Mason Brassfield excelled on last year’s summer showcase circuit, pitching effectively against top-tier hitters and demonstrating improved control. This success boosted his confidence, which he carried into his final high school season as a standout California prep left-handed pitcher.
Brassfield’s impressive performance over the past year has significantly elevated his position on MLB draft boards. Scouts now project him as a potential early-round pick in the draft, which begins on Sunday.
“No matter who you are, there is a lot of stress,” said Brassfield on the draft process. “You still have to remember you are a high school student and need to have fun and enjoy the process because you only get one senior year. I wanted to make sure I still had fun playing the game even when there were 50, 60 radar guns behind the plate watching me pitch.”
Brassfield is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound left-handed pitcher who throws a fastball, slider and changeup from a three-quarters arm slot and athletic delivery.
His low-90s fastball, which touches the mid-90s, is his best pitch and generates swings and misses. His slider is his go-to off-speed pitch. He throws two variations of his slider, consisting of a traditional sweeping 85-87 mph pitch and a loopier slider that is slightly slower and resembles more of a curveball. Brassfield uses the same grip for both sliders but will manipulate how he throws the pitches.
Brassfield is more of a two-pitch pitcher right now. His changeup is a work in progress and will need additional refinement as he uses it at higher levels.
“I think the biggest strength in my game is that each pitch I throw doesn’t move the same,” Brassfield said. “I have really good movement on my fastball as well as my slider. My one-two mix really sets me apart. I feel like I’m a deceptive pitcher. I feel that’s how I get a lot of swings and misses because of that one-two mix and the movement on my pitches.”
Brassfield exhibited significant improvement in throwing strikes and limiting walks this spring. By refining and consistently repeating his mechanics, he also adopted a more aggressive mindset on the mound.
This progress was evident in his senior year, where he allowed 21 walks in 74 1/3 innings, a marked improvement from his junior season’s 52 walks in 67 2/3 innings. Brassfield believes his enhanced control will elevate his pitch mix and make him more challenging to hit.
“I feel like you can always get better at commanding the ball,” Brassfield said. “That is something I want to learn more how to do is to command the ball better. Now that I have a good understanding of where the ball is going to go in regards to my control, I feel like I want to get more in-depth with it and command the ball in certain spots.”
In addition to being a draft prospect, Brassfield is committed to TCU. He made this commitment as a high school sophomore, citing his admiration for the university, campus and the baseball program’s successful track record.
If he doesn’t pursue a professional career immediately after high school, Brassfield is eager to attend TCU, where he looks forward to developing both as a person and a player.
“A big factor for me was making sure I’m not just there for baseball but the academics too,” Brassfield said. “The fact that it’s a college town, the weather is nice, and it’s easy to get to from Bakersfield factor into my decision. That was a factor for me. What sealed the deal for me was that I knew no matter what happens, the coaches that I committed to were going to stay at the school. I’m really looking forward to it.”
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.
