2021 MLB Draft Watch Report: College Pitching Class Starts Strong

Thanks to terrific matchups and performance, College Baseball is off to a strong start in 2021. The State Farm College Baseball Showdown held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, was very entertaining. I look forward to next year’s weekend tournament. Ole Miss and Arkansas were the big winners. Both went 3-0 with impressive wins that will aid them when the Postseason Committee considers Regional hosts. 

Florida vs. Miami was the other marquee matchup that did not disappoint. After the Gators won Game 1, the Hurricanes found a way to win the last two games. An impressive series victory should give the Canes confidence in their chances of winning what should be a tough ACC conference. 

When it comes to individual performances and concerning MLB draft stock, the college pitchers made a strong first impression. 

Rocker, Leiter as advertised

I give Wright State a lot of credit for opening the season in Nashville against the Vandy Boys. They played good baseball over the weekend, showing terrific effort. Still, not many teams are going to have fun facing Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. 

Weather in Nashville delayed Opening Day to Monday, which featured a doubleheader. Rocker started Game 1 and still looks like the guy we saw dominate in 2019. He was pumping 95+ mph fastballs, inducing terrible swings with this slider, and featuring a new cutter. Tim Corbin kept a strict pitch count for his starters to around 70 pitches. Rocker hit his limit after four innings allowing just one hit while striking out eight and walking three. In his next start, I’d like to see him reduce the number of walks, but I still thought he was the #1 pick for this class after his start. 

That thought lasted a couple of hours. 

Jack Leiter was dominant in Game 2. The TV radar gun was running hot, but multiple scouts confirmed that Leiter hit 98-mph with his fastball and was mostly sitting 95-97 mph (60+ grade). Then came the curveball, and I began to feel sorry for Wright State hitters. Either they were guessing fastball in a specific location and missing badly, or their knees were buckling, watching breaking pitches snapped into the strike zone. Leiter did throw a couple of changeups in his start, but it wasn't a pitch he necessarily needed to get the job done. In 69 pitches, Leiter allowed just one hit while striking out eight and not walking a batter. He did hit one batter on a curve that bounced off a batter's foot. 

Comparing Rocker and Leiter will be a season-long ordeal. After the first start, I understand why some like Leiter more because he has a better command of his fastball than Rocker. We’ll see if that holds up as the week’s progress, but Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers fans should be excited. 

Let's not forget Jaden Hill and Gunnar Hoglund

When it comes to SEC pitchers, Rocker and Leiter are the headlines. Still, we also can’t forget other first-round talents with LSU’s RHP Jaden Hill and Ole Miss RHP Gunnar Hoglund. 

Hill has a similar build to Rocker, standing at 6’4” and weighing 234 lbs. In his start against Air Force, Hill was sitting at 95-mph with his fastball and a front-door slider he liked to use inside against right-handers. What was impressive to see is Hill having confidence in his changeup against lefties that faded into the strike zone and paired nicely with his fastball. 

Just like the Vandy Boys, Hill was on a strict pitch count. In four innings, Hill threw 62 pitches, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and no walks. LSU and Vanderbilt play April 1 - 3. With the Chicago White Sox having a 9:05 pm CT Opening Day start, a Rocker vs. Hill duel would make for a great appetizer. 

Gunnar Hoglund overcame giving up a 2-run homer in the second inning and dazzled against #13 Texas Tech. Throwing 95 pitches, Hoglund was two-seamer heavy with a four-seamer and breaking pitch mixed in occasionally. His home run allowed was a center-cut four-seamer at 93 mph and was his worst pitch of the start. 

Hoglund’s two-seamer might be his best pitch, and it reminded me of a former first-rounder, Brady Singer’s. Pitch was tailing away against lefties and busting the right-handers inside. Good velocity sitting at 92-94 mph for most of the evening, Hoglund’s 2021 debut was impressive as he pitched 5.1 innings striking out 11 while walking three.

via GIPHY

Ryan Cusick - Big fastball, not much else

The one start I was looking forward to watching was Wake Forest's RHP Ryan Cusick. Everyone knows about his fastball. It's a legit 60-grade quality that might even tick up a grade in a reliever setting where Cusick can let loose and touch 100-mph. What I wanted to see was how Cusick's secondary pitches were progressing. In the offseason, Cusick mentioned in an interview with Prospects Live that he was ditching the slurve for a power curve and side-spinning changeup. 

In 100 pitches against Northeastern, I didn't see many curves thrown by Cusick and no changeups. Even when Cusick threw his breaking stuff, which he did more so in the sixth inning (more on that later), it wasn't sharp. I would consider many of Cusick's curves as hangers. When they tunnel with a 97-mph fastball against weaker competition, it will generate swings and misses because of the speed difference. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a quality pitch. 

Also, I was not too fond of Cusick being pushed so hard by the coaching staff. Cusick pitched five scoreless innings, only allowing three hits which would have been a great way to start 2021. However, Wake Forest's head coach, Tom Walter, kept Cusick out for the sixth inning. It was pretty apparent Cusick ran out of gas (velocity: 94 mph) but had to keep grinding away. Northeastern had four hits which lead to three runs scored in the 6th inning, souring Cusick's final line 6 IP 7 H 3 ER 2 BB 9 K. 

Cusick’s next scheduled start is against Notre Dame on Friday, February 26th. Fingers crossed that we see more of his secondary pitches. There is a real reliever concern with Cusick. After his Opening Day start, those who hold that opinion won’t be swayed. 

Del Castillo vs. Davis - battle for top catcher

There will be a season-long debate about the top catcher in this draft class between Miami's Adrian Del Castillo and Louisville's Henry Davis. Both could be available to the White Sox at Pick 22, thanks to the number of college pitchers and prep shortstop options in this draft class. Last year, top college catchers Patrick Bailey went 13th overall to San Francisco, and Austin Wells selected by the New York Yankees 28th overall. 

Keep in mind these results from Davis are against inferior competition compared to what Del Castillo faced. Davis is starting 2021 6-for-12 with two home runs and eight RBI. He's walked three times and has yet to strikeout. Speaking with D1Baseball.com's Burke Granger, who was in attendance, Davis's receiving abilities improved significantly. He had a good feel for recognizing spin, too.

Del Castillo had a big Sunday going 2-for-3 with two RBI to help Miami win their opening series against Florida. However, the first two games were a bit lacking. In Game 1, Del Castillo went 0-for-3 with a strikeout, and Game 2 was 1-for-7 with two RBI. As a team, Miami scored 23 runs in three games against Florida, but Del Castillo wasn't the offensive catalyst. Defensively, Del Castillo does a good job framing pitches on the corners with little glove movement and no issues blocking pitches. I'd like to see more of an offensive impact from Del Castillo moving forward. 

Games I’m watching this weekend:

Boston College vs. #25 Duke: CF Sal Frelick and INF Cody Morissette for Boston College are the draws for this series. 

Notre Dame vs. #24 Wake Forest, 2/25/2021 3:00 PM CT: Watching Ryan Cusick’s second start hoping to see more secondary pitches. 

Central Florida vs. #1 Ole Miss, 2/25/2021 4:00 PM CT: Gunnar Hoglund will be on the mound for new #1 Ole Miss. 

NCBWA College Hitter of the Week: Blayne Jones, Dallas Baptist

NCBWA College Pitcher of the Week: Jordan Wicks, Kansas State

NCBWA Top 25 Poll - 2/23/2021 Release