Better know a draft prospect: Patrick Forbes

Of all the 2025 MLB draft prospects, one of the hardest prospects to get a good feel for has been Patrick Forbes, a pitcher out of Louisville. Coming out of high school, Forbes was looked at as one of the top prep prospects in the 2022 draft, but as a power bat who could play on the infield. Perfect Game graded Forbes as the top shortstop and overall player coming out of Kentucky before the 2022 draft.

At Bowling Green High School, Forbes’ impressive frame and incredible stat sheet caught the eyes of many of the nation’s top scouts. Forbes posted a .563 batting average with a 1.146 slugging percentage and led the state of Kentucky in runs scored and home runs. Forbes stood at 6’3 and was still under 200 pounds coming out of high school, and scouts felt he could add even more power as he grew into his big frame.

On the mound, Forbes showed a lot of potential, harnessing a big fastball with good spin as well as developing two other offerings. The biggest concern for scouts was a lack of consistency on the mound, as he only pitched 32.2 innings as a senior. But in that time, he was able to find some success, posting an ERA of 2.36 with a 2-1 record as well as a save. This production resulted in him being named to the all-state first team and was named Kentucky’s “Mr. Baseball” in 2022 by the KHSBCA.

Forbes received offers from several major Division I programs, but elected to stay home and committed to Louisville. This scared off MLB teams, who felt they may not be able to make a compelling offer for him to convince him to void that commitment and go pro. Forbes went undrafted and was widely viewed as one of the top incoming freshmen in college baseball.

As a freshman, Louisville played Forbes mostly as an outfielder and DH, only pitching him 9.1 innings, but he got 109 plate appearances over 42 games. Forbes struggled on the mound with a 7.71 ERA, but as a hitter, he posted great numbers for an eighteen-year-old freshman, with a slash line of .258/.358/.409 and three home runs. There were some concerns about his ground ball rate and struggles to lift the ball, and Louisville coaches hoped to see improvement in 2024.

Forbes went to the Cape Cod league, where he hit .256/.326/.436 with two home runs over 43 plate appearances. He posted solid numbers for a young hitter, but his 15 strikeouts to 3 walks raised some concern about his approach at the plate. On the other hand, the improvements he saw on the mound were noticeable, and his command took a significant step forward after he struggled with walks as a freshman.

After a solid season in the CCBL, Forbes hoped to have a breakout year as a sophomore in 2024, but in his first plate appearance, he was hit by a pitch that broke his hand and shut him down as a hitter for the rest of the year. As a pitcher, Forbes came back after a month and threw 29 innings with a 3.72 ERA and got 32 strikeouts. He displayed great stuff and his command continued to improve, walking the same number of batters he did in his freshman season, despite throwing three times the volume of innings.

Forbes pitched with Team USA in 2024, where he worked with some of the best coaches in baseball. He saw immense improvements and his pitching career really took off. He returned to the Cape Cod League, and posted a 3.29 ERA, striking out 22 batters over just 13.2 innings. His velocity took a big step forward, even touching 100 at times, and also made improvements to a nasty sweeping slider.

Forbes did not hit again in his college career, deciding to put all his energy into pitching as a junior this year. At face level, Forbes’ performance in 2025 is not all that impressive, with a 4.24 ERA and just 71.1 innings pitched over 15 starts. These numbers are not elite and may turn away some fans, but his impressive intangibles, as well as his ability to rack up strikeouts, have captured the attention of several top scouts. His elite athleticism makes the future profile for Forbes very promising, and his whopping 14.8 K/9 was third-best in the NCAA.

MLB Pipeline: 31

Kiley McDaniel: 43

Baseball America ($): 47

Keith Law ($): 32

There is some effort in his delivery, and cleaning that up could help him find more consistency with his velocity and command. His mechanics on the mound are somewhat reminiscent of former position players the Royals have worked with, like Lucas Erceg and Michael Lorenzen. Forbes has consistently upped his strikeout rate and lowered his walk rate in his college career, something that will continue as he focuses on pitching full-time.

Coming into his professional career, Forbes will bring a plus fastball and a plus slider to build off, as well as a 6’3’’, 220-pound frame. For someone relatively new to full-time pitching, there is a lot to love. Getting a feel for his changeup will be the next big step in his development, so that he can remain a starter as his career progresses. He has struggled with giving up hard hits when guys do make contact, and adding a sinker could also help with that to keep hitters’ barrels off the ball.

While he is a somewhat raw prospect who will need work, the Royals have one of the best pitching development staffs in all of baseball, and Forbes would be a good project for them to work with. If he does struggle in the rotation, Forbes could move to the bullpen, where he can lean on his two high-quality pitches to get punch-outs. Similar to Riley Quick, who I wrote about earlier this week, Forbes is a high-ceiling pitcher who could be picked at 28 by the Royals if they are looking to save money and pay under slot value for a pitching project.