Noah Schultz
LHP 6-9 220 Oswego
4-1-22 - BA - Mock Draft v2.0 -
11. Mets* — Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego (Ill.) East HS
Scout’s Take: Schultz answered the velocity question with his first start when he pitched 93-98 mph. His ability to throw strikes and his feel for secondary offerings from that size is so unique. The Randy Johnson comparison is a fair one. He also throws so many more strikes than Ryan Anderson (Mariners first-rounder in 1999 and a 6-foot-10 lefthander) ever did.
Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego (Ill.) East HS (No. 30)
If you check back at our first-round to-do list for Schultz, his two areas to improve were 1) add physicality and power and 2) refine his changeup.
Early feedback from scouts who’ve seen the 6-foot-9 southpaw indicate he has checked off both of those items with a flourish. Schultz mostly pitched in the low 90s last summer, but early in the season this year he has been pitching above 93 mph and touching 97-98 at peak. That’s a significant improvement in velocity and with it he’s also increased the power of a breaking ball that was in the mid 70s last summer and was recently in the 80-84 mph range.
That power alone would be enough to shoot Schultz up draft boards, but he also showed a mid-80s changeup with surprisingly good feel, considering he rarely threw the pitch over the circuit.
If Schultz is able to maintain this sort of velocity over the course of his season, while continuing to show the advanced feel for pitching he’s long had, he has a real chance to be the first lefthander selected in the draft—ahead of prep pitchers like Jackson Ferris (Fla.), Brandon Barriera (Fla.) and Tristan Smith (S.C.) and college lefties Hunter Barco (Florida) and Carson Whisenhunt (East Carolina).
3-23-22 - Kyle Kishimoto @kylemoto10
Noah Schultz's slider is arguably the singular best pitch of the 2022 high school class. His 6'9'' frame and sidearm slot creates an incredibly tough angle for hitters, and he spins the heck out of it with an insane amount of horizontal movement.
Greg Zumach @IvyFutures
I have Noah Schultz (Oswego HS) ranked 19th in the 2022 class. He combines projectability, height, angle, and slot. His only knock was that teams were waiting on the velocity (he sat 88-91). The wait is over. Per those in attendance, Schultz sat 94-96 MPH in his latest outing.
3-9-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022-mlb-draft-top-400-prospects -
24. Noah Schultz
Left-Handed Pitcher, Oswego
Schultz is an ultra-projectable behemoth at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds. For a kid his size, he repeats his delivery really well and certainly has a good feel for pitching and the strike zone. There's some real funk coming from a low, short-arm vertical release, similar to Max Scherzer's release. His fastball velocity has been 89-91 MPH and has touched 94 with serious life. He has a slurvy breaking ball with massive spin rates, as well as a slider in the mid-to-high 70's and a good fading change-up in the low-80's. The breaking ball may end up a plus-plus offering, reminiscent of the ol’ Andrew Miller slider that may him so dominant throughout his career. There's a ton to dream on from this southpaw and the funk, deception and spin rates suggest a super-high ceiling.
32. Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego HS (IL)
You would think that Schultz, listed at 6-foot-9, would throw from a three-quarters slot or higher, scraping his knuckles against the clouds as he released the ball. He doesn't. Instead, Schultz releases from about shoulder height, creating a tough angle on batters that allows his three-pitch mix to play up. His fastball sits only in the low-90s for now, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him gain velocity as he matures. He also throws a sweeping breaking ball and a changeup, each with good control. Schultz has a commitment to Vanderbilt, but his unusual combination of polish and upside make it unlikely that he'll ever pitch a home game at Hawkins Field.
2-10-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-mlb-mock-draft-version-10/?s=03 -
Baseball America 2022 MLB Mock Draft Version 1.0
19. A's — Noah Schultz, LHP, Oswego (Ill.) East HS
Scout’s take: I was thinking college shortstop, maybe Carter Young, but they need pitching depth in their system. Maybe Schultz reminds them of A.J Puk and they go get him? My concern is they haven't taken a high school pitcher in the first round since Jeremy Bonderman in 2001. The length and angle that Schultz creates makes it hard for any hitter to face him. The slider will be plus along with plus projection to the fastball as he fills out and gets stronger. The changeup is average, which gives him three pitches to go along with above-average control and command. The concern is signing Schultz away from Vandy.
Carlos’ take: It would be fun to see the Athletics make a pick like this and buck quite a long trend (or coincidence) of avoiding prep arms in the first round for that length of time. Schultz has a few outlier traits and it’s hard not to like him after what we just saw Eury Perez do during last year’s minor league season. Everyone raves about Perez’s body control and I think Schultz similarly grades out well in that department. I was struck by how consistently he repeated his delivery and the polish of his command for a fastball and slider. His baseline spin profile is quite loud and I think he’s got a ton of upside as he adds more strength and comes into more power.
Top 10 Draft Prospects
9. Noah Schultz, Oswego East (Oswego, Ill.), LHP
One of the more intriguing athletes on the list due to his incredible growth spurt between his eighth grade and sophomore year. He grew six inches a year for two years and now stands 6-foot-9, making him one of the tallest prospects in the nation. Randy Johnson comparisons are likely inaccurate due to Schultz's reliance on a slider rather than a fastball as his out pitch. He tops out at 94 mph on the fastball and is still developing a change.
1-18-22 - https://www.baseballamerica.com/rankings/2022-mlb-draft-top-100-prospects/ -
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Noah Schultz
Oswego (Ill.) East HS LHP
Notes:
Ht: 6-9 | Wt: 225 | B-T: L-L
Commit/Drafted: Vanderbilt
Age At Draft: 18.9
Extremely tall and lanky, Schultz pairs present stuff, deception and eye-popping spin rates to put together an attractive and rare package of traits for any pitcher—let alone a 6-foot-9 prep lefty. Schultz throws from a lower, three-quarter arm slot that is a nightmare angle for lefthanded hitters and creates difficulties for righties as well. Typically, pitchers of his size struggle to repeat their deliveries and throw strikes consistently, but Schultz is an impressive athlete with excellent body control who has shown a great ability to command a three-pitch mix and field his position. He throws a fastball in the low 90s, as well as a slurvy, mid-70s breaking ball that has slider shape but curveball velocity separation. Both pitches have high spin rates, and he also throws a straight change in the 78-80 mph range that could develop into a reliable third offering. Schultz is committed to Vanderbilt but is viewed as a potential first-round pick and is solidly inside the top tier of prep lefties in a 2022 class deep in that demographic.
12-30-21 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2021/12/29/2022-mlb-draft-top-300-prospects -
16. Noah Schultz
Left-Handed Pitcher, Oswego
Schultz is an ultra-projectable behemoth at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds. For a kid his size, he repeats his delivery really well and certainly has a good feel for pitching and the strike zone. There's some real funk coming from a low, short-arm vertical release, similar to Max Scherzer's release. His fastball velocity has been 89-91 MPH and has touched 94 with serious life. He has a slurvy breaking ball with massive spin rates, as well as a slider in the mid-to-high 70's and a good fading change-up in the low-80's. The breaking ball may end up a plus-plus offering, reminiscent of the ol’ Andrew Miller slider that may him so dominant throughout his career. There's a ton to dream on from this southpaw and the funk, deception and spin rates suggest a super-high ceiling.
Draft Schultz so Megill will have someone to look up to.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like he may still be rising in the draft ranks..where does he rank on your list of lefty pitchers? Would you grab this guy at 14?
ReplyDeleteMack, not that the Mets will re-draft him, but where is Kumar sitting in this year's draft rankings?
ReplyDelete