Cole Carlon

Carlon is a big, physical 6 foot 5 left hander with some standout traits on the mound. Carlon launches from an extremely high launch height, with a quick, over-the-top arm action that generates a tough look for hitters. Carlon is up to 101 mph with a fastball that will regularly sit in the mid 90's. The extension on the pitch is lackluster, and even with some carry on the pitch he's at times struggled to garner value out of the pitch. Still, it's velocity makes it comfortably a plus or better offering.

Carlon's best pitch by far is a mid to upper 80's slider that he tunnels exceptionally well of the heater with tight, bullet spin. The pitch has been extremely effective for Carlon throughout his collegiate career, and you could argue that it's one of the better sliders in the entire draft class. Carlon also flips in a higher 70's curveball for strikes. A changeup has started to slowly work it's way into Carlon's mix in 2026, and some of the shapes he's creating actually look quite solid. He's killing spin on the pitch, throwing it with solid vertical seperation off the heater. A higher usage rate will give us a better idea on how the pitch performs against hitters, but the flashes have looked very promising compared to previous seasons.

Mostly a reliever last year for Arizona State, Carlon is handling the Friday night role well and is throwing strikes at a higher clip than ever before. If Carlon continues to show strides as the season progresses, he could work his way into the meat of the first round.