The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Avon Lake freshman is top Ohio prospect
There’s no doubt the hype surrounding Avon Lake freshman baseball player Drew Graham is growing.
Something and someone is growing in Avon Lake.
Just how big remains to be seen.
There’s no doubt the hype surrounding Avon Lake freshman baseball player Drew Graham is growing, and it will likely continue — perhaps to a fever pitch when 2024 is here.
Time will tell on that. How big Graham — currently about 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds — grows by the time he’s a senior is also an unknown.
Time will also tell on that. What is known right now is Graham, 14, is a mega-talented prospect that already has colleges very interested. That’s because Prep Baseball Report — the leading recruiting resource in Ohio — recently made Graham its No. 1 prospect in Ohio for the Class of 2024.
The calls from colleges began when the University of Tennessee contacted Simon Lowe, who’s Graham’s summer coach at T3 Performance in Avon. When that inquiry from the Volunteers’ pitching coach came, Lowe gave his protege the heads up another would be forthcoming.
“I was pretty nervous, but excited,” said Graham during a recent throwing session at T3.
It was a call that will likely be the first of many. There’s been interest from the likes of other Southeastern Conference schools — including perennial favorite Vanderbilt — plus teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Ohio State and more.
The interest from colleges intensified during a spring PBR scouting event at Crushers Stadium, a short walk from T3 in Avon. College scouts weren’t in attendance because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, so the event was conducted virtually. When Graham’s video workout went out through the service, it was a busy time for all.
“My phone was blowing up,” said Lowe, who’s helped Graham manage the early interest, which consists of about 20 to 30 colleges.
Right now, though, college must wait. Graham has yet to throw a pitch in high school, and Shoreman coach Andrew Means can’t wait to coach him up and watch the next four years.
“He’s once-in-a-lifetime player that coaches don’t see often,” said Means, an Avon Lake grad who set numerous school records as a senior in the mid-2000s, and hit nine home runs as a junior. “Most important, he’s a good kid and has a good circle around him with Simon and T3. He has the right people to push him. Add that with the caliber talent he has and his maturity, he’s the total package.”
Just how good is the big question.
“He has the potential to be a top-five MLB draft pick,” said Means. “I don’t think that’s out of the realm for Drew.” Here’s why:
• Graham’s fastball has been clocked at 86.7 mph — at age 14.
• Means marvels at his physical makeup: “He’s very athletic and smooth with his delivery.”
• Graham’s array of pitches includes that fastball, a curve, slider and changeup — any of which he can throw late in counts with confidence.
• All are effective out pitches for Graham, according to Lowe.
• The PBR report on Graham: “Showed why he’s one of the highest followed ‘24 arms in the country. The (velocity) ceiling is obvious but almost as impressive is the secondary offerings. Breaking ball is filthy and changeup falls off the table.”
On the mound, the lefthander has been dominant. A sampling:
• He was selected to represent Team Ohio at the Prep Baseball Report Future Game in DuBois, Pa., and pitched against some of the top 2022 and 2023 prospects from Pennsylvania. Graham pitched the last two innings and got the save. He was also picked to represent Team North at the PBR Ohio Future 50 in Akron.
• Graham’s 2020 stats — accounting for summer and fall leagues — include 33 innings pitched, 76 strikeouts, nine hits allowed, six earned runs and a 1.27 earned-run average.
Lowe and Graham first met when Graham was 11. At the time, Lowe was coaching the Lake Erie Warhawks of the Ohio Prospects League. Graham was invited to pitch in a scrimmage.
“I could tell right away,” said Lowe. “He was this little red-headed kid. I remember looking at my assistant, and saying, ‘This is a kid I want to work with.’ This kid’s got the potential to be really good.”
To say Graham is a rising star within the state might be an understatement, said Lowe.
“He’s better than a rising star,” he said. “The sky’s the limit for him. There’s no question about that.”
All of which could be a bit daunting for some 14-year-olds, but Graham welcomes the attention. It starts with the big one — being the No. 1 prospect in Ohio for incoming freshmen.
“It excites me, but a lot of guys might take that and think, ‘I’m the No. 1 guy, I don’t have to work anymore,’” said Graham. “For me, it’s driving me. What’s next? No. 1 in the country. I’m working even harder. Let’s be the best. No. 1 in the state is not where I want to be.”
That’s because Graham — whose only sport at Avon Lake will be baseball — thrives on competition. That means playing above his age level, something he will experience at the varsity level in the spring.
“I’d rather get beat, 2-1, in a close game and lose than win, 12-0, and not get better,” said Graham, a first baseman when he’s not pitching and a solid hitter. “The goal is to get better every time out.”
Lowe said Graham has made big strides in the past year training at T3, where an emphasis has been put on weight training and adhering to a diet that will maximize any and all of his potential growth spurts.
“You never know, but we’re hoping for him to be around 6-2, 6-3, 200 pounds by his junior year,” said Lowe. “At T3, he has everything he needs to improve as an athlete.”
Means can speak about what it’s like to be an elite athlete. In college, he was a rare two-sport athlete for the Indiana Hoosiers in the late 2000s. He played football and baseball and was drafted by the Reds as an outfielder (playing for four seasons and reaching the Double-A level) and got an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine as a wide receiver. In 2007, he had 48 catches for 559 yards for IU.
In most high school athlete’s cases, Means is a believer in playing multiple sports. He knows Graham’s isn’t an ordinary case.
“A lot can happen from now until he’s a senior,” said Means. “The potential is endless. He could be throwing mid-90s. Who knows? Seeing how Drew develops over the next four years is going to be fun to watch.”