Following up here with some stat line scouting on the pitching side. You can check out my post on hitters HERE. I decided not to publish this multiple times as I wanted to slim the list down a bit. That turned out to be a good decision as more than half of the pitchers I was originally going to include ended up getting hit hard during subsequent outings. The majority of these pitchers are very fringe type prospects who probably won't be selected until the very end of the draft if they are drafted at all. Still, pro talent can often develop from these types of players so I don't think it's fair to dismiss them outright. Stats should be accurate as of 5/10. Here are the criteria for inclusion on the list:
Must be eligible for the 2021 draft
No FV grade in the draft database
Minimum of 30 innings pitched
Maximum ERA of 3.20
Right Handed Pitchers
Steinbaugh's insane 39 to 1 K/BB ratio ought to garner attention from pro clubs. He could be a cost savings pick in the top 10 rounds or a day 3 selection. The only thing I have on him is he's typically 90-93 with a three pitch mix and 55 or 60 command. Burke Granger provided some video HERE. Steinbaugh was a juco transfer that missed some time recovering from TJ surgery.
Here is what Fangraphs prospect writer and former Astros front office member Kevin Goldstein had to say about Ball State's John Baker:
Baker has plus command and a nifty changeup, but as a player who is going to be more than 23 years old on draft day and has a fastball in the mid-to-upper 80s, he’ll be eyeing an NDFA signing at best now that teams are limited to 20 rounds. This is the kind of player most adversely affected by the draft being cut in half. Baker deserves even the slightest of opportunities to prove that his command and off-speed stuff can somehow work at the higher levels, as slim as those chances may be, and there’s no guarantee he’ll get it."
I've heard of Baker getting into the low 90s but for the most part, he's an 86-89 arm with a fringe average breaking ball, an above average changeup, and a deceptive delivery with high effort. I believe he has at least some potential to be drafted because of the track record (over 300 innings of 3.11 ERA ball) and the base set of skills that he has. It's not impossible for him to gain a few ticks as a pro and turn into a 2 pitch reliever.
Jordan Patty threw a 7 inning perfect game on April 30th that included 11 strikeouts. If you include Patty's 4 starts from 2020 he has a 1.53 ERA over 90+ innings. He's similar to Baker as an advanced age college performer without premium stuff. However, Patty is somewhat new to pitching full time so there could be some untapped potential in his fresh arm. Like Baker, he deserves a shot in pro ball. He's been up to 94 this year.
This is Peterson's first year at UConn as he transferred in from juco powerhouse Wabash Valley. He's a big, physical pitcher at 6'6/230 and does a fantastic job of using his size to work downhill and generate weak contact. It's low effort velocity in the high 80s/low 90s with an above average breaker, good changeup feel, and average command. Peterson will still be 21 on draft day and he saw a slight velocity uptick prior to the 2021 season so there might be another gear for him to get to as a pro.
Dylan Tebrake shows a bit more stuff than the prior guys I mentioned and is set to compete in the MLB Draft League this year. He's been up to 94 with a 4 pitch mix, the slider being his best secondary.
I don't have much info on Eastern Michigan's Davis Feldman besides some 2020 summer league reports. He's touched 95, throws 3 pitches, and has solid breaking ball feel. He'll be closing in on 24 years old on draft day. Feldman is said to be a hard worker who is passionate about playing baseball. He's really developed over his college career.
The only info I have on Evansville's Shane Gray is from a couple of Patrick Ebert tweets HERE and HERE dating back to early April. He's a converted reliever who is up to 93 with what looks like a potential above average slider.
