2018 Draft – Top 10
Left Hand Pitchers Available in the 2018 Draft
1. Shane McClanahan USF
When The Giants Come To Town - Shane McClanahan will be a redshirt
sophomore at University of South Florida in 2018. He is a thin whippy LHP listed at 6'1",
170 lbs with a big fastball that goes 93-96 MPH. His main calling card is 104 K's in 74 IP as
a Redshirt Freshman last season which has created some early buzz for the 2018
draft. I wasn't able to find a scouting
report of his other pitches.
On video, he has a slight frame that does look like it can
fill out. He has more of a "tall
and fall" delivery with a 3/4 release.
Here is his full pitching line from 2017:
4-2, 3.28, 74 IP, 35
BB, 104 K.
I have to say, he looks like a future lefty reliever to my
eye. He could be a SP if he fills out
his frames and has enough secondary stuff.
No more than a second tier draft prospect for me.
2. Matt Liberatore Mountain
Ridge HS (AZ)
PG Grade: 10 - Matthew Liberatore is a 2018 LHP with a 6-5 200
lb. frame from Peoria, AZ who attends Mountain Ridge HS. Very long and slender
athletic build, extremely projectable physically. Easy low effort delivery with
a 3/4's arm slot. Fastball topped out at 92 mph, gets consistent running and
sinking action, works his fastball around the zone, velocity has improved from
85-88 most of last summer. Mid-70's curveball with tight spin and some
sharpness, fading change up in the low 80's. Has the ability to mix his pitches
up and get hitters off balance, hitters have never seen his stuff well, high
performance pitcher. Excellent student, verbal commitment to Arizona. Selected
for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
3. Ryan Rolison Mississippi
When The
Giants Come To Town - Ryan Rolison is a draft eligible college sophomore LHP from Ole
Miss. He's close to perfect size for a
pitcher listed at 6'3", 200 lbs. He
started off his freshman year pitching in the bullpen but moved into the
rotation as the season progressed and was Ole Miss' best pitcher by the end of
the college season. He followed that up
with a terrific Cape Cod League performance and is poised for a breakout
sophomore campaign and possible first round MLB draft stock. Here are his 2017 stat lines:
2017(College): 6-3, 3.06, 61.2 IP, 24 BB, 64 K.
2017(CCL): 6-0, 1.54, 28 IP, 11 BB, 35 K.
One scouting report has
his FB 89-93 and sitting at 91. Another
says his velocity ticked up toward the end of the CCL season reaching 94-95
consistently when he needed something extra.
His delivery is low-moderate effort which makes scouts think he can
reach back for more when he needs to.
The delivery is a smooth and clean with a 3/4 arm slot reminiscent of
Madison Bumgarner with a little less sweeping motion. He commands the FB on both sides of the
plate. Some scouts think his best pitch
is a 2-8 slurve. His change up is rated
as a work in progress, but I saw one on a video that had nice sink and a bit of
a tail on the outside corner to a RH batter.
His goals for 2018 should be to lower his walk rate by about 0.5-1 BB/9.
My take: He does not
have quite enough stuff to be a top of the draft prospect, but could be a nice
high floor pick late in the first round or early second round.
4. Ryan Weathers Loretto
HS (TN)
Road To Wrigley - Bloodlines run deep here as Ryan’s
father, David Weathers pitched 19 seasons in the big leagues, winning 73 games
and saving another 75 more for nine different teams. Ryan’s separator being he
comes at hitters as a southpaw, with advanced command of his three-pitch
arsenal and is ranked as one of the top pitchers in the 2018 class. He repeats
his left-handed delivery well and pounds the strike zone with a consistent, low
90s fastball, downer curve and effective change. In this year’s Class A
Championship in Tennessee, Weathers struck out 12 hitters in a 4-0 victory over
Goodpasture and set a Tennessee state tournament record for most strikeouts,
putting away 28 hitters in just 14 innings, helping Loretto win its first ever
boys championship in any sport and the second overall in school history,
joining the 1958 girls basketball team.
5. Konnor Pilkington Mississippi
State
When The
Giants Come To Town - Konnor Pilkington LHP, College(Mississippi St.). 6'3", 225 lbs.
2017: 8-5, 3.08, 108 IP, 47 BB, 111 K.
2016 CCL: 2-1, 1.37, 39.1 IP, 12 BB, 33 K.
Pilkington is a large
college lefty with a nice 3 pitch mix.
According to his MLB scouting report, his FB sits 88-93 and touches 96
MPH. His best second pitch is a
changeup. His breaking ball tends to be
slurvy. He has a high release point with
a steep downhill plane. College pitchers
tend to move up boards as the draft approaches.
Pilkington could easily break into the top 10 picks on draft day with a
strong junior campaign.
6. Tim Cate Connecticut
When The Giants Come To Town - Tim Cate LHP,
College(Connecticut). 6'0", 167
lbs. 2017: 4-3, 3.33, 75.2 IP, 31 BB, 102 K. Small college lefty with a 3 pitch mix that
gets lots of K's. Could be a late first
round value.
