Cameron Sullivan is making waves this spring with his standout performance. The Indiana prep right-handed pitcher has truly honed his craft throughout his senior season, showcasing a refined pitch mix that’s catching everyone’s eye, particularly his fastball. His fastball has jumped from the low 90s to now consistently sitting at 94-95 mph and occasionally touching 97 mph.
The uptick in velocity hasn’t gone unnoticed by professional scouts, who are flocking to see him in action. With this newfound attention, scouts are projecting Sullivan as a potential early-round pick in July’s MLB draft.
“The most exciting part about it for me is just to see everything pay off,” Sullivan said. “There are sacrifices you have to make, but when it all comes full circle and you can see the opening of another door possibility, it’s pretty cool.”
Sullivan is a promising draft prospect who can potentially jump into a professional career straight out of high school. However, he also has a compelling college opportunity as a Notre Dame commit.
Sullivan holds academics in high regard, boasting an impressive high school GPA of approximately 4.5 and earning the distinction of valedictorian at Mount Vernon (Ind.) High School.
If he honors his commitment to Notre Dame, Sullivan intends to pursue a major in business analytics. His decision is influenced by the university’s esteemed academic reputation and the strong rapport he has cultivated with the baseball coaching staff.
“What led me to Notre Dame was the fit academically and athletically,” Sullivan said. “I also am excited to compete in the ACC. The way the coaches went about the recruiting process and the professionalism they take into everything is what drew me that way.”
Regardless of whatever step Sullivan takes in his career, he has a bright future. Sullivan is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-handed pitcher who throws a fastball, slider, sweeper and changeup from a three-quarters arm slot and athletic delivery.
Sullivan relies heavily on his fastball and slider combination. His fastball is an above-average pitch that touches 97 mph. He prefers to attack hitters up in the strike zone due to the pitch’s upward movement. His slider sits in the high-80s and features tight break. He prefers to attack hitters low in the zone with the pitch, and it generates plenty of swings and misses.
Sullivan’s sweeper is a variant of his slider. The pitch touches 82-85 mph with a lot of horizontal movement. He added the pitch over the last year to add another movement profile to his pitch mix.
“My ability to go out there and compete,” Sullivan said. “The fastball velocity is going to fluctuate throughout the season. The ability to go out there with your A stuff or your D stuff and get guys out is my biggest strength.”
Sullivan credits his development to his pitching coach, Anthony Gomez, who is currently the pitching coach for the Toronto Blue Jays Class AAA team.
As Sullivan continues to mature, scouts want to see the talented righty refine his changeup and overall control and command of his pitch mix. Sullivan’s changeup, which sits in the high 80s and features sinking action, needs refinement to develop into a legitimate secondary pitch.
Sullivan boasts tons of potential. Scouts rave about his ability and what he could develop with additional instruction.
“For the next step in my career, I’m excited for what it holds,” Sullivan said. “I want to see improvements in my game, especially getting high-level hitters out consistently. Also, I want to add more weight and become more durable to have that prototypical starting pitcher look. I also want to throw harder and improve my stuff.”
Read more in-depth stories on top 2024 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
