Eleven days ago we released our preliminary 2027 MLB Draft Top 50, a board that already accounted for much of the early summer showcase circuit. Since then, several players have continued to build on strong starts, while others have begun forcing their way into the conversation as legitimate risers.
Standout summers from players like Dylan Seward, Lubin Rincon, George Ferguson and Samir Mohammed have only strengthened their standing near the top of the class. Rather than revisit those names, we wanted to highlight three hitters and three pitchers who currently sit outside our Top 50 but have made some of the loudest impressions through the first half of the summer.
With marquee events like East Coast Pro, the Area Code Games and Team USA still remaining on the calendar, there’s plenty of baseball left to be played. But these six names have already given evaluators plenty to think about.
Juan Diaz, SS/2B, IMG Academy (FL)
Diaz has been a well-known prospect for some time in the Florida area, starting to rise up national rankings after transferring to IMG Academy in 2025 and standing out across multiple top tournaments that summer. He continued pushing up lists after a solid spring showing where he hit .393 with 5 home runs and a 1.187 OPS for IMG’s top team, playing in all 25 of their games. The ascent has been pretty linear, and that’s a trend that has only continued this summer.
Diaz turned plenty of heads at the Perfect Game National Showcase in early July, posting a blazing 6.18-second 60-yard dash, the fastest time at the event. Among all Perfect Game performances, it currently stands as the fastest 60-yard dash recorded by a member of the 2027 class. Diaz has continued to layer on strength, and with that has come 70-grade straight-line wheels and one of the louder run tools in the draft class. The legs have been far from the main caller here, though. The bat has looked pretty darn good as well.
A switch hitter, Diaz features a compact 6-0, 180-pound frame with an already strong lower half and a sturdy, well-built look in the box. This isn’t the biggest frame by nature, though Diaz surely hasn’t let his size define who he is as a ballplayer. It’s a swing that plays from both sides of the plate. Diaz features a slightly upright stance with a spread base and higher hand set. He utilizes a toe tap to gather and shift his weight, with some rhythm in his hands throughout the load. It’s a short, tight turn through the zone with some serious hand speed, and some occasional loft Diaz will flash when hitting left-handed.
The bat-to-ball skills continue to stand out, just as they have throughout the 2026 circuit. At the time of writing, Diaz is hitting .304 across 19 games while running an outstanding 85% contact rate with just a 14% strikeout rate. He’s already faced quality pitching at both the USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials and the Perfect Game National Showcase, producing at each stop. There will be even tougher tests later this summer, but so far he’s answered every challenge while consistently putting the ball in play. His stock continues to trend upward.
As mentioned, Diaz isn’t the biggest player physically, and much of his power currently comes from barrel accuracy rather than pure strength. This isn’t a classic slugging profile, but it’s easy to envision him growing into 10-15 home run power annually as he continues to mature.
When zooming out and taking a look at the entire profile, it’s easy to like a lot here. A switch-hitting shortstop with a chance for a 55 hit tool and 70-grade wheels, there’s real confidence in his ability to stick on the dirt. That sounds like a potential top-3-round profile. Diaz will have to continue proving it throughout the coming year, and he’ll be tested, but he’s surely on the right trajectory.
Diaz recently decommitted from Florida State and is now one of the top uncommitted 2027 names left on the market.
Ethan Gustus, RHP, Roseville HS (CA)
Gustus was the first high school player left off our initial 2027 Top 50. An uptick in velocity has resulted in him garnering plenty of interest from the scouting community this summer, and for good reason. Gustus has looked like a potential multi-million-dollar arm.
Gustus touches 97 mph at this stage and will live 93-96 mph in one-inning stints with his fastball. It’s a pitch that explodes out of his hand with riding life and some hop at the top of the zone. The frame here stands out. It’s a lean, wiry 6-foot-6 frame that screams projection. Gustus already throws 97 and there’s more on the way. With the way the body looks, the way Gustus moves and the already present arm speed, it’s easy to envision him touching the upper-90s, maybe even triple digits, in the near future. The ceiling is beyond high.
His best secondary is a low-80s slider that spins north of 2,600 RPM with short sweeping action. He shows quality feel for locating the pitch off the plate against right-handed hitters. The changeup is another quality offering, sitting in the mid-80s with heavy fading action that can flash above-average potential in some outings.
The performance has matched the stuff throughout the summer. Gustus hasn’t allowed a walk or an earned run across 4.1 innings while striking out 50% of the hitters he’s faced. It’s been complete domination. He’s still more control than command at this stage, but he’s filled up the strike zone at a 67% clip and consistently worked ahead.
Gustus will be closely followed by teams toward the end of the summer circuit, as well as in the spring. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to continue improving his stock, including at the Area Code Games in early August, where he’s expected to be one of the top arms attending the event.
Kellen Rogers, SS, Wake Forest HS (NC)
Rogers has been a bit of a pop-up name this summer, opening eyes at multiple events on the front end of the circuit. Simply put, Rogers owns one of the sweeter swings in the 2027 high school class. It’s a stroke that checks a ton of boxes aesthetically, with outstanding balance, a quick, compact, repeatable move to the baseball, good zone coverage and natural loft. This is how you draw them up.