7. Steven Gingery Texas
Tech
School website – 2017: Named Big 12 Pitcher of the
Year by the league’s coaches … earned unanimous First Team All-Big 12 accolades
… received Academic All-Big 12 First Team honors … National Pitcher of the Year
by the College Baseball Foundation … Unanimous First Team All-American … first
in program history … ABCA First Team All-American … Collegiate Baseball First
Team All-American … NCBWA First Team All-American … Baseball America First Team
All-American … D1 Baseball First Team All-American … Perfect Game First Team
All-American … started in all 15 games he pitched during his sophomore campaign
at Texas Tech … put together a team-leading 1.58 ERA … lowest at Tech since
Corey Taylor’s 0.31 in 2015 … sixth-lowest in school history … achieved a 10-1
record, also a team-high … second-straight year a Red Raider had posted 10 wins
… 10th time Tech has had pitchers register 10-win seasons in consecutive years
… tossed a program-most 91.1 innings last season … rattled off 107 strikeouts,
which also led the squad … first Red Raider with 100+ strikeouts since Chad
Bettis (102) in 2010 … most in a season at Tech since Monty Ward had 151 in
1998 … issued only 29 walks and gave up just 16 earned runs on 60 hits .. 16 of
his 60 hits allowed were for extra bases, as opponents hit just .186 against
him … helped Tech post one of its two shutouts on the season … recorded 10
strikeouts on two separate occasions … struck out double digit hitters at
Oklahoma on April 1 and at Kansas State on April 14 … had five or more
strikeouts in all but one of his 15 appearances … gave up five of fewer hits in
11 of his 15 starts, including a two-hit game against Sam Houston State in his
final appearance of the year on June 3 … one of four games giving up just two
hits … RANKINGS … led the conference in ERA (1.58) … fifth in the NCAA in ERA …
finished second among Big 12 pitchers and 13th in the country in wins (10) …
had a WHIP of 0.97, putting him at second in the league and 26th in the NCAA
8. Luke Bartnicki Walton
HS (GA)
PG Grade: 10 - Luke Bartnicki is a 2018 LHP with a 6-3 210 lb.
frame from Marietta, GA who attends Walton HS. Broad shouldered physical build,
plenty of present strength. Big hip turn delivery, fast arm coming through in
an extended 3/4's arm slot, ball comes out easy and with minimum effort.
Fastball topped out at 94, jumps on hitters due to lack of effort, very
consistent in the strike zone with angle. Slider has shown tremendous
improvement, sharp and late at 94 mph, potential plus pitch, can throw his
slider to spots. Flashed two present plus pitches and the difference in his
breaking ball is eye opening. Good student, verbal commitment to Georgia Tech.
Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
9. Kris Bubic Stanford
School website – 2017: • Honorable Mention Academic
All-Pac-12
• 2017 Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year
• 2017 Perfect Game/Rawlings Summer Collegiate Baseball
All-America
• Friday night starter, 15 starts (7-6, 2.79 ERA)
• Sixth in the Pac-12 in ERA (2.79) and strikeouts (96), led
Stanford starters in both categories
• Second on the team with seven wins and 90.1 innings pitched
• Stanford won his last seven starts
• Did not allow a run in his last 16.0 innings of the season
• Career-high 8.0 IP, 11 K in Regional start vs. Sacramento
State (June 1)
• Carried no-hitter into fifth and had 10 strikeouts in
Opening Day start at No. 8 Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 16)
• Carried no-hitter into fourth and had 11 strikeouts in
second start (Feb. 23 vs. Cal Poly)
• Struck out nine in 6.0 innings (0 ER) against Texas (March
2)
• Allowed just one run in 7.0 innings and earned win over No.
13 Arizona (April 27)
• Seven shutout innings and six strikeouts at Washington
State (May 25)
10. Nick
Sprengel San
Diego
College Baseball Daily - The 6-foot-1, 185 pound lefty is a
very projectable player with a solid frame and a smooth delivery. He has a
fastball that sits in the low 90s, but he can bump it up in to the mid-90s. Sprengel
has struck out well over a batter an inning through his college career with 156
strikeouts in 147.1 innings pitched. However, his career WHIP of 1.39 is a bit
high. Scouts would love to see him improve his command as a junior in 2018 and
work on keeping hitters off base. Sprengel will be one of the top left-handed
pitchers to come out of the college ranks in the 2018 MLB Draft.
9 comments:
Sure was a lot of buzz off that first outing from McClanahan the other night.
MLB is forever a crapshoot but Mets REALLY need to hit on this pick.
As always I could care less what position they draft here. I just want a future MLB er
Best pitcher...righty or lefty...we need to pick well.
This is a particularly soft year for left handed pitching.
Ernest we need more than a future MLBer we need a perennial all star....
Who will be conforto’s wing man as the future...
Well hey we've got the few months until June draft.
I'm hoping to see success from Justin Dunn Anthony Kay Cameron Planck and Marcos Molina .
Maybe that could somewhat impact Mets draft decisions pitcher or position player.
Oh and definitely David Peterson as well.
Absolutely it's fair to argue despite the crap shoot of drafting that #6 should be a legit everyday player.
Ernest, I also hope the guys you mentioned do great this spring so the Mets can draft a great hitter or pitcher without worrying about fixing a weakness.
I'm hoping the Mets pick 2 offensive stars with their first 2 picks in this draft. We got #6 and 40something pick in the 2nd round. Don't care if their high school or college players as long as their offesive star level players.
Pablo, I sure hope there are really compelling offensive players for the Mets in Rounds 1 and 2, as you do.
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