MLB Draft Scouting Notebook: Maryland, Penn State, UCLA

Scouting for the MLB Draft isn’t just about crunching numbers and analyzing data, but it’s also about being there live to see the game and performances unfold in real time.

There’s something irreplaceable about watching a pitcher’s mechanics from behind home plate, tracking how a hitter adjusts to velocity, or observing how they handle high-pressure situations during the game.

Our analysts aim to provide you with a live perspective to offer insights you may not see in the data, video, and reports. We hope to blend the live coverage with the data and numbers to paint an entire picture of each draft prospect.

Whether it’s a hyped prospect proving his worth or an under-the-radar name forcing his way into the conversation, we hope our insights on their makeup, instincts, and raw tools can help shape the projections that determine the player’s draft stock with the intangible numbers in the data.

Our entire MLB Draft team at Just Baseball is trying to bring you some of the most extensive coverage to help you prepare for the 2025 MLB Draft and MLB Drafts beyond that. Let’s dive into this week’s live looks.

Man, it was great to get back to the field over the last week. I was able to attend two different series: UCLA vs. Maryland and Penn State vs. Georgetown.

Penn State vs. Georgetown

Let us start with Penn State vs. Georgetown. While the Hoyas didn’t have anyone that stood out draft-wise, the Nittany Lions have three guys who are interesting prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft: Paxton Kling, Bryce Molinaro, and Ryan Weingartner

2025 MLB Draft

OF Paxton Kling, Penn State – Draft Day Age: 22

HT: 6’2

WT: 210

B/T: R/R

Paxton Kling was surprisingly the least impressive of the three big bats for Penn State this weekend. He was ultra aggressive and was oftentimes trying to do just a bit too much to help his team overcome the early massive deficit they found themselves in.

The former LSU Tiger went 0-for-4 with an RBI and just couldn’t quite get things going against some mediocre Georgetown pitching. When he does make contact, it is loud off the bat, though, and he did have a couple of line outs.

Kling looks the part of your typical outfielder. He’s got the athleticism and speed to handle any outfield spot. He’s a physical specimen who really seems like he’s a few tweaks away from maximize the full potential of all his tools.

Kling was a highly-touted prospect out of high school. Some issues with velocity thanks to his long swing have hindered him a bit, but he’s really turned the corner since making his way to Penn State. He’ll likely hear his named called anywhere from round 4-7.

3B Bryce Molinaro, Penn State – Draft Day Age: 21

HT: 6’0

WT: 190

B/T: R/R

Molinaro is a guy who will get barrels with ease and put up some good exit velocities, especially to the pullside. He showcased a patient approach at the plate for the most part, but tended to whiff a bit on offspeed pitches in the dirt.

The home run he launched was to right-center field, so he showcased that he can get to that power to the opposite field. It’s a stockier, well-built, that helps him generate that juice.

Molinaro looks the part at third base and it feels like he could stick as an average third baseman in the long-term. He’s got a decent enough arm and good enough glove work.

He’s a guy you want to see improve on picking up spin and velocity up, but he has the makings of being a decent pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Likely somewhere in rounds 5-8.

SS Ryan Weingartner, Penn State – Draft Day Age: 21

HT: 5’11

WT: 184

B/T: R/R

Like Tyler Jennings, Weingartner was by far the most impressive bat in this one-game set I was at. A limited sample size of five at bats, Weingartner went 2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI. What was most impressive was his outs were also loud.

Weingartner gets barrel with ease and uses the entire field. His home run was a laser over the right-center field wall. Even more impressive is that Weingartner has a solid hit tool and a ton of patience at the plate.

He doesn’t chase or whiff much at all. He’s able to find his pitch and drive it. His quick hands and barrel control play to his favor. He’s got an excellent feel for the strikezone and can draw walks when needed.

Weingartner has all the tools in a profile you want to see as a team on draft day. Despite his size, he’s got enough in the tank to produce solid power numbers, an outstanding hit tool, and good defensive abilities. He’s got the potential to be a top 100 pick.

UCLA vs. Maryland

For UCLA vs. Maryland, there was lots of 2026 MLB Draft talent headlined by Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky and Maryland shortstop Eddie Hacopian. Both have the potential to be top 25 picks, if not top 15 picks.

There were also some intriguing 2025 MLB Draft prospects like seniors Alex Calarco and Eddie Hacopian. Let’s dive into a few of the names to watch.

2025 MLB Draft

INF Eddie Hacopian, Maryland – Draft Day Age: 23

HT: 6’3

WT: 195

B/T: R/R

The captain. Not everyone gets to wear the number three for Maryland, and there is a good reason why Eddie Hacopian wears it for the Terps. The kid is an absolute gamer. He plays with a ton of fire and passion and will do what it takes to help his team win.

