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Wed November 7, 2018
Next week, Prep Baseball Report will release its initial ranking of the junior college class for the 2019 MLB Draft. The Hotlist gives a sneak peek of that list, with a look at the top 10.
1. Jackson Rutledge, RHP, San Jacinto JC (Soph.)
Previously at Arkansas, Rutledge stands at an imposing 6-foot-8, 255 pounds. In a fall scrimmage against Texas, he was sharp in his first inning of work, showing glove-side command with a fastball that sat 94-96 mph. For a player his size, his mechanics work well with a short, clean arm action and little effort. He didn’t have the same stuff during a lengthy second inning, losing feel for his release and timing, but he also didn’t get much help from his defense. At one point, Rutledge flashed a plus slider at 88, but his breaking stuff can blend together to resemble a low-80s slurve. He also shows feel for a changeup with fade.