‘24 Draft Sleepers
by Nick Johnson
Dariyan Pendergrass, CF College of Charleston
A guy who I think could fly up draft boards this spring is College of Charleston’s Dariyan Pendergrass. Pendergrass was a South Carolina commit out of Hartsville High School, but after missing his Freshman fall at USC rehabilitating from shoulder surgery, he decided to transfer to Spartanburg Methodist CC to get immediate collegiate at bats and to grow under legendary JUCO Head Coach Tim Wallace.
During his two years at Spartanburg Methodist, Pendergrass slashed .403/.489/.546 with a 1.030 OPS, 23 2B, 9 3B and 3 HR. He went an astonishing 75-77 in stolen bases and walked 55 times to only 27 K’s in 414 PA (6.5% whiff).
Over the summer Pendergrass was one of the best players in the Coastal Plains League where he was named an All-Star and helped Lexington capture the 2023 CPL title. For the Blowfish he slashed .354/.438/.520 with a .958 OPS. He stole 35 bags in 32 games with 9 2Bs, 3 3Bs and 2 HR while walking more than he struck out (20:19).
Pendergrass is a twitchy athlete with an advanced feel for the barrel. It’s contact over power, but there is room in his frame to gain weight. The approach is impressive with elite bat-to-ball skills (8% whiff over his last 567 AB’s). He is a slash and dash hitter where he uses his 70 grade speed to put a ton of pressure on the defense. A 6.5 runner, he is a game changer on the base paths where he creates absolute havoc. In CF he shows really good instincts with great routes and +range.
Pendergrass will be one of the more exciting players in the nation this spring where his style of play reminds me of Rikuu Nishida. Day 2 upside.
Jack Martinez, RHP Louisiana Lafayette
Louisiana Lafayette might have gotten an absolute stud in transfer (D3 Trinity University TX) RHP Jack Martinez. The 6’4 185 lb true Junior is coming off a dominant season where in 20 appearances he went 6-0 with 6 saves. In 51 innings he sported a 2.12 era while only allowing 30 hits, striking out 81, while holding opponents to a .163 avg.
Martinez has a lengthy and athletic frame with projectibility. There is room to add weight/velocity with the help of a D1 strength program. He has a 4 pitch mix that includes a FB, CH, CT/SL hybrid, and CV. Last year the FB sat 92-94 T6 with run. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the velo ticks up 1-2 mph this spring. The CH is a plus pitch at 80-81 mph with great arm speed and 19 in of HB that generates a ton of whiff. ULL’s staff is currently turning his slider into a cutter/slider hybrid, that's been up to 84-86 . He has also added a curveball that's been 76-78 mph in recent pens with 2400-2500 spin.
I expect Martinez to open the season as a weekend starter for the Ragin’ Cajuns and turn a lot of heads this spring.
Brandon Eike, 3B/1B VCU
A player that really grabbed my attention last year was VCU’s 3B Brandon Eike. A former top 500 recruit out of highschool, Eike committed to UNC where he didn’t really see the field for 2 years. After his sophomore season he entered the portal and ended up at VCU, where he found immediate success with Coach Lecroy’s squad.
In 2023 he started 55 games, slashing .344/.395/.610 with a 1.006 OPS. He hit 24 doubles, 2 triples and 11 homers.
14.8% k
.439 wOBA
133 wRC+ Avg
EV - 92.1 mph (D1 avg 85.9)
90th percentile - 104.4 mph (D1 avg 100.7)
Max EV - 108.4 mph (D1 avg 105.5)
After his season at VCU he headed to the Coastal Plains League where he absolutely mashed. In 29 games he slashed .398/.450/.708 with a 1.158 OPS and 17 xbh enroute to winning CPL Hitter of the Year. He then headed north and finished his summer in the Cape League where he played in 15 games and slashed .309/.406/.455 with a .824 OPS.
Eike is 6’0 220 lb RHH with a physical frame. He drives the ball to all fields and has especially impressive opposite field juice. Extremely quick hands. Throughout the year he honed in on his approach leading to a decrease in out of zone whiff. I’d love to see him take more walks, but feel the approach will continue to improve with more at bats. Defensively, he has an above average arm at 3rd, where I think he can stick at the next level. He is super athletic and shouldn’t have an issue transitioning to a corner OF spot. He also has looked good at 1b where he gives you +range. Definitely a top contender for A10 player of the year with day 2 upside.
