Mack's spin -
Wicks is the first lefty to come off my board, in a draft where I do not consider southpaws being a strength.
LHP Kansas State
5-20-21 - mlb
13. Phillies: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
There’s a serious dearth of college lefties in this class and Wicks, who has struck out 11.6 per nine this year for Kansas State, is by far the best in the group.
5-6-21 - MLB - 5-6 Mock Draft-
14. Giants: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Easily the best left-hander available, Wicks also features the best changeup in the Draft and will become Kansas State's first first-rounder ever.
14-29-21 - Baseball Prospect Report mock 3.0 -
19. Toronto Blue Jays: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Wicks doesn’t have premium velocity, as his fastball sits low-90s, but he has the best changeup in the class. He likely will be the first left-handed pitcher selected in the draft.
4-26-21 - mlb.com mock draft -
14) Giants: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
It’s been three straight college bats in the first round for the Giants, so keep an eye out there. For now, this will be where Wicks, the best college lefty in the class, lands.
4-22-21 - pipeline podcast mock -
17) Reds (Callis): Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State -- Clearly the best left-hander in the Draft, he’s an underrated talent with the best changeup in this class.
4-19-21 - TTF - Mock 2.0 -
24. Atlanta Braves: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
There’s not many great lefties in this year’s class. Wicks is among the best of them. His stats are gaudy, sure, but he’s got some real stuff that seems to be developing each time he steps on the bump.
4-17-21 - Fish Stripes -
LHP Jordan Wicks
During his time at Kansas State, Wicks was an immediate starter and earned a role in their weekend rotation. As a freshman, Wicks made fifteen starts with a 6-3 record, 3.61 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and a 9.1 K/9.
As a sophomore, Wicks had an incredible season during the COVID-19 shortened season. In four starts, Wicks had a 3-0 record with a 0.35 ERA allowing only one run in 26 innings pitched. He also had a 0.65 WHIP, 1.4 BB/9 and 9.0 K/9.
During the 2021 season, Wicks has made eight starts with a 4-2 record. He also has a 3.72 ERA, 12.3 K/9, 1.28 WHIP and 5.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
4-9-21 - Kendall Rogers @KendallRogers
Kansas State LHP Jordan Wicks has excellent feel for that 81-83 mph CH. he also spotted up his 91-93 mph fastball better in the third inning. He can move that thing up and down the zone, but for the most part, it’s low in the zone from a down angle. Showed a CB at 80.
4-2-21 - Through The Fence -
13. Philadelphia Phillies: Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
There’s not many great lefties in this year’s class. Wicks is among the best of them. His stats are gaudy, sure, but he’s got some real stuff that seems to be developing each time he steps on the bump.
3-30-21 - Prospects Worldwide -
23. LHP Jordan Wicks | School: Kansas St | B / T: L / L | Ht: 6’3 | Wt: 220 | Age: 21.9
Jordan Wicks has been nearly untouchable his last year and a half on the mound. Posting a 0.35 ERA in the shortened season in 2020 at Kansas St, and a 20 Inning stint holding a 0.45 ERA over the summer in the Northwoods League. Wicks is a High upside Lefthander with Above-average to Plus Command. His best pitch, and possibly one of the better Changeups, grading as Double-plus, in the entire class that has produced a strong amount of swing and miss and soft contact. He consistently works his Fastball around 92 MPH; 2400-2500 RPM with the ability to locate in and out. His 3rd pitch is his Slider, 84-87 MPH; 2550 RPM which is pretty effective in itself. Extremely tough on lefties with that Slider. Wicks may project as a bit of a contact over swing and miss pitcher in the end but should hover around that 1K per inning mark producing a ton of soft contact. He shows everything you look for in LHP in the 1st Round. And the stuff seems to have gone up a notch in 2021. A similar Lefty with a nasty, potential best in the class Changeup went in the back of the 1st Round last year, Jared Shuster.
2-19-21 - Joe @JoeDoyleMiLB
Kansas State LHP Jordan Wicks is your clubhouse leader for best 2021 debut. 7 IP, 3 hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks Was up to 94.
2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -
26. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Sometimes there's a thin line between a compliment and an insult. Wicks' profile inspires a lot of those jump-ball comments. His delivery is so vanilla that it would be named "Generic 3" in The Show. His fastball can hit the mid-90s, but only on a hot gun. His breaking stuff is subpar. In spite of all that, he's posted a 2.85 ERA and a 3.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio for his collegiate career, including a stint in last year's Northwoods League. He does it with arguably the best changeup in the class. One scout described Wicks as a "less-athletic Marco Gonzales," which doesn't sound great … except Gonzales is a legit big-league starter who stands to bank $30 million by contract's end.
2-2-21 - Baseball America @BaseballAmerica
Jordan Wicks has the best changeup in college baseball, according to MLB scouting departments.
1-28-21 - kstatesports -
In a vote of the Big 12 head coaches, K-State left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks was selected as the Big 12's Preseason Pitcher of the Year, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Wicks becomes the first Wildcat to earn the preseason award, as he and Texas pitcher Ty Madden shared the honor. Wicks was also a unanimous selection to the 2021 Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
1-26-21 - BA -
27. Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Areas To Improve: Tick up FB velocity, improve breaking stuff, start full season
While Wicks does have a potential 70-grade offering (changeup) and strong history of strike-throwing (2.4 BB/9) at Kansas State, his fastball has mostly been in the 89-91 mph range. While the velocity bar is lower for lefthanders and several southpaws have gone in the first round with similar firepower in recent years, he would climb up boards if he came out this spring throwing harder. Additionally, scouts have commented that both his slider and curveball are more fringy offerings, so sharpening one—or both—of those pitches to give him a reliable weapon vs. lefthanded hitters would also help. Like every college arm on this list, starting for a full season to make up for lost time in 2020 is a must.
1-22-21 - fish stripes
LHP Jordan Wicks, Kansas State
27th-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America, 16th on MLB Pipeline, 29th on Prospects Live
The last prospect on the list is Kansas State left-handed pitcher Jordan Wicks. The third-year pitcher has had an impactful career for the Wildcats could be another top left-handed pitcher in the Marlins farm system.
In his two seasons at Kansas State, Wicks had made 19 starts and posted a 2.85 career ERA. He also had a 9-3 record with a 1.22 WHIP, 9.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. Another thing Wicks has done well is prevent the long ball. In 110 innings pitched, Wicks has only allowed four home runs (0.3 HR/9) which were all in his freshman season.
At 6’3” 220 pounds, Wicks doesn’t have much more solid weight to add to is frame. However, Wicks already has a pretty good floor that features the best changeup in the 2021 Draft. His changeup gets tons of swing and miss and also forces a lot of weak contact due to how much depth Wicks gets on his it.
Wicks also has a 55-grade fastball that sits in the low 90s and tops out at 95 mph. His fastball does have a high spin rate but also has gets some riding action to it. Wicks also possess a slider and curveball but the curveball is still being developed. According to MLB Pipeline, some scouts have compared Wicks to 2020 L.A. Angels first-rounder Reid Detmers.
This could be another solid option for the Marlins. Wicks might not have ace potential but he definitely can be a good middle-of-the-rotation type arm and eat a lot of innings. His K/9 probably won’t be great at the next level but he will keep the ball in the yard. If Wicks is taken in the first round, he would be the first Kansas State player ever to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.
Click here for the full list of Mack's MLB Draft Scouting Reports.
2 comments:
Yep, Mack, we gotta do better than that at # 10.
Wicks' go-to pitch is his changeup which makes his 91-92 fastball look like 98-99.
I would love him in the second round but he will be long gone by then.
My guess... the Yanks.
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