph with some running action. Curveball showed tight spin and good power, slowed a bit on his change up but had some feel. Threw strikes with all three pitches and had an idea what he was doing. Projects very well on the mound. Right-handed hitter, narrow upright stance, has similarly simple hitting mechanics just as with pitching, gets his hands extended through contact and has the beginnings of some present bat speed, pull to mid-field contact. Showed his athleticism well on defense, projects as a third baseman, charges the ball well and has good footwork moving towards the ball, long loose arm with good arm strength across the diamond. Interesting young player who is going to keep improving.

Horton did exactly that through his high school baseball career, kept improving every year. By the 2019 PG National Showcase, Horton was up to 92-95 mph on his fastball to go with an 83 mph slider and lots of strike throwing ability. He was also a 6.73 runner with easy actions at shortstop and lots of hitting ability. However, there wasn’t much debate among the PG staff that Horton had a higher ceiling on the mound.

Horton also had a pretty high ceiling on the football field as a dual threat quarterback. After becoming a starter at Norman (OK) High School mid-way through his sophomore year, Horton proceeded to pass for 6,435 years and 52 touchdowns in his career along with running for 2,583 years and 31 more TD’s. After originally committing to Mississippi for baseball, he switched his commitment to Oklahoma when the Sooners agreed to let him play both sports.

Horton didn’t do anything at Oklahoma after hurting his elbow as a freshman and undergoing TJ surgery. As a sophomore, Horton actually played far more as a hitter than pitcher, batting .235-1-17 in 168 plate appearances. Pitching was largely an afterthought until the playoffs, where Horton caught fire and ended up pitching the Sooners into the championship game at the College World Series. The scouts were paying attention and after not even being on draft lists for most of the spring, the sophomore eligible Horton shot up draft lists with his mid to upper-90’s fastball and mid 80’s slider.

Still, it was considered a it surprising when the Cubs made Horton the first true college pitcher selected in first round with seventh overall pick. He signed for an under slot $4,450,000 bonus.

2024 Summary

Horton appeared to be on the fast track after a dominant professional debut in 2023 but lost most of the 2024 season due to a strained shoulder, throwing only 34 innings between AA and AAA early in the season.

2025 Perspective

Horton will have a prove that he’s healthy in spring training and the reality is that he’s only thrown 176 innings at the college and professional levels due to time lost from arm injuries. But the Cubs system is barren of upper-level pitching prospects, so a healthy Horton could become in factor in 2025.

2023 Featured PG Player: OF Pete Crow-Armstrong

2024 Update: Crow-Armstrong won the Cubs center field job and ended up hitting .237-10-47 with 27 steals while establishing himself as a potential Gold Glove defender and posting a 2.4 bWAR.

2022 Featured PG Player: 1B Matt Mervis
2021 Featured PG Player: OF Brennen Davis

Milwaukee Brewers -- RHP Logan Henderson

High School: Cinco Ranch HS (Katy, TX)
Travel Team: Texas Twelve
College: McLennan Community College, Texas A&M
Final PG Class Ranking: 500
Drafted: 4th round, 2021, Milwaukee
Highest 2024 Level: AAA
2025 Age: 23

Given his high school background and development path, Henderson is one of the more unlikely high-level pitching prospects in baseball today.

The Houston-area product went to his only Perfect Game showcase during November of his sophomore year at the National Underclass South Showcase, where he received a PG Grade of 8.5. Henderson was a primary shortstop who was listed at 5-foot-8, 145-pounds and ran a 7.48 sixty while throwing 82 mph in the infield and 83 mph off the mound. His report from that event read:

Logan Henderson is a 2020 MIF/RHP with a 5-8 145 lb. frame from Katy, TX who attends Cinco Ranch HS. Young athletic build, has some wiry strength with room for more. 7.48 runner, is quick and nimble on his feet defensively, plays through the ball with good balance and direction, soft hands, makes on line throws with good carry and very good accuracy, next level defender in the middle infield. Right-handed hitter, hits from a wide bent knee base with a small leg raise trigger, long and loose swing with some bat speed, ball jumps well and gets some carry to the gaps, will keep improving offensively as he gets stronger. Also pitched, has a quick compact arm from a high 3/4's arm slot, will drop to mid-3/4's and lower at times with intent, best arm slot was mid-3/4's. Low 80's fastball, topped out at 83 mph, got big run and sink from the mid-3/4's slot, slurve type breaking ball also tighter from the lower slot, had some feel for his change up as well and knows how to pitch. Nice all-around athlete with lots of baseball skills, just needs to keep getting stronger. Good student.

Henderson only played in one PG tournament in the 2019 summer prior to his senior year and was now listed at 5-foot-10, 165-pounds. He was outstanding at that event, the WWBA 17U National Championships, hitting .526-1-9 with five extra-base hits in seven games. He also took the mound twice, striking out nine hitters in four innings featuring a fastball now touching 88 mph to go with a hard curveball and change up.

He had originally committed to Texas A&M but ended up at McLennan JC after the 2020 pandemic turned college baseball over. Henderson, now throwing in the low 90’s with a devastating low 80’s change up from a deceptive delivery, was unhittable, racking up 169 strikeouts while leading McLennan to the National Championship and winning the JC World Series MVP award. The Brewers have a long history of drafting junior college arms and grabbed Henderson in the fourth round, signing him to a $495,000 bonus.

2024 Summary

Henderson missed the first part of the season with an oblique injury but threw well in AA and AAA the second half of the season, going a combined 7-6, 3.32 with 104 strikeouts and only 15 walks in 81 innings.

2025 Perspective

Henderson has started all 44 games of his professional career along with being a starter in junior college but with fluid Brewers pitching staff there is no saying where his best role might be initially. The key will be having his first fully healthy pro season since signing in 2022.

