The young lefty from Georgia is committed to Vanderbilt, but Carter Holton may pass up a college career if a major league team can get him into their system early in the draft. He has absolutely dominated High School competition and has a very good chance of getting selected in the top 100.
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Carter Holton, LHP, Benedictine Military School (GA)
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs.
Age: 18
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Scouting Grades
Fastball: 55
Changeup: 55
Curveball: 50
Slider: 55
Control: 50
Overall: 50
Holton’s stock has been on the rise recently along with the increase in velocity on his four-seamer. The southpaw has been in the mid-90s with it now as he has gained some strength over the past year. Already with advanced command for his age of four pitches in his arsenal, the Georgia prepster has good upside.
Strengths
Holton pairs the aforementioned four-seamer with a two-seamer he can run up at about 91 mph with a little sink. His slider sits in the upper 70s touching 80 mph and has good horizontal run to it diving into righties. Holton throws his curveball around 74-76 mph with good shape and the velocity difference works well off his fastball. It is especially effective against lefties coming from a tough angle.
The Vandy commit uses his changeup well to give him a mid-range pitch sitting around 84 mph. It has solid sink to it and is a neutralizer against right-handed hitters with some fade. Holton has an excellent idea of how to pitch especially at 18 years old. He changes speeds very well and his delivery from the 3/4 slot makes his stuff particularly difficult for lefties to pick up.
Weaknesses
Holton’s size concerns teams as there is significant reliever risk in his future. He is quite athletic though and with his pitch mix will certainly be given the opportunity to start. Holton will need to clean up his delivery a bit. Although he has shown improvement and less effort in his starts, he still engages his whole body to maximize his arsenal. This also makes his tunneling a bit more difficult. He tends to telegraph his curve and slider, and while it didn’t matter much in High School as his stuff was dominant, he will need to get a bit more refined as he moves to the higher levels.
Pro Comparison: Brad Hand
Hand was drafted in the second round out of High School as a starter back in 2008 by the Florida Marlins. He had a similar repertoire to Holton at the time, but after a few years bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, he was released and picked up by the San Diego Padres where he became a full-time reliever. The rest is history. Holton’s career trajectory could be alike. If he doesn’t last as a starter, he can concentrate on a dominant two or three-pitch mix and let it air out for an inning or two at a time.
Draft Projection: Round 2, Pick 59, Atlanta Braves
While I originally had Daylen Lile here for the Braves, I think Atlanta will attempt to keep the Georgia native home hoping to keep him from his commitment to Vanderbilt. It will be a tough choice for Holton and it may take the Braves paying slightly over slot money to get it done. The lefty is a high-risk, high-reward prospect, but Atlanta has never been afraid of drafting prep pitchers and after taking Chase Petty in the first round, they double up here on High School arms.
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