2015 Draft Profile - RHP - Walker Buehler - Vanderbilt - UPDATED 9-30-14

9-30-14 - 9-30-14 – Through The Fence - 11. Cincinnati Reds — Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt - After a brilliant sophomore season for Vanderbilt, posting a 2.64 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 111 K/31 BB over 102.1 innings, Buehler was arguably the most impressive pitcher at the Cape. He was sitting 92-95 mph with his fastball and showed an above-average change-up with good fade and a curveball that flashed plus at times. He adds a slider but needs to refine it. At 6’-1” and 165 pounds, the right-hander will draw concerns about his size. He did maintain velocity despite a heavy workload, however, and his delivery is smooth and easy. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-mock-1-0/44039#46FUm3YdfAufQr1H.99

9-11-14 – Fangraphs Top 50 Players in Draft - 4. Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt: Buehler’s stuff took a step forward this spring, sitting 91-95 and hitting 96 mph with two plus breaking balls and changeup/command that flash above average; the concern is his rail-thin 6’1/160 frame. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2015-mlb-draft-top-51/ 

8-28-14 – Baseball America – Walker Buehler, rhp, Yarmouth-Dennis (Jr., Vanderbilt) - After playing a crucial role in Vanderbilt’s run to the national championship, Buehler turned in one good outing for Team USA, then three strong regular-season outings for Y-D. He earned Cape League postseason co-MVP honors by going 2-0, 0.00 with 13 strikeouts in 15 innings in the playoffs, and he still sat comfortably at 92-95 mph for eight innings in his championship series win against Falmouth. That his stuff remained so electric after nearly 140 innings between the spring and summer allays concerns about his durability stemming from his wiry 6-foot-1 build. Buehler’s lack of physicality is the only significant knock against him, but he has a smooth delivery and arm action. He racks up groundball outs with his heavy fastball, which peaks at 96 mph, and he is a natural strike-thrower. He sometimes slows down his delivery a bit when he throws his changeup, but it has good fading action and projects as a solid-average to above-average pitch. Buehler throws both a curveball at 78-79 and a slider at 83-85; both show promise but need more consistency. The curveball flashes plus but can be below-average at times when his release point varies. He needs to do a better job staying on top of his slider for it to become a consistently average pitch, but his feel to spin his breaking stuff is encouraging. http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/cape-cod-league-top-30-prospects-2/?sm_id=social_20140828_30631946

8-15-14 - 




7-27-14  -  In game two, Cuba jumped all over Team USA right from the get-go, scoring twice in the first frame and putting up a four-spot in the second before Walker Buehler (Vanderbilt) came out of the bullpen to settle things down. He would go on to throw 6.1 innings of relief while making his Collegiate National Team debut with Cuba managing just one unearned run on four hits against him during that time.


6-30-14 - 6-30-14 – Through The Fence – Early College Prospects - 6. Walker Buehler, RHP, Vanderbilt - A 6’-1”, 180 pound right-hander with a four-pitch mix, Buehler was simply dazzling this season. Over 16 starts, he had a 2.64 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 111 K/31 BB over 102.1 innings. His fastball sits 92-94 mph with late life and his curveball is an above-average offering with great depth and bite. He adds a slider and change-up and has great command off all four. He has great mound presence and never rattles. Will likely battle Carson Fulmer for the Friday night starter role next season, and Vanderbilt is loaded with first-round talent — as you will see. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2015-mlb-draft-early-30-college-prospects/43327

6-23-14  -  Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisMLB  

Vanderbilt swaps out a 2014 1st-rder (Tyler Beede) for a potential 2015 1st-rder (Walker Buehler), gives the soph the start tonight @NCAACWS

6-3-14 - Mack - We're going to come back and take a look at this kid after the NCAA playoffs are over this season.

Walker Buehler has been living all season under the shadow of RHP Tyler Beede. The 6-1, 170 pound sophomore relies on a 92-94 fastball with, as one scount puts it 'late life'. He also throw a curve, change-up, and slider, all of which need work  Coaches love his attitude and credit him for never being rattled during a game.