The 2025 Top 40 baseball rankings highlight Connor Cooke, a RHP, who excelled in 2023 with a 40% strikeout rate before suffering from control issues and injuries in 2024. A tenth-round pick, Cooke's performance slipped post-injury, resulting in Tommy John surgery, which could affect his rankings. Another player, T.J. Brock, also made the list; however, his limited pitching experience at Ohio State raises concerns about his potential impact. Both players represent a deeper look into the college draft picks evolving within the league.
"Cooke shot through the system in 2023 in the bullpen... He blew away high-A and AA batters to the tune of a 40%+ strikeout rate."
"Unfortunately carried over into 2024, as he continued to walk almost a batter an inning in the first half while his strikeout rate plunged to 20%."
"Pre-injury, Cooke's fastball sat 95-96 and touched 98 at its best... His best pitch was a sweeping slider... with huge horizontal movement."
"While that would bump him back on this list... it does go a long way to explaining what went wrong in 2024."
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