Scouting top JUCO slugger, Arkansas commit Brady Slavens

The only thing that could stop Brady Slavens in 2020 was a global pandemic.

Before the coronavirus outbreak ended his - and everyone else’s - season, the sophomore slugger was hitting .507/.543/1.240 with an NJCAA-leading 14 home runs and 47 RBIs through just 23 games for Johnson County C.C.

Slavens won’t get to finish what was shaping up to be a historic season, but his career will continue. The next time he takes the field, it will be in an Arkansas uniform, as he committed to the Razorbacks late last month.

To get an idea of what fans should expect out of Slavens in Fayetteville next season, HawgBeat reached out to Kent Shelley, who just concluded his 33rd and final season as Johnson County’s head coach.

“I was very impressed with his power numbers, especially his oppo-power - it’s just fantastic,” Shelley said. “The average didn’t surprise me; I’ve always known he’s an outstanding hitter, but he just got off to a hot start and I’m sorry we had to shut it down 23 games into the season because I was having a heck of a lot of fun watching him.”

The Cavaliers were 20-3, ranked No. 9 nationally and seemed poised to make a run to their third NJCAA World Series, thanks in large part to Slavens.

If there is a silver lining to the season being canceled less than halfway through, though, it’s that it will allow him to possibly get an extra year at Arkansas. Rather than being a junior who would likely get drafted and sign following the 2021 season, Slavens and the Razorbacks will be able to submit a waiver - which is likely just a formality - for him to be classified as a sophomore again.

That is significant in college baseball because having more eligibility means having more leverage in the MLB Draft. If he isn’t offered as much money as he’d like next summer, Slavens could return to Arkansas in 2022 and still have the leverage of his senior season.