Rogers looks like a hitter in the box, and his bat-to-ball skills have looked remarkably strong this summer, where so far he’s held an 87% contact rate. While Rogers will surely face better pitching later on the circuit, what he’s flashed early on is intriguing: a .465/.596/.837 slash across 17 logged games with 3 home runs to his name. Rogers can pack a punch into a baseball despite being slightly undersized at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds. There’s some bat speed here and solid feel to the pull and lift of the baseball that he’s grown into more as the years have passed. The potential final offensive product is fun.
Rogers is a plus runner who plays a solid middle infield with an above-average arm across. He’s been a riser up boards in these early stages, but he’s got plenty more opportunity to move up as the summer goes on. Teams are sure to fall in love with the pure hit tool and growing offensive ceiling.
Andrew Carlson, RHP, Trinity Classical Academy (CA)
Carlson is a big, durable 6-foot-3 right-handed pitching prospect who has been a standout across multiple events now. Similar to Gustus, he hasn’t allowed a walk or a run across 4.1 innings so far, striking out 50% of the hitters he’s seen while boasting a 54% whiff rate.
The velocity here comes astonishingly easy. Carlson will sit 93-96 topping out at 97 with some ride and tailing action. His command for the fastball stands out, Carlson has no trouble working the pitch to both halves of the plate and spotting it away to left-handed hitters. He’ll mix in a short slider in the low-80s with solid bite, though the pitch currently features below-average spin rates. His changeup may ultimately prove to be his best secondary. Thrown with conviction in the low-80s, it features excellent tumble off the fastball tunnel, and Carlson has shown confidence throwing it against hitters from both sides of the plate.
This is a true starter look with feel for three pitches. Carlson has continued climbing boards with every outing this summer, and there’s little reason to believe that momentum slows anytime soon. He’s also the starting quarterback at Trinity Classical Academy, making the athleticism on the mound even easier to appreciate.
Frank Thomas III, 1B, IMG Academy (FL)
Yes, this is the son of that Frank Thomas, the Hall of Famer who launched 521 career home runs with the White Sox. Frank, or “Frankie,” Thomas III may not be the same type of player as his father, but he’s quickly carving out a name of his own. His summer has only strengthened that reputation.
The hit tool here is what stands out. Thomas has hit at nearly every stop throughout his amateur career and has always featured standout bat-to-ball skills and feel for the barrel. So far throughout the 2026 circuit Thomas has done nothing but hit. He boasts a .412 batting average across 80 at-bats, slugging at a .637 clip. The bat-to-ball skills are comfortably above-average, maybe better, it’s been an 84% contact rate so far and an 89% contact rate in two-strike counts. Thomas has been putting the game in motion plenty, and he’s only punching out 7.5% of the time, too.
It’s a bit of a flatter path from the left side with a shorter move to the ball. Thomas has prioritized slapping the ball to all fields and hasn’t shown off much game power to date, with high ground-ball rates. That has looked improved this summer, though Thomas has still shown limited feel for backspinning the baseball with a 19% fly-ball rate. He has the size to dream on more in the tank, he may just be a swing change away from fully unlocking what could be another gear here. It’s easy to dream on; Thomas has all the polish necessary in his game to succeed at the next level, with bloodlines in his favor.
Thomas is an average runner and a solid defender at first base. That’s likely his landing spot long-term, meaning the bat will have to impress leading up to the draft for teams to feel confident throwing big money his way. He’s currently committed to Auburn, with hopes of following the same path his father once did if he ultimately reaches campus.
Easton Sarmiento, LHP, Ayala HS (CA)
Sarmiento has steadily climbed boards this summer after adding a few ticks of velocity and performing well across multiple premier events. There’s plenty to like about the overall profile. He’s a lean, athletic 6-foot-4, 180-pound left-hander with considerable physical projection still remaining.
Off the mound it’s a funky look with a steep, over-the-top angle. Sarmiento operates with a low pulse, getting down the mound well and creating good extension with his long limbs. The fastball has only touched 93 mph at this stage, living in the upper-80s across longer stints with some cut-ride action. It’s a pitch that plays up due to favorable release traits and shape, and one that most expect will take a jump between now and draft day given Sarmiento’s immense projection.
The slider is a solid offering that can take on multiple shapes at times in the low-80s with above-average spin rates and sharp break. Sarmiento will also mix in a mid-80s changeup with fade that he’ll deploy mostly to right-handed hitters.
Sarmiento has at times had trouble with command and syncing up his long limbs so far this summer. He’s walked north of 20% of the hitters he’s faced while throwing strikes at an average clip. The results, however, have not wavered. Sarmiento has held hitters to a .140 BAA and has only given up 2 ER across 14.1 innings pitched. Most expect the command and control to take strides forward as Sarmiento continues to grow into his frame. As it stands, he’s an outstanding athlete with room to take multiple more jumps forward in the future, especially as he gets exposed to better development.
If Sarmiento didn’t already appeal to evaluators, he’ll also be just 17.9 years old on draft day, adding another layer of intrigue to an already exciting profile. He recently decommitted from UC Santa Barbara, immediately becoming one of the premier uncommitted arms in the 2027 class.