Jack Anderson is the lone arm in this first table that competes in a power conference. Anderson was drafted late by the Yankees in 2018 and has been a reliever for most of his Florida State career. He's not overpowering but he throws a ton of strikes, repeats his delivery well, throws from a tough arm slot, and can get his stuff to play up through tunneling his 3 pitches. He's only 21 and his D1 performance at FSU should make him a day 3 selection at worst. Some video of Anderson courtesy of Kyler Peterson:
Saying Alek Jacob has experienced some highs and lows this season would be an understatement. He was ejected from his outing against Dallas Baptist in February for having a foreign substance in his glove. Then almost two months later he threw a 124 pitch, 9 inning no hitter against Pepperdine that included 12 strikeouts. Jacob is all about deception and ptichability. He can vary his arm slot and delivery/tempo from pitch-to-pitch. He has a long arm action and usually shows a sidearm arm slot with a crossfire delivery. He barely scrapes 89 at his top velocity and he pairs the fastball with two average-ish secondaries. For Giants fans that love Tyler Rogers, Jacob is your kind of arm. He's already 23 but his D1 success at Gonzaga and oddball profile give him some late draft potential. Jacob hasn't pitched since late April so there may be an injury that I haven't heard about.
Aaron Davenport really put himself on that map after throwing 6 no-hit innings against Vanderbilt last season. He's done more of the same this year as Hawaii's ace. His fastball is mostly straight and sits in the 88-92 range. His curveball is a big, 12-6 breaker that he commands very well; it's an above average pitch. He also throws a changeup but he really relies on that curveball when he needs to make a big pitch. It's not the most exciting profile but Davenport is a player that really rubs off on you the more you see him pitch. He's a high energy, high makeup pitcher that has done enough to garner draft interest this July. You can see a bit of Davenport's start against Vandy last year in the clip below.
I have next to nothing on Svanson. The only clips I've seen of him are from 2+ years ago but it looks like he has a pretty good body/frame. He's been up to 93 with the fastball but I have no info on his pitches beyond that. He's teammates with probable day 1 draft prospect Mason Black which may have provided enough exposure for him to catch a pro organization's attention.
Klepchick has allowed just 1 earned run (with 3 unearned runs) over his last 32 innings. I haven't found any info on his pitches but in the couple clips I've found he looks sturdily built with a repeatable, compact delivery. I'm 80% sure Monmouth isn't allowing fans to attend games this year (that could change during conference tournament play), but Klepchick's start on Saturday is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+ so I'll try to catch some of his start.
Kyle Murphy is 24 and had a solid career at Northeastern after missing his freshman season with TJ. He has reportedly been up to 95 but I've only seen footage of him in the 89-92 area. His changeup is above average and is his primary putaway pitch. Doesn't look like the most athletic pitcher and his build is a bit thick. He got knocked around in a couple of CCBL campaigns but his 3 pitch mix could provide some NDFA interest.
Northwestern competes in the Big 10 which gives Mike Doherty more exposure than most of the other arms in this post. Doherty was 88-92 when I saw him earlier this year with an above average curveball and fringe average offerings in his slider and changeup. Doherty has a 2.28 ERA dating back to last year and has allowed more than 3 earned runs just once this season. The Big Ten started play late this year and only had conference games on their schedule. Doherty has performed well against some quality bats in a smaller sample of innings. He could be a day 3 selection in July.
Carson Carter will be nearly 24 on draft day but has some of the loudest stuff listed here. He didn't get on the mound during his lone season at Texas Tech, pitched a couple of years below the D1 level, and has now established himself as a trusted option out of the Oklahoma bullpen. Carter has the build (6'4/220) and the arm strength you look for in a draft prospect and his stuff has really taken off as a Sooner. He sits comfortably in the 93-96 range with a solid average changeup and a fringy breaker. His performance at OU and the raw stuff should get him to pro ball even with the advanced age.
I've flirted with slapping a 35 on Hunter Gregory multiple times this season. There's a non-zero chance he gets there by draft day. There's nothing overly exciting with his profile and he's already 22, but he's one of the main reasons why Old Dominion has been so successful this year. Gregory is 90-95 with an above average slider and an inconsistent changeup. He's a lock to get drafted and I could see him taking his game to another level in a pro bullpen. Doug Freeman has some good footage of Gregory here.
Info on Christian Peters is hard to come by. I was able to find some clips of him on Twitter where he shows a sidearm slot and an uptempo delivery. He has a 2.22 ERA over the last two seasons with 97 Ks in 93.2 innings.