2023 Featured PG Player: RHP Jacob Misiorowski

2024 Update: Misiorowski had a successful developmental year, starting 19 games in AA before transitioning to his long expected relief role in 14 AAA games. His command still needs work, as he walked 60 hitters in 97 innings, but struck out 127 with his elite stuff.

2022 Featured PG Player: IF Brice Turang
2021 Featured PG Player: OF Joe Gray Jr.

Pittsburgh Pirates -- RHP Bubba Chandler

High School: North Oconee HS (Bogart, GA)
Travel Team: East Cobb Yankees
Final PG Class Ranking: 13
Drafted: 3rd round, 2021, Pittsburgh
Highest 2024 Level: AAA
2025 Age: 22

Simply put, Chandler was probably the best athlete in the 2021 high school class. He started at North Oconee (GA) High School in basketball as a freshman and sophomore before giving up that sport. He was a scratch golfer on the golf team. On the football field, Chandler was a four-star quarterback who threw for 45 touchdowns and ran for 11 more his final two seasons and was signed with Clemson after originally committing to Georgia. And on the baseball field, scouts busied themselves during Chandler’s games debating whether he was a better prospect as a 6-foot-3, 195-pound switch-hitting shortstop or a mid-90’s right-hander with all the pitches and plus command potential.

Unlike many multi-sport athletes, Chandler always had a full summer baseball schedule and began playing in PG events as a 12-year old and was one of the stars of the 2016 13U PG World Series, where he was already throwing up to 77 mph. He threw at the 2019 Junior National Showcase as a primary pitcher but also impressed as a shortstop. In all, Chandler played in approximately 40 PG tournaments over the years and was ranked 13th in the final PG class rankings.

The biggest question going into the 2021 draft with Chandler was obviously his signability given his football scholarship to a national championship caliber program in Clemson. Secondarily, there was the question of whether to send Chandler out as a player, pitcher or both if he indeed were to give up football and sign professionally.

The Pirates figured out the puzzle, drafting Chandler in the third round after slid due to those concerns and signed him for a $3M bonus with the understanding that he would play both shortstop and pitch initially.

Chandler only hit (.167-1-2) in his abbreviated 11-game rookie league debut in 2021, then indeed played both sides of the ball in 2022, hitting .196-4-17 in 46 games as a player and going 1-1, 2.61 with 60 strikeouts and only 23 hits allowed in 41 innings on the mound. He not surprisingly transitioned to a pitcher only following the season.

2024 Summary

Chandler took huge strides in 2024 and established himself as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, striking out 148 hitters and only allow 81 hits in 119 innings between AA and AAA. His seven AAA starts were especially dominant (4-0, 1.83).

2025 Perspective

Putting Chandler into a rotation with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Luis Ortiz and “veteran” Mitch Keller would give the Pirates one of the most talented young starting rotations in baseball and give even the most jaded Pirates fans a bright ray of hope for the future. Expect it to happen at some point in 2025.

2023 Featured PG Player: RHP Jared Jones

2024 Update: Jones was understandably overshadowed on the Pirates staff by fellow rookie Paul Skenes but nonetheless was one of the top rookie pitchers in MLB, going 6-8, 4.14 in 121 innings while showing elite level stuff and unexpectedly good command.

2022 Featured PG Player: C Henry Davis
2021 Featured PG Player: RHP Quinn Priester

St. Louis Cardinals -- RHP Markevian Hence

High School: Watson Chapel HS (Pine Bluff, AR)
Travel Team: Sticks Baseball
Final PG Class Ranking: 64
Drafted: 2nd round, 2020, St. Louis
Highest 2024 Level: AA
2025 Age: 22

Hence has been known mostly by his nickname “Tink” since first appearing on the national stage in the summer after his sophomore year. He was up to 93 mph that summer to go with a mid-70’s breaking ball that summer despite being listed at only 5-foot-11, 160-pounds. He solidified his low-90’s stuff during the 2019 summer but took a big jump in the scout’s eyes at the 2019 WWBA World Championships, striking out eight in five innings while topping out at 96 mph and not dropping below 92 while showing a low 80’s slider.

That Jupiter impression was extra important after Hence was only able to throw three innings in his senior spring in 2020 due to Covid. The Cardinals did their homework and picked Hence in the second round of the abbreviated 2020 draft, signing him to a $1,150,000 bonus. Hence had been signed with Arkansas.

2024 Summary

Hence continued to show both elite stuff and the ability to throw it for strikes, going 4-3, 2.71 in 79 AA innings with 109 strikeouts and only 26 walks as a 21-year old. His only real drawback is that the Cardinals have kept him on a very short list and he’s never thrown more than 96 innings in a season.

2025 Perspective

The Cardinals are loaded with upper-level pitching prospects and appear to be ready to switch over from their veteran backend starter strategy of 2024. Hence won’t be first in line for a job but has the highest ceiling of the group.

2023 Featured PG Player: RHP Adam Kloffenstein

2024 Update: Kloffenstein made his MLB debut with a perfect inning of relief on June 20, ironically only his third professional in seven professional seasons. He made 17 AAA starts (4-5, 4.74 in 89 innings) but spent the last 6 weeks of the season on the DL with a shoulder injury.

2022 Featured PG Player: OF-3B Jordan Walker
2021 Featured PG Player: IF Nolan Gorman

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PG Down on the Farm: NL West
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature. We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.

PG Down on the Farm: NL East
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature. We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.

PG Down on the Farm: AL West
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature. We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.

PG Down on the Farm: AL Central
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature. We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.

PERFECTGAME.TV