2024 high recruiting class scouting reports

Nolan Belcher
Position: Catcher
Measurables: 6-4, 220 pounds
School: Walnut Ridge
Hometown: Jonesboro, Arkansas
Scouting report: Belcher’s strength right now is his defense. He has a strong arm behind the dish and has the makeup that Kentucky’s coaching staff seeks out during the recruiting process. His father, Jason Belcher, was a fifth-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2000 draft.

Tyler Bell
Position: Infielder
Measurables: 6-2, 192 pounds
School: Lincoln-Way East
Hometown: Frankfort, Illinois
Scouting report: Bell, a former Pittsburgh commit, joined Kentucky’s class in the summer of 2023, earning recruiting coordinator Austin Cousino an impressive commitment just weeks after taking the job. However, Bell has continued to rise up the rankings and is the biggest draft risk in the class. Ranked as the No. 13 prospect nationally by Prep Baseball Report and top 100 draft prospect by MLB.com and ESPN, Bell would be a major addition to the 2024 roster if he finds his way to campus.

Bradley Ferrell
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-3, 165 pounds
School: South Central
Hometown: Laporte, Indiana
Scouting report: Ferrell has a fastball that’s touched 93 mph and he has a good curveball to boot. His command will need to improve but Ferrell is one of the most projectable righties in his class. He missed the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Logan Grubb
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-foot, 182 pounds
School: Anderson County
Hometown: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Scouting report: Grubb shot up the recruiting rankings last summer and finished his senior year ranked as the top left-handed pitcher in the state of Kentucky by PBR. According to PBR, Grubb had a four-pitch mix that included a max 90 mph fastball (sits in the upper 80s), curveball, slider and changeup. Grubb started 11 games on the mound his senior season and struck out 68 batters in 34 innings, but he did walk 22 batters. He’ll be an interesting development piece over the coming years for pitching coach Dan Roszel.

Leighton Harris
Position: Left-handed pitcher/first base/outfield
Measurables: 6-3, 185 pounds
School: Frederick Douglass
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Scouting report: Harris has two-way potential at Kentucky but took a big step forward on the mound as a senior at Frederick Douglass. Harris missed his junior season because of an ACL tear but came back as a senior and struck out 102 batters in 55 innings. He finished 7-2 with a 0.76 ERA and earned 11th region Player of the Year honors. At the plate, Harris hit .292 with eight doubles, three home runs and 23 RBI. Harris was the first commitment in the 2024 class, committing to the Wildcats in September of 2021.

Nate Harris
Position: Right-handed pitcher/third base
Measurables: 6-4, 225 pounds
School: Yorkville
Hometown: Yorkville, Illinois
Scouting report: Previously committed to Northwestern, Harris joined Kentucky’s class in late August 2023. At 6-4, 225 pounds, there’s a lot of physical presence on the mound. He touched 96 mph last summer but could also have a chance to compete in the field. According to the Chicago Tribune, Harris moved to the corner outfield his senior season.

Tristan Hunter
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-2, 178 pounds
School: Forsyth
Hometown: Forsyth, Missouri
Scouting report: Hunter had an absurd senior season, tossing three no-hitters in addition to a game in which he struck out 17 batters. Hunter is ranked No. 218 nationally by PBR and the top-ranked right-handed pitcher in Missouri. His fastball has been up to 95 mph and he also has a changeup and curveball. With Kentucky set to lose much of its pitching from the 2024 team, could Hunter carve out a role as a freshman?

Aidan Larkin
Position: Infielder
Measurables: 6-foot, 185 pounds
School: Cartersville
Hometown: Cartersville, Georgia
Scouting report: Larkin hails from the same high school as former Kentucky pitcher Logan Martin (and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence). He was a standout performer at the Southeast Select Tournament in Georgia in late July 2023, hitting three home runs in the semifinal and championship game. Larkin committed to Kentucky soon after.

Hayden Mains
Position: Outfielder/right-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-1, 175 pounds
School: Rowan County
Hometown: Morehead, Kentucky
Scouting report: Another player with two-way potential, Mains had a 1.20 ERA as a sophomore with 62 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. At the plate, he led Rowan County with a .455 average, 12 doubles, seven triples and three home runs. He camped at UK several times and his testing performance was better each time. As a senior, Mains hit .460 with 10 doubles, nine triples, four home runs and 48 RBI.

Zach Moss
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-6, 180 pounds
School: Hopkinsville
Hometown: Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Scouting report: Another tall, projectable right-hander, Moss has good metrics and spin with his fastball and breaking pitches. He’s never fully committed to baseball so the hope is he’ll become a flamethrower as he ages. Moss had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and did not pitch during his senior season at Hopkinsville.

Cameron Owens
Position: Infielder
Measurables: 6-foot, 184 pounds
School: Boyle County
Hometown: Danville, Kentucky
Scouting report: Owens has dealt with injuries throughout his high school career but has a lot of athletic upside. He’s a potential two-way player who hit .415 with seven doubles, four triples, one home run and 23 RBI. Owens also stole a team-high 16 bases. He threw just seven innings this season, but he struck out 14 batters and walked seven.

Khaleel Pratt
Position: Outfielder
Measurables: 6-5, 188 pounds
School: Augusta Christian
Hometown: Evans, Georgia
Scouting report: Pratt is a star basketball player who started on a state championship team in Georgia during his sophomore season. Still, his love is on the diamond. Pratt has one of the strongest outfield arms of anyone committed to Kentucky. He has a good swing from the left side of the plate and could tap into more power once he gets to Lexington. He’ll play with the East Cobb Astros this year so plenty of scouts will see him.

Ryan Schwartz
Position: Catcher
Measurables: 6-3, 205 pounds
School: Combine Academy
Hometown: Indian Trail, North Carolina
Scouting report: A former Texas signee, Schwartz asked out of his National Letter of Intent following David Pierce’s firing in late June. Recruiting coordinator Austin Cousino and Kentucky swooped in, quickly hosting him for a visit and landing his commitment shortly after. He’s the second-highest ranked player committed to Kentucky in the 2024 class and might be the highest-ranked player to make it to campus if Tyler Bell signs, as expected. Schwartz is 19 years old and will be draft-eligible following his sophomore season, but he’s the type of potential instant impact talent the Wildcats have been in search of on the high school trail in recent years.

Zak Spurrier
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Measurables: 6-2, 210 pounds
School: Central Hardin
Hometown: Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Scouting report: One of the biggest risers in the 2024 class during the summer of 2022, Spurrier was a major recruiting win in-state for Kentucky when he chose the Wildcats over Louisville, Alabama and West Virginia. Spurrier’s build reminds some of former Mississippi State starter J.T. Ginn. He was great at the plate as a senior at Central Hardin, clubbing a state-high 14 home runs.