On the plate, Hacopian is a natural-born hitter. All he does is make contact. He had a 93% contact rate in 2024 and he is almost impossible to put away sporting a 9% strikeout rate this year.

While he doesn’t possess a ton of power, he did showcase some pop in 2024 and showed near-average 90th percentile exit velocity numbers.

The biggest knock on Hacopian is the lack of defensive position. He mainly played just first base last year, but Head Coach Matt Swope was keen on showing off his defensively versatility this year.

He’s mostly played third base but has also seen a couple of games in the outfield. He has decent instincts and range at third base but lacks the arm to stick there long-term. His defensive abilities are more well-suited for second base, and he played there this fall.

Hacopian is the type who might fit the bill of a perfect senior sign given his leadership abilities and already somewhat polished hit tool.

C Alex Calarco, Maryland – Draft Day Age: 22

HT: 6’5

WT: 250

B/T: B/R

Calarco is a massive presence in the box. The 6’5, 250 lb catcher looks like he should be playing linebacker on the football field. He’s not just a large presence in the box physically, but he also mashes baseballs.

As of March 13th, Calarco is slashing .366/.458/.859 with 5 2Bs, 10 HRs, and 35 RBI. It’s a complete 180 to his junior year where he hit .244 with only three home runs. Kind of a crazy turnaround in one year.

It’s a barrel party for Calaraco. He finds barrel with ease which helps him put up pretty good exit velos, including a max exit velo of 111.8. He’s able to produce this power from both sides of the batters box and showed that off all weekend. He just hits the ball hard.

He boasts a fairly decent hit tool to go along with his pop as he hasn’t chased a ton so far this year and is walking at a 14% clip. Defensively, Calarco is a big body behind the dish and able to keep pitches in front of him.

I’d want to see more in terms of his arm and framing abilities before making a full assessment there. Regardless, the bat and the potential to catch will likely have a team wanting to call his name as a senior sign.

2026 MLB Draft

SS Chris Hacopian, Maryland

HT: 6’1

WT: 205

B/T: R/R

I’ve been able to catch Chris Hacopian over the last two years, and I am more impressed each time I see him. Chris is Eddie’s younger brother, who plays a lot like his brother, with fire and passion.

Chris showcases leadership through his play on the field and doing whatever it takes to motivate his team. He’s just the kind of guy you want in your locker room.

Like his brother, he is a natural-born hitter. He’s already showcased that he is one of the more polished bats in this 2026 MLB Draft class. Last year, he sported a 94% contact rate.

In addition to his ability to make contact and find barrels, he has some really nice pop as well. He produced really good average exit velos last year and is doing the same in 2025. He just hits the ball hard and utilizes the whole field.

Defensively, Hacopian mainly played third base last year, but has become the everyday shortstop for the Terps in 2025. He also looks the part there and seems like he could be an average defender there at the next level.

He’s got fairly decent range, quick reactions, and average arm strength that allow him to hold down the position. Arrows are only pointing up for the younger Hacopian brother, and he has the opportunity to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA

HT: 6’2

WT: 200

B/T: R/R

Roch Cholowsky was the main attraction in this one. He was a highly-touted prospect out of high school and was expected to get drafted pretty high before making his way to campus.

Cholowsky was a quiet, but steady producer in this one. He didn’t do a ton of exciting things at the plate but managed to be productive. He managed a couple of walks and hard hit singles.

Overall, Cholowsky looks the part of a top pick for the 2026 MLB Draft. The glove at shortstop is so good he pushed another good defender and 2026 Draft prospect in Roman Martin to third base. He’s got a ton of range and a strong arm.

At the plate, he hits the ball hard and loud. Even though he only had a couple of singles, they were scorched off the bat. He’s produced extremely good exit velos all year so it is unsurprising.

The only downside is he’s whiffing more than you want to see, but that could improve as the season goes on.

Cholowsky seems to be solidfiyng himself as a top 10 prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft and he’s still got another season to grow and improve his draft stock.

OF Dean West, UCLA

HT: 5’10

WT: 180

B/T: L/R

Outside of Chris Hacopian, Dean West was probably the most impressive performer over the weekend. He finished the two games I saw him 4-for-8 with a double. He screamed your prototypical leadoff hitter profile.

West thrives on putting the ball in play. He tends to try to slap the ball the other way but can sneak in some poolside power once in a while. The hit tool is a bit of a work in progress, but he showed flashes of what it could be if he makes the significant improvements needed.

He showed great patience at the plate. He isn’t afraid to work the count to get walked and does not strike out. West also refrains from chasing out of the zone and doesn’t whiff much.

He’s small in stature but has the athleticism and speed to make things happen. He uses those abilities well on defense and is an average defender in center.

West still looks like he has some room to grow and getting stronger will only benefit his draft stock going into 2026. He’s going to have to hit the ball much harder, but