Just as scouts grade prospects using the 20-80 scouting scale, we use a 20-80 scale to evaluate teams in our top 25. A score of 50 in each category is average, relative to a typical NCAA tournament team; 55 is slightly above-average; 60 is above-average (plus); 70 is well above-average (plus-plus); 80 is top of the scale, historically strong. Accordingly, 45 is fringe-average or slightly below-average; 40 is below-average; 30 is well below-average; and 20 is the extreme in that direction.
Hitting: 60
Power: 55
Speed: 50
Defense: 55
Starting Pitching: 55
Bullpen: 55
Experience/Intangibles: 60
Strengths: Coming off a surprising down year, this is a tricky category for UCLA. That said, run prevention is what they do in Westwood. And that begins with consistency and depth on the mound. The Bruins’ 2023 roster — and their 2023 season for that matter — was ravaged by injuries. Despite that reality, UCLA still finished the year highly ranked in key pitching categories like ERA (No. 33), strikeout-to-walk ratio (No. 9), and walks allowed per nine innings (No. 12). They will need to lean into this program strength in 2024. Sophomores Michael Barnett (1-0, 3.97 ERA, 9 GS) and Cody Delvecchio (1-4, 4.20 ERA, 36 appearances) carried big roles in their freshman seasons, and both are candidates for the weekend rotation. Finn McIlroy and Luke Jewett combined for 30 appearances a year ago, and these two physical righthanders are difference makers if it all comes together this spring. Jewett is particularly interesting, as he made 35 appearances in 2022 (3-1, 3.68 ERA) and he could end up being the Friday night arm. A highly touted freshman class of arms showed great promise in the fall, and that will add to what should be a typically deep and skilled Bruins’ pitching staff. UCLA did field a very uncharacteristic .966 in 2023 (No. 198 nationally). This pitching staff lacks extreme swing-and-miss stuff, so the defense will need to improve for these arms to thrive.
Question Marks: The position player group, while “recruiting famous” in many cases, struggled in every possible way in 2023. UCLA did not finish in the top 100 in any offensive category, including scoring (No. 191). The poor performance could likely be attributed to injuries forcing underclassmen into less-than-ideal roles. On a positive note, the talent required to return this group to program standards appears to be on hand, assuming this roster stays healthy. In fact, if the talent of this group actualizes itself, it could become the carrying strength of the club. Junior shortstop Cody Schrier is a key. He made just 32 starts last season (shoulder), and the best version of him is an all-conference caliber player on both sides of the ball. Schrier hit .298 with 21 doubles as a true freshman in 2022.
Star Power: Second baseman Duce Gourson played for Team USA last summer and his pure hit tool is elite. The lefthanded-hitting junior has produced from the day he showed up on campus, and his career triple slash of .303/.437/.480 speaks to that. His 10 home runs in 2023 signaled a newfound ability to tap into his 6-foot, 200-pound frame. Ideally, Gourson will slide back to second base after covering shortstop in the second half of last season for the injured Schrier. Overall, the profile is pure hit with emerging power and a well above average walk rate (14.5%). In other words, he may be the toughest out on the West Coast.
Glue Guys: Barnett and Delvecchio could conceivably ascend to the top of this roster. For now, they fly under the radar despite the immense importance of their roles on this pitching staff. Barnett is an old-fashioned innings eater with durability and a four-pitch mix that you can set your watch to. Delvecchio is a similarly retro power arm, with an efforty fastball and hellacious breaking ball. These two righthanders turn down the heat on the rest of the pitching staff… and the position player group for that matter. Their reliability will be a critical foundation for this 2024 club.
Pick to Click: 4YR JR AJ Salgado missed six weeks in the middle of last season, and that makes him a little bit of a mystery. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound lefthanded hitter dominated the Division II ranks at Cal State Los Angeles in 2022. He is a unique blend of size and skill and athleticism. Were he to win a starting job, it will be interesting to see what Salgado is capable of. On the mound, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound McIlroy turned the corner in a significant way this fall. His mid-90s fastball stands out and his freshman season was very good statistically (2-0, 4.50 ERA, 22 Ks, 5 BBs, 18 IP).
Top Newcomer: Freshman Roch Cholowsky was a draft risk and for good reason. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound righthanded hitter brings a physicality you don’t see in most first-year college players. Cholowsky, who was the seventh-highest ranked player in the 2023 class to make it to campus, already flashes premium defensive chops. He was an accomplished high school quarterback, so he has more than enough athleticism to blossom into an outstanding offensive player. Cholowsky may need to play third base in his rookie campaign, but he is clearly the shortstop of the future.
Outlook: The depth on this roster jumps off the page. Savage will have very difficult lineup decisions to make. Pray for the problem. Due to so many unknowns, it’s hard to peg this as an Omaha team. However, the talent level, especially on the position player side, is eye-popping. UCLA tends to dominate recruiting battles on the West Coast, and this squad reflects that. Additionally, the pedigree of Savage’s tenure at UCLA suggests that missing regionals two years in a row is similar in probability to an appearance by Halley’s Comet. And while 2023 was a massive disappointment for this program, that team was in fact 16-3 at one point. If, and when, this roster finds its way into a regional, the talent level would suggest that five wins in June are more than possible.