Jack Zalasky is one of several elite statistical performers on Sacramento State's roster. Seriously, there are some standout players on both sides of the ball for this squad. The high leverage reliever is a control and changeup artist with a long arm action in the back and a high arm slot. I don't have any recent velocity readings but he was in the mid to high 80s in 2019. Here's a K clip from Sac State baseball's Twitter account.
Pierson Ohl's microscopic walk total isn't a 2021 fluke. In 193.2 career innings, he has allowed just 28 free passes, a rate of 1.3 walks per 9. He was featured in one of Fangraphs' scouting notebooks and Eric Longenhagen had this to say about Ohl:
Since velocity seems to be the easiest thing to develop nowadays, one could argue it’s more logical to draft pitchers with command of well-demarcated stuff and try to get them to throw harder. Does this make Ohl, who has walked just eight hitters all year and has racked up five (seven-inning) complete games, a higher priority target than would be typical for a small school guy who sits about 88? In this case I don’t think so. Ohl is a control-over-command type who hammers the zone but isn’t dotting his stuff on the corners with precision, and I don’t think the action on his secondary stuff is already so good that velocity is the only thing he needs to be successful as a pro. He’s put up great numbers and I do think he helps make the Lopes a postseason threat because he might be able to save their bullpen for a Regional’s weekend slog, but he’s still more a Day 3 prospect for me.
I have no info on Trey McDaniel. He's been Southern Illinois' closer since his freshman season and has racked up 27 career saves. He's someone I'll try to see before draft day.
Walker Powell has been with the Southern Miss baseball program for 6 years now and has a career ERA of 2.98. He's already had two TJ surgeries and will be 25 on draft day. He's been up to 94 and shows two solid average secondaries. Powell is more control over command and I have his future command grade at a 45. If the draft was 40 rounds long like it has been for most of the last decade, Powell gets taken. But I'm not sure that happens in a 20 round draft because of how old he is. It's a shame because Powell has battled through a lot during his college career and has continually improved during his time at Southern Miss. Hopefully he gets a chance somewhere after his D1 career concludes.
Carlos Tavera is someone I really want to see before the end of the college season. He was up to 94 with a 55 grade slider before the season started. Tavera pitched 9 innings of no-hit ball on May 1st against Arkansas-Little Rock. The game actually went 11 innings so it wasn't a complete game no-hitter, but I'm sure Tavera didn't mind too much considering he allowed just 3 baserunners and struck out 11. He has a 2.57 ERA dating back to 2020 and is someone I could definitely see getting some draft interest on day 3.
Bales is a monster human being at 6'5/235. His delivery is simple and repeatable and he does a great job working downhill off the mound. Bales doesn't have premium velocity (90-93) but he can spot the fastball well especially at the top of the zone. The breaking ball is a power pitch and might be a plus offering with improved consistency. The two pitches pair and tunnel well. His ERA dating back to 2020 is 0.87 and that kind of elite performance in the ACC should get him plenty of draft recognition. Here's a K-clip courtesy of Virginia baseball's Twitter account.
Left Handed Pitchers
Thomas has really rebounded after a rocky start to his Baylor career. He needed Thoracic Outlet Surgery early on and it's taken him a little time to get his best stuff and strike throwing ability up to par. He's a weekend starter for Baylor after being a full-time reliever in 2020. The results speak for themselves as Thomas has been one of the top starters in the Big 12 to date. His velo can fluctuate a little as he can sit in the mid 80s during some outings but also sit low 90s and bump 93 for multiple starts in a row. None of his secondary pitches project as true bat missers at the next level but all 3 of them are usable at the next level.. Thomas is already 22 but he's done and shown enough to get drafted at some point. He'd get pretty interesting if he started holding that top-end velocity as a pro.
