South Carolina baseball junior fielder Ethan Petry is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming 2025 MLB Draft, according to scouting site Perfect Game.
The Land O’ Lakes, Florida, native has spent all three seasons with the Gamecocks and has become one of the biggest names in college baseball.
Petry was a Freshman All-American in 2023 after his stellar first collegiate season. As a true freshman, Petry had a .376 batting average, drove in 75 runs and blasted 23 home runs for the Gamecocks. As a sophomore, Petry continued his dominant play, notching 21 home runs and batting .306.
His performance over the two years helped lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances, including a Super Regional appearance in 2023.
Now in his junior year, Petry is in second place for career home runs and is looking to surpass former Gamecock infielder and pro Justin Smoak (62) for the title. Smoak played ten years in the majors for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, and the San Francisco Giants. Petry is only nine shy of the title with 54 home runs.
Strengths
Petry’s biggest strength is his offensive production that he has shown in the SEC, the top conference in college baseball. There are 10 SEC teams in the top 25 according to D1Baseball and 13 teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament Field of 64.
The Cape Cod League is a colligate summer baseball league that was officially formed in 1923. Players across all NCAA divisions spend the summer competing against one another on one of the ten teams in the league. Notable names who have played in the league include Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, and Kyle Schwarber.
Standing at 6 feet, 2 inches and 235 pounds, Petry's large frame contributes to his hard hits. Petry spent the summer of 2024 in the Cape Cod League, home to large amounts of draft prospects each year. In addition to earning MVP honors, Petry led the league with 11 home runs and a .480 on-base percentage. Petry, who played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox over the summer, played in the All-Star game and won the home run derby, blasting 12 in his victory.
While playing summer ball, Petry led the Cape Cod League with an average exit velocity of mph, which was in the 90th percentile. Along with the 54 home runs, he also has 200 hits and 162 RBIs for the Gamecocks.
Part of being such a power hitter is knowing that some opponents will choose to attack differently than others. Petry has drawn 110 walks in his Gamecock career so far, which shows he knows when to take the walks he is given.
Weaknesses
Although Petry has shown that he can hit out of any area of the ballpark, he has a tendency to swing too hard in some cases, throwing him off balance and chasing pitches. While playing in the Cape Cod League, Petry had a whiff rate of just over 34%. So far, Petry has a strikeout rate of .204 in his junior season.
For most opposing pitching and coaching staff's, it is hard to scout a player they have rarely seen or have data on. As Petry has developed and become more well-known, opposing pitchers have been able to attack him more aggressively than before. With 163 career strikeouts so far, Petry is known to swing and chase pitches excessively to try and mash home runs into the stands. Most notably, Petry seems to struggle with elevated fastballs and pitches at the top of the zone most often.
In addition to his possible power approach at the plate, many scouts have noted that his athletic ability is not top tier. While Petry has shown some solid arm strength, he does not carry the speed one usually needs in the outfield. While he has played most of his time in the outfield in college, scouts note he will most likely move to first base full-time if drafted.
MLB fits and draft outlook
The Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels were some of the teams that finished last in their respective divisions in the 2024 season. Each team that finished last had a winning percentage below .500 and will be looking for some players to help end the offensive struggles.
Perfect Game projects Petry going No. 16 overall to the Minnesota Twins, which would make him the eighth Gamecock in history to play for Minnesota. The Twins finished last season in fourth place in the AL Central with an 82-80 record. The club has struggled offensively and is currently ranked 23rd in overall hits in the league.
The White Sox and Angels are two other teams near the bottom of the league for hitting that will also be looking for prospects to develop and assist at the plate. Petry fits the profile for a lot of these teams, especially after having back-to-back seasons with over 20 home runs.
The 2025 MLB Draft will take place on Sunday, July 13, and Monday, July 14, and will be broadcast on ESPN and MLB Network. The MLB draft is set to be hosted in Atlanta, Georgia.