Central Bucks East’s Chase Harlan is one of the state’s top MLB draft prospects

A piece of paper hangs on Chase Harlan’s dresser mirror in his Bucks County home.

“I wrote that goal sheet at the end of my freshman year before summer ball,” said the Central Bucks East infielder. “I remember reading something about a pro athlete who put a goal sheet on his mirror, and when you woke up, that’d be the first thing you look at every day.”

Some bullets are crossed off the list: being a varsity starter, breaking the school hitting record, and committing to play college baseball. He achieved personal milestones and more this year, as Central Bucks East won a Suburban One League Colonial Division title and for the first time in program history advanced to the state playoffs.

The 6-foot-3 Harlan is a versatile third baseman who’s the state’s top prospect. He has enrolled at Clemson. But in the MLB draft set for July 14-16, Harlan, who recently turned 18, could be selected in the early rounds.

“I’ve achieved a lot of the goals on that list,” Harlan said. “I still obviously have more to do on that list, whether it’s in college or starting pro, but my last goal is to play in the MLB. That’s what I’m working for.”

He started to receive more attention heading into his senior year. Unlike most top prospects, Harlan played only one season on the national circuit, for the Artillery 17U team in Gibbstown, N.J. Before then, he had played for his local travel team, the Bucks County Generals, since age 13.

The exposure with his Artillery group put him in front of scouts, who caught a glimpse of Harlan’s arm, he can throw over 90 mph across the diamond, or his swing — he finished his high school season with a .382 batting average with 26 hits, 23 RBIs, and 22 runs.

“I’ve told scouts this, that he’s behind when it comes to a lot of these kids who are potential first-round picks have been playing on the national circuit since they were 12 years old,” said his father, John Harlan, the principal at Sol Feinstone Elementary School in Newtown.

“But the fact that he’s done so well in such a short amount of time, he’s just as good or better. That says a lot about his work ethic and just his desire to want to be the best.”

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Growing up, Harlan was known as a talented player in the Bucks County baseball scene. He won the Cal Ripken Regional Championship with his 9-year-old Doylestown team, and a handful of his travel teammates played at Central Bucks East. So when he entered high school, the Patriots program was full of familiar faces.

He initially played junior varsity as a freshman. But toward the end of the season, head coach Kyle Dennis wanted to give the future star some reps against older competition.

“The last couple of varsity games he DH’d for us,” said Dennis, a science teacher at Tamanend Middle School. “We knew that he had some skills. He was a little skinny kid, but could swing so we gave him an opportunity. He did a pretty nice job and earned a varsity letter his freshman year. After his freshman year, he got himself bigger and really dedicated himself to the weight room. From there, he just kept growing physically and mentally with his game.”

Harlan was ready to take his game more seriously. He prioritized weight training. His father bought him a membership to their local YMCA and some weights for their basement. The two also never missed a day of hitting together. Harlan went from a slim 5-foot-10 freshman to being 200 pounds, and eventually, growing six inches.

“His body started to change; he started to get bigger, stronger, and that would translate over to the baseball field,” his father said. “He then started getting noticed by college coaches and things really started to turn around for him.

“Hitting is like therapy for him. It’s a chance for him just to kind of unwind and kind of get away from everything.”

Harlan initially made his college commitment to Cincinnati. He was a sophomore at the time, when he and his father visited the campus, along with a number of other schools that were holding camps in the fall. Later in January, Harlan announced his pledge to the Bearcats. But after coaching changes a year later, he decided to reopen his recruitment.

The Tigers were one of the first schools to reach out to Harlan after he withdrew his pledge from Cincinnati.

“I didn’t tell many people about it because I didn’t want a lot of coaches blowing up my phone,” said Harlan, who announced his commitment to Clemson in June 2023. “I told [Clemson] my situation and I set up a visit about two weeks after that first call. When I was there, I ended up committing to their program. I love it here — I’m on campus right now for summer school for the past two and a half weeks and it’s awesome.”

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Although Central Bucks East (17-8) fell in the first round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs, Harlan said his favorite moment this year was clinching a playoff berth — the program’s first — in a 3-2 win over Neshaminy High School. He knew how much that meant to the program.

But in terms of playing, Harlan’s most memorable performance — which his coach and father can attest to — was his junior season, when he hit a two-run homer against rival Central Bucks West to end the game.

“It was raining. It was kind of miserable conditions,” Dennis said. “We got a couple guys on and he hit a ball that easily went 400 feet into the night sky and disappeared. He didn’t really say much. He was just with his teammates celebrating the win.

“We talked afterward. I said, ‘Chase, this is a moment you put in your back pocket and you remember during the days when you’re 0-for-10 and you hate the game of baseball. Sometimes things are not going well. It’s a game of failure and can be brutal, so you got to hold onto those memories.’”

Whatever happens over the next couple of weeks, Harlan can’t go wrong. His main focus is continuing to develop as a player.

“My ultimate goal is to have a successful career in the MLB and end up in the Hall of Fame,” Harlan said. “That’s most kids’ goals, but that’s also mine. If I’m at Clemson, I want to win a national championship and be an All-American. Then if I get drafted, work through the minor leagues as fast as possible and end up in the big leagues — maybe get a few All-Star appearances.

“That would be the dream and that’s all on my goal sheet.”