Kennesaw State's Jake Rice would be a 35 FV if he wasn't already 23. He's someone I need to see before the conclusion of the college season. There are some good clips of him on Twitter where he shows a loose and athletic delivery with a 3/4 arm slot. The fastball is up to 95 but I haven't seen many of his offspeed pitches; reports say he has a curveball and a changeup. Rice could be an attractive senior sign option in the 7-10 round area as lefties that can throw 95 don't grow on trees. Rice had a fantastic Friday start against Georgia Tech on 4/30 where he went 6 innings, struck out 6, and gave up just 1 earned run. Here's a clip of Rice's outing against GT from the Twitterverse.
Meyer has been a 3 year performer at Liberty and has developed nicely as a pitcher during his college career. He's a changeup heavy/advanced command lefty with a strong, compact build. The fastball and breaking ball are fringy offerings which is the reason why I don't have him as a 35, but he is likely to get taken sometime during day 3. Meyer has split time between the bullpen and starting rotation this year but has the components to give starting a try as a pro.
Jonathan Fincher isn't the kind of draft prospect that interests me too much. But if you are asking yourself how Louisiana Tech currently holds the #14 spot in the nation you found one of the big answers. Fincher's numbers are outstanding and he's been a dependable Friday night starter who hasn't allowed more than 3 earned runs in a start to date. He likely has 55 command but his arsenal is filled mostly with 40 and 45 grade pitches. He deserves a pro opportunity but will be closer to 23 than 22 on draft day.
Based solely on a statistical basis, Holden Christian matches up with the elite relievers in college baseball. While there is plenty of video and reports written on arms like Kevin Kopps and Landon Sims, there is NOTHING on Christian. I've searched all over the web for recent info and came up completely empty. I'll try to keep an eye out for any Loyola Marymount games that are close/late to get an opportunity to see Christian in action. But it's hard to catch relievers because of the unpredictability of their appearances.
Houston Harding doesn't have the sexiest profile, but he is a great performer in the SEC with a 60 grade changeup. That could be enough to get drafted as there is some potential for a second lefty type role out of the pen in pro ball. His seamless transition from the juco ranks to the SEC is pretty remarkable.
Robert Ahlstrom has been named PAC-12 pitcher of the week a couple of times this year. His numbers are amazing and it's been a complete turnaround from what we've seen from him in prior college campaigns. I've seen him earlier this year and none of his pitches really stood out. The K rate is impressive but most of that comes from command and pitchability. That doesn't typically bode well for his pro future but he's done enough this year to get a shot in the pros. Some Ahlstrom video from The Prospect Pipeline below.
New Jersey prospects are always going to appeal to me, especially college guys. Rider lefty Pete Soporowski is a deceptive, pitchability lefty that commands 3 pitches well. He was mid-to-high 80s with the fastball with two average-ish offspeed pitches when I saw him in 2019. I haven't seen or heard much about him since then. A 2019 clip can be found HERE.
A K/9 above 12.00 as an SEC arm will get you draft notice. Chandler Jozwiak is a pitchability lefty thats's been used exclusively out of the pen in 2021 but has starting experience. He's mostly 88-91 but will bump 92 or 93 on occoccasionassion. The breaking ball is probably aaboveblove average and the changeup is of similar quality. He can spot his 3 pitches to all quadrants of the strike zone and can get swings/misses on chase pitches off the slider. You could argue that Jozwiak's dominance out of the pen has dinged his draft stock a bit because Texas A&M hasn't been willing to give him weekend starts. The ceiling isn't super high but I like this guy and may move him up to a 35 FV by draft day.
I don't have any information on John Gaddis besides him reaching 93 last year. For what its worth, he did get Colton Cowser out twice during his matchup against Sam Houston State on March 27th.
Isaac Esqueda has a funky arm action/delivery that provides a lot of deception but probably limits his overall ceiling as a pitcher. He shows 4 pitches and is adept at landing his curveball and changeup for strikes. The fastball is inconsistent in terms of velocity. He's been up into the low 90s but the times I've seen him he was 85-88. His command of the curveball allows it to play at this level but it's a bit loopy and lacks the velo or bite you typically see at the MLB level. I think his best secondary is his changeup which probably has the most bat missing ability in pro ball. He profiles as a lefty specialist type at the next level. Here's some video of Esqueda from earlier in the spring: