Since the conclusion of the 2022 MLB Draft, college baseball programs across the country have received clarity on players who will be campus bound following the outcomes of the draft. In part one of a two part series, I will be taking a look at a handful of pitchers who ultimately went unsigned/undrafted and figure to play a prominent role at their respective schools.
RHP Andrew Dutkanych IV
Commitment: Vanderbilt
Dutkanych pulled his name a few weeks prior to the draft and is set to join an already deep 2023 Commodores pitching staff headlined by Patrick Reilly and Carter Holton. On the mound, Dutkanych has a clean and repeatable operation, with a smooth short arm stroke that is deceptive for opposing hitters. He routinely sits in the mid 90’s, topping 96 with a plus riding fastball. To complement his riding heater, he mixes in a sweeping slider that posted a gaudy 61% whiff rate while on the summer showcase circuit leading up to the 2022 draft. Dutkanych demonstrates all the traits to be a quality weekend starter out of the gate for Scott Brown and company. As he develops throughout his collegiate career, Dutkanych could very well assert himself as a Friday night ace that Vanderbilt has become accustomed to producing through the years.
LHP Tristan Smith
Commitment: Clemson
Smith has a physical athletic build with present strength throughout his entire frame. During his delivery, Smith does a good job closing off his front side to opposing hitters, which adds additional deception to his low 3/4 crossfire delivery. His fastball is a mid 90’s, high spin offering with life up in the zone coming from a lower release height. The curveball is a high spin pitch that has more of a sweepy movement profile. He creates good tilt on the curveball, as it darts away from left handed hitters, and into righties, and is an effective swing and miss pitch. Smith is one of the more dynamic arm talents that will be making his way to campus, and figures to step into a prominent role at Clemson as a freshman.
RHP Eli Jerzembeck
Commitment: South Carolina
Our Prospects Live draft team had Jerzembeck turned in as a third rounder this past spring. He has the traits to be a quality college starter, as Jerzembeck has already begun growing into his athletic frame. He is a strike thrower, who repeats his operation well despite having a slight pause/hesitation in his delivery before he drives down hill. The fastball sits in the low 90’s, and he occasionally will reach back and touch a 96. The carrying tool for Jerzembeck is his hammer 12-6 curveball. The breaker is a tight, high spin pitch with sharp top to bottom movement. He rounds out his arsenal with a lateral moving changeup that profiles as a solid pitch moving forward.
RHP Kassius Thomas
Commitment: Duke
Thomas is a long levered righty that oozes with projection. He demonstrates present arm strength with a long , loose arm stroke, and a fastball that has been up to 95. Thomas has feel to spin a breaking ball, as his slider has crisp lateral movement to the glove side when he is commanding the offering. As of now, there is some clunkiness in his delivery which hampers his ability to throw strikes consistently. If the mechanical adjustments are cleaned up, he has the ability to unlock more velocity and inherently improve the overall quality of his stuff. Nonetheless, Thomas possesses the intangibles with a solid base to build upon. With a few tweaks, he has a chance to develop into a special arm.
LHP Bradley Loftin
Commitment: Mississippi State
The Mississippi native will be staying in-state and will be taking his talents to Starkville this fall. On the mound, Loftin is an efficient mover down the hill, with a long loose arm stroke and over the top delivery. He relies heavily on his fastball and changeup, in which he commands both offerings well. His low 90’s fastball plays effectively up in the zone and generates plenty of swing and miss. Loftin’s athleticism suggests that there is more velocity in the tank for his fastball. He demonstrates plus feel for his changeup as the offering possesses substantial velocity and vertical separation off of the fastball. He mixes in a sharp two plane slider that has shown glimpses of being a quality offering moving forward. Long term, Loftin figures to play a prominent role in the weekend rotation for the Bulldogs as he continues to develop into a more polished arm.
RHP Micah Bucknam
Commitment: LSU
LSU rocked the college baseball world this off-season as the program has been very active on the transfer portal front, in addition to landing former Minnesota Twins pitching coach Jay Johnson as the new head coach. There will be many quality arms vying for innings at Baton Rouge this season, and Micah Bucknam figures to play himself into that mix. The British Columbia native is a strike thrower with a projectable fastball that has been up to the mid 90’s. In addition to the heater, Bucknam mixes in an east/west moving slider with a changeup that shows glimpses of being a future plus pitch.
LHP Jackson Soucie
Commitment: Wabash Valley Community College (Illinois)
Unlike the other names mentioned in the article, Soucie will have a chance to be drafted in the 2023 draft as he is attending a notable junior college that recently produced Antoine Kelly. Soucie has the tools to be one of the more coveted JUCO pitchers in the 2023 class. He is a long levered southpaw that has plenty of room for projection. He possesses starter traits with a three pitch mix and a low effort delivery that he repeats well. Soucie’s fastball stands out as a plus pitch analytically, as it is a mid-90’s offering which he shows feel to command, in addition to generating plus hop with the offering. His slider has sweeper traits and has shown glimpses of being a quality swing and miss offering moving forward.
Brock Blatter
Commitment: Alabama
Blatter was selected in the 19th round by the Chicago Cubs in last month's draft, after spending the month of June in the MLB Draft League. After failing to reach a deal with the Northsiders, Blatter is taking his talents to Tuscaloosa this fall. He is a low mileage prep arm that was lightly traveled on the summer showcase circuit and did not accrue many innings during his spring high school seasons in Montana. That being said, his broad shoulders and long levers bode well from a projection standpoint as he figures to grow into more velocity (currently 90-93) as he matures. From a development standpoint, there is work to be done in regards to cleaning up the consistency of his fastball shape as he is currently more of a natural supinator. He has great feel to spin both his slider and curveball and both pitches take on distinct movement profiles. Put it altogether, and Blatter has all the traits to round into a quality Friday night starter in the SEC.