Draft Combine:?Longest HR, top velo, more

CARY, N.C. -- The on-field highlight of the inaugural MLB Draft Combine was a Friday workout that included several of the top prospects in attendance and was broadcast live on MLB Network. Several players made an impressive showing in front of a large group of scouts -- as well as Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Louisville corner infielder Alex Binelas lived up to his reputation as one of the best college power hitters available in the 2021 Draft by putting on a show in batting practice. He crushed several balls over the fence at the USA Baseball National Training Complex and, according to the Rapsodo data available, led all hitters in terms of maximum distance (446 feet), as well as average and maximum exit velocity (98.244 mph and 109.3 mph).

Binelas entered the year as a potential top-10-overall pick but slumped at the outset, batting .155 with just one homer in his first 18 games. He rallied to finish at .256 with 18 homers in 50 contests, including three in one game at the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, and his left-handed pop may land him in the first round yet.

Cal State Northridge outfielder Denzel Clarke blossomed into a third- to fifth-rounder this year and helped his cause with a strong workout as well. He topped all batters in average distance (344 feet) and hard-hit percentage (82.4 percent, with 14 of his 17 swings producing exit velocities of 95 mph). He also finished a close second to Binelas in average exit velocity (98.241 mph).

Clarke comes from an athletic family that includes his mother, Donna Clarke, a heptathlete at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and cousins Bo and Josh Naylor, former first-round choices now playing in the Indians organization. He combines plus raw power and speed and also shared Big West Conference defensive player of the year honors this spring. Like Binelas, he started slowly but finished strong, batting .324 with eight homers and 15 steals in 38 games.

Nine pitchers threw five-minute bullpen sessions, with Gardner-Webb right-hander Mason Miller the clear standout. He tossed seven fastballs and they were seven of the eight fastest pitches recorded, averaging 98.2 mph and topping out at 99.1. He also featured the highest heater spin rate (2,503 rpm).

One of the top fifth-year collegians in the Draft, Miller could factor into the top three rounds because of his talent and the fact that he'll come with a discount because of a lack of leverage. He began his college career at NCAA Division III Waynesburg (Pa.), where he posted a 7.10 ERA in his first two seasons before he was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. After changing his diet, he put nearly 50 pounds on his 6-foot-5 frame and added velocity to his pitches, setting a school record with 97 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings in 2019 and continuing to dominate in the truncated 2020 season.

Miller completed his degree in finance last spring and opted to pursue an MBA and a professional baseball career at Gardner-Webb, where he established himself as one of the hardest-throwing starters in college baseball while recording a 3.30 ERA and 121 whiffs in 92 2/3 innings. He usually averages 95 mph with his fastball, peaks at 99 and can hold his velocity deep into games.

Below are some of the leaders in various categories from Friday's workout. Where applicable, their rankings on MLB Pipeline’s Draft Top 250 -- which features detailed scouting reports and grades -- are listed in parentheses.

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Here are some of the batting leaders from Day 4, along with their rankings on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects, where applicable.

Maximum exit velocity, single batted ball

109.3 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
108.5 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
107.6 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
107.2 mph - Tommy White, 1B, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 103)
107.1 mph - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
106.8 mph - Logan Cerny, OF, Troy (No. 173)
106.8 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
106.3 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
106.1 mph - Jacob Walsh, 1B, Desert Oasis HS (Nev.)
105.9 mph - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)

Highest average exit velocity (# of batted balls)

98.2 mph (34) - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
98.2 mph (17) - Denzel Clarke, OF, Cal State Northridge (No. 119)
98.1 mph (24) - Tommy White, 3B, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 103)
96.8 mph (21) - Wes Clarke, 1B, South Carolina
96.4 mph (18) - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
96.1 mph (19) - Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Madison Central HS (Miss.) (No. 65)
96.1 mph (14) - Logan Cerny, OF, Troy (No. 173)
95.1 mph (35) - Colson Montgomery, 3B, Southridge HS (Ind.) (No. 29)
94.9 mph (22) - Maurice Hampton, OF, Louisiana State
94.2 mph (19) - Jacob Walsh, 1B, Desert Oasis HS (Nev.)

