Landon Cochran, MAHS Class of ’25, was reselected this year back into the New Balance Baseball’s Future Stars Series (NBFSS).
NBFSS is a scouting selection program supported by New Balance Sports, Baseball Division. Its goal is to scout, select and develop the best high school amateur baseball talent in North America. Over 300,000 players are scouted each year by NBFSS’ MLB Scouts, led by Gordon Blakeley. Blakley, a former MLB player and head of scouting for the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, has signed countless, MLB players, MLB All Stars, and Hall of Fame Inductees, over his 35 years of scouting internationally.
Landon was scouted late summer of 2021 by NBFSS while playing with his travel team, Susquehanna River Reactors Baseball, Middletown PA. Cochran was offered a workout at the nearest NBFSS Regional Combine at the Philadelphia Phillies Youth Complex, Philadelphia. Annually there are over 30 regional combines each hosting hundreds of players. From his performance there Landon was awarded an invitation to NBFSS National Underclass Combine in Lake Charles, LA. The best 250 players from the regional rounds were awarded invitations to the national round. Again, Cochran’s combine performance would see him move on to NBFSS’ National Team event for class of 2025 players at The Fresh 50, held at the University of Arizona, Tucson AZ. The two team rosters put together for this event, each of 25 players, are considered the best freshman talent in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
NBFSS does not take a fee for these players to participate. The young men are truly treated as professionals. Given full uniforms, off the field and training apparel, footwear for on and off the diamond, playing equipment, etc. They are developed and coached by a full complement of MLB coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and media.
NBFSS does ask the selected players to do charity work to support their Foundation, Program 15, and its efforts to positively affect the youth in North America through its charities which have featured The Jimmy Fund, St. Jude Childrens’ Hospital, and No Kid Hungry.
Landon Cochran was reselected for his efforts within the NBFSS program in 2022 with an invitation to the 2023 regional combines. Anticipating a Blue Raider Baseball playoff run, Landon chose to travel to northern New Jersey for his regional combine, since Philly would have run concurrent to a Blue Raider postseason run.
Cochran’s performance in NJ again earned him an invitation to the NBFSS Underclass National Combine. The 2023 combine would send Landon to Nashville, TN to compete against 2023’s 250 best class of 2025 prospects scouted in North America. Following the national combine, Cochran was again awarded an invitation to the NBFSS national team event. He would travel to the NBFSS Underclass Elite event at Fenway Park, Boston, MA with the 50 best class of 2025 prospects. Rain in greater Boston kept The Underclass Elite off Fenway so the event was redirected to Dunkin Park (Hartford Yardgoats) and Delta Dental Park (NH Fisher Cats) both MILB AA Eastern League franchises.
Shortly following Landon’s invitation to the Underclass Elite event, he was contacted with an invitation to represent Team USA and play in the Caribbean Classic, in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic. Landon would be part of a two-team roster of Americans headed internationally to play October 12-15, 2023, against teams comprised of young professional prospects from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, Spain, Canada, and Taiwan. Landon would travel as a 2-way player for Team USA, RHP and 2B.
Landon was announced to start Game 2 of the Caribbean Classic for Team USA against Dominican Republic Black. Cochran was the winning pitcher as Team USA defeated DR 8-1. Landon’s pitching line for the game was 3.0 IP, 3K, 1BB, 1 R. All American pitchers were limited to 3 innings per appearance due to the excessive heat on the island. Team USA would go on to win the Caribbean Classic going unbeaten (5-0-1).
Landon would make a final appearance in the Dominican as part of the Caribbean Classic All Stars. Playing with teams comprised of the best prospects from all the nations represented. Landon would throw 2.2 innings in relief in the All Star game: 2.2 IP, 1R (unearned), 1H, 2K, 2BB.
Landon’s charity work for NBFSS has been highly successful over 2 years. He has dubbed his charity group “Pitching for Pediatrics” (P4P). The P4P efforts have raised an estimated $22,000 for the Program 15 Foundation and its partner children’s charities.
