Prep Baseball Report

Top-10 Profiles of 2020: No. 5 Ben Kudrna


Diego Solares
Staff Writer

As the year starts to unwind, our staff will start to highlight the top-10 most viewed profiles from 2020 - starting at 10 and counting down.

Today we’ll spotlight arguably the top overall prospect in the state of Kansas, regardless of class, in Blue Valley Southwest RHP Ben Kudrna. Kudrna is ranked number one overall in the state’s 2021 class and he’s also ranked 55th overall in our national rankings.

Kudrna entered the summer circuit as a follow prospect and has since ascended up the rankings after several impressive showings at notable events. His present stuff is advanced for his age and he also possesses one of the more projectable frames you’ll see in this year’s prep class. At a lean, yet athletic, 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, Kudrna is easily capable of adding 10-to-15 pounds of good weight onto his build, which would presumably result in an uptick to his arsenal. Here is what Nathan Rode, our National Supervisor, had wrote about him in September:

“Kudrna, a Louisiana State recruit, has an athletic frame at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with strength throughout. He has a clean arm action with an impressive mix of arm speed and strength that produces fastballs at 92-95 that keep their plane with some ride. Kudrna showed the ability to hold his velo throughout the summer and he developed a slider that continued to progress, showing late depth at 79-82. He also occasionally mixes in a straight changeup at 82-84.”

Committed to LSU, it’s increasingly unlikely that Kudrna makes his way to Baton Rouge. The Tigers have managed to get a handful of highly regarded prep prospects to campus over the last few seasons, but Kudrna’s upside may entice a professional team enough to take a shot on him in this year’s draft.

Ben Kudrna

Class of 2021 / RHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2021
  • Primary Position: RHP
    Secondary Position: RHP
  • High School: Blue Valley Southwest
    State: KS
  • Summer Team: Building Champions
  • Height: 6-2
    Weight: 190lbs
  • Bat/Throw: R/R

Statistics

Pitching
93
Max FB
(06/03/20)
90 - 93
FB
(06/03/20)
79 - 82
CB
(07/15/20)
82 - 84
CH
(06/03/20)
Pitching
Max FB
92
FB
88 - 92
CB
78 - 81
Pitching
Max FB
93
FB
91 - 92
CB
79 - 82
Pitching
Max FB
93
FB
90 - 93
CB
79 - 79
CH
82 - 84
Pitching
Max FB
84
FB
83 - 84
CB
75 - 76
CH
78 - 79

Scouting Report

2/22/19

 

Kudrna is a well built 6-foot-2 180-pound right-handed pitcher in Kansas' 2021 class. On the mound, Kurda has an athletic delivery, high three quarters arm slot, loose arm action, repeats release, throws with some effort, finishes in athletic position, fastball at 83-84 mph, slight running action, curveball 11-to-5 shape, sharp and late at times, 75-76 mph, slider type action, change up at 78-79 mph, throws with fastball arm speed, commands for strike, pitcher to follow in 2021 class.

 


 

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