Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Milbrandt doesn't have the highest profile in a Vanderbilt 2022 recruiting class that features No. 1 overall prospect Druw Jones and four pitchers with first-round aspirations. Milbrandt didn't spend a lot of time on the showcase circuit and he has divided his time between baseball and basketball, earning all-district hoops honors as a senior. Scouts don't love how often he has pitched on short rest this spring, but he has shown top-three-rounds ability when he's fresh. 

Milbrandt features some of the best fastball spin rates in this year's high school crop, generating 2800 rpm on a four-seamer that can sit in the low 90s and top out at 96 mph. After struggling with his feel for spin in the past, he has shown more power and break this spring with his upper-70s curveball, and his harder slider has improved as well. While he doesn't use his changeup much, and it gets too firm at times, it does have promising fade. 

More athletic than most pitchers, Milbrandt could improve rapidly as he adds more strength and focuses on baseball. He throws strikes, but he will need time to refine his secondary pitches and command. Gatorade's Missouri state player of the year may be difficult to sign away from the Commodores.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Gatorade's 2022 Missouri high school player of the year, Milbrandt also was an all-district performer in basketball. His combination and projectability earned him an over-slot $1,497,500 bonus as a third-rounder. He continues to intrigue with his upside while battling inconsistency, logging a 4.71 ERA with so-so underlying numbers in his first two-plus pro seasons.

Milbrandt has a high-spin, four-seam fastball that sits at 92-95 and touches 99 with carry and armside run, though it gets hit when he doesn't command it up in the strike zone. He has struggled to develop a reliable breaking ball, with his low-80s curveball operating as a plus pitch at its best but sometimes featuring so much depth that it makes it easy for hitters to lay off. He reintroduced his mediocre slider with similar velocity, but it blended too much with his curve and he'll try to refine a sweepier version in 2025.

Milbrandt's upper-80s changeup has some fade and sink, but it's too firm and regressed last year to the point where he could barely throw it for strikes. Despite his athleticism and clean delivery, he walked 13 percent of the batters he faced in 2024. He maintains his velocity throughout his starts, but added strength could help him repeat his mechanics better while also adding more power to his stuff.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Gatorade's 2022 Missouri state player of the year, Milbrandt was also an all-district basketball player. His combination of athleticism and projectability intrigued scouts and led the Marlins to sign him for an over-slot $1,497,500 in the third round. His 5.00 ERA between two Class A levels during his first full pro season masked the progress he made with his entire arsenal.

Milbrandt featured some of the best fastball spin rates in the 2022 high school class and added velocity as he concentrated on baseball full-time last year, working at 93-95 mph and touching 97 with 2,800 rpm creating carry and riding action. He exhibited inconsistent feel for spinning a breaking ball as an amateur but now has a solid low-80s curveball with improved depth after scrapping his slider because the two pitches tended to blend together. He's also making strides with his fading changeup, though it can get too firm in the upper 80s and he lacks faith in it.

Despite his athleticism and clean delivery, Milbrandt has had difficulty harnessing his upgraded stuff. If he can develop average control and locate his pitches with more precision, he could be a mid-rotation starter. Adding more strength could help him repeat his mechanics more regularly and boost his velocity some more. 

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

Milbrandt divided his time between baseball and basketball as a high-schooler, earning all-district hoops recognition as a senior, and often pitched on short rest last spring. That led to some inconsistency but also couldn't mask his upside, and the Marlins paid him an above-slot $1,497,500 bonus in the third round last July. Gatorade's 2022 Missouri state baseball player of the year, he made one two-inning appearance in Single-A and will get turned loose this season.

Milbrandt had some of the best fastball spin rates in the 2022 prep class, creating 2,800 rpm on a four-seamer that parks in the low 90s, peaks at 98 mph and could add more velocity as he gains strength. He had struggled to develop a reliable breaking ball before improving the power and shape of his now-upper-70s curveball and low-80s slider as a senior. Both have the potential to become solid offerings, while his changeup features promising fade but can get too firm at times.

Though Milbrandt is a quality athlete, he has struggled to provide regular strikes in his first full pro season. He needs time to refine his secondary pitches and command but could begin to develop rapidly as he focuses on baseball. He has the upside of a mid-rotation starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45 

Milbrandt didn't spend a lot of time on the showcase circuit and divided his time between baseball and basketball, earning all-district hoops recognition as a senior. He pitched on short rest frequently this spring, adding to the difficulty of getting a true read on his ability. But his upside also was obvious, leading the Marlins to pay him an above-slot $1,497,500 bonus in the third round to lure him away from a Vanderbilt commitment. 

Gatorade's Missouri high school player of the year, Milbrandt had some of the best fastball spin rates in the 2022 prep class, generating 2,800 rpm on a four-seamer that sits in the low 90s and peaks at 96 mph. After struggling to come up with a reliable breaking ball in the past, he improved the velocity and shape on his curveball and slider this spring. His changeup gets too firm at times but displays promising fade. 

More athletic than most pitchers, Milbrandt provides consistent strikes. While he will need time to refine his secondary pitches and command, he could develop rapidly as he adds strength and focuses on baseball. He has the upside of a No. 3 starter.

Awards

AFL Rising Stars

Year	Team
2025

MID Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
08/24/2025

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	11/08/2025	National League Fall Stars activated RHP Karson Milbrandt.
	09/10/2025	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to Mesa Solar Sox.
	09/03/2025	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to Pensacola Blue Wahoos from Beloit Sky Carp.
	04/17/2025	Beloit Sky Carp activated RHP Karson Milbrandt from the 7-day injured list.
	04/11/2025	Beloit Sky Carp sent RHP Karson Milbrandt on a rehab assignment to Jupiter Hammerheads.
	04/03/2025	Beloit Sky Carp placed RHP Karson Milbrandt on the 7-day injured list.
	03/06/2025	activated RHP Karson Milbrandt.
	03/07/2024	Miami Marlins Prospects activated RHP Karson Milbrandt.
	06/28/2023	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to Beloit Sky Carp from Jupiter Hammerheads.
	09/09/2022	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to Jupiter Hammerheads from FCL Marlins.
	08/12/2022	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to FCL Marlins.
	07/28/2022	Miami Marlins signed RHP Karson Milbrandt.
	06/11/2022	RHP Karson Milbrandt assigned to College Workout.
	09/23/2021	RHP Karson Milbrandt and assigned to National.