Image credit:
Striker Pence (Photo by Stacy Jo Grant)
The 2027 draft class already looks chock-full of high-caliber pitching prospects.
On Thursday, it got even more loaded, as the No. 1 player in the 2028 high school class, Striker Pence, announced he is reclassifying to become eligible for the 2027 draft.
Pence is the nephew of four-time all-star outfielder Hunter Pence. Even without notable big league bloodlines, Pence would be a must-see prospect. He has some of the most explosive arm talent in the country right now—regardless of level or class—and has already shown 101 mph fastball velocity at just 16 years old.
Despite not being draft eligible during the 2025 showcase circuit, Pence put his name solidly on the map in front of big league scouts at multiple events. He warmed up at 97 mph and proceeded to throw seven consecutive 100 mph fastballs at the Area Code Games in a quick one-inning look. Later in the year at Perfect Game’s WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla., he again flashed triple-digit velocity and threw four fastballs at 101.
Pence has a still-projectable 6-foot-6, 195-pound frame that has space to add more strength, which is an unsettling thought for how much more could be in the tank for an amateur pitcher already showing 80-grade velocity.
Pence also throws a hard slider in the mid 80s and will mix in a hard, upper-80s splitter. He’s a solid athlete, but will need to continue refining his strike-throwing to make the most of his pure stuff.
Pence would have been on the older end for the 2028 class at 19 years old on draft day, but he will now be an age-appropriate member of the 2027 class. The 2027 prep class is led by California shortstop Dylan Seward and four other high school hitters. Pence will immediately step into the top-ranked tier of prep arms that includes lefthander Connor Salerno and righthanders Chubb Jones and Samir Mohammed.
His power fastball already rivals those of an impact college pitching group that includes Oregon State righthander Dax Whitney, Mississippi State lefthander Tomas Valincius and Wake Forest righthander Chris Levonas.