Maximum distance, single batted ball

446 ft - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
443 ft - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
420 ft - Jacob Walsh, 1B, Desert Oasis HS (Nev.)c
419 ft - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
416 ft - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
416 ft - Justice Thompson, OF, North Carolina (No. 117)
415 ft - Jacob Walsh, 1B, Desert Oasis HS (Nev.)
415 ft - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
415 ft - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
414 ft - Gavin Conticello, 3B, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) (No. 244)

Highest average distance (# of batted balls)

344 ft (17) - Denzel Clarke, OF, Cal State Northridge (No. 119)
321 ft (21) - Parker Chavers, OF, Coastal Carolina (No. 158)
315 ft (29) - Edwin Arroyo, SS, Arecibo Baseball Academy (P.R.) (No. 81)
314 ft (23) - Ian Moller, C, Wahlert HS (Iowa) (No. 125)
311 ft (26) - Braxton Fulford, C, Texas Tech
302 ft (18) - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
298 ft (34) - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
286 ft (15) - Jud Fabian, OF, Florida (No. 22)
279 ft (17) - Christian Moore SS, Suffield Academy (Conn.)
279 ft (20) - Ian Moller, C, Wahlert HS (Iowa) (No. 125)

Highest percentage of hard-hit balls

82.4% (14/17) - Denzel Clarke, OF, Cal State Northridge (No. 119)
77.8% (14/18) - Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State (No. 54)
73.5% (25/34) - Alex Binelas, 1B/3B, Louisville (No. 64)
71.4% (25/35) - Colson Montgomery, 3B, Southridge HS (Ind.) (No. 29)
68.2% (15/22) - Maurice Hampton, OF, Louisiana State
66.7% (16/24) - Tommy White, 3B, IMG Academy (Fla.) (No. 103)
65.0% (13/20) - Robby Martin, OF, Florida State (No. 100)
64.3% (9/14) - Logan Cerny, OF, Troy (No. 173)
63.2% (12/19) - Braden Montgomery, OF/RHP, Madison Central HS (Miss.) (No. 65)
61.9% (13/21) - Wes Clarke, 1B, South Carolina

Hard-hit = 95+ mph exit velocity

Highest fastball velocity

99.1 mph - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
98.5 mph - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
98.4 mph - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
98.3 mph - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
98.2 mph - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)

Highest average fastball velocity
98.2 mph (seven pitches) - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
97.2 mph (three pitches) - Seth Halvorsen, RHP, Missouri
95.3 mph (nine pitches) - Mason Black, RHP, Lehigh (No. 151)
95.2 mph (five pitches) - Emmet Sheehan, RHP, Boston College
95.2 mph (six pitches) - Steve Hajjar, LHP, Michigan (No. 107)

Highest average fastball spin rate

2,503 rpm (seven pitches) - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner-Webb (No. 159)
2,426 rpm (nine pitches) - Bryce McGowan, RHP, Charlotte (No. 155)
2,315 rpm (10 pitches) - Jared Pettitte, LHP, Dallas Baptist
2,253 rpm (12 pitches) - Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP, Nebraska (No. 52)
2,249 rpm (five pitches) - Emmet Sheehan, RHP, Boston College

Highest average breaking ball spin rate

2,565 rpm (four pitches) - Mason Miller, RHP, Gardner Webb (No. 159)
2,522 rpm (four pitches) - Spencer Schwellenbach, RHP, Nebraska (No. 52)
2,505 rpm (six pitches) - Steve Hajjar, LHP, Michigan (No. 107)
2,477 rpm (five pitches) - Bryce McGowan, RHP, UNC Charlotte (No. 155)
2,474 rpm (five pitches) - Emmet Sheehan, RHP, Boston College