RHP Casey Mize (Auburn): 6'3" 210 lbs, born 5/1/1997
Overview
Fastball: 60. Cutter: 55. Splitter: 70. Curveball: 50. Control: 65
So what is all the fuss about Casey Mize? A likely top ten pick heading into the season following an excellent sophomore season at Auburn (8-2, 2.04 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 109/9 K/BB in 83.2 IP), Mize has absolutely dominated the SEC again in 2018 and has improved his stock to the point where he is by far the most likely player to be taken first overall at this point, so Tigers fans pay attention. This year, he is 9-2 with a 2.25 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP, and a 119/7 strikeout to walk ratio in 84 innings in the toughest conference in college baseball. That record includes excellent starts against powerhouse teams like Texas A&M (7.1 IP, 1 ER, 13 K's), Mississippi State (9 IP, 1 ER, 9 K's), and Vanderbilt (9 IP, 1 ER, 15 K's), as well as a complete game, 13 strikeout no-hitter against Northeastern. Long story short, he's easily the best pitcher in college baseball right now and has few peers anywhere in this draft class. The Tigers love big armed right handers, and with the first overall pick, any smart bet would be on Mize.
Strengths
Mize finds success through a combination of top-notch stuff and excellent control. He throws his fastball anywhere from 92-97, typically sitting around 93-94 with running life. He can also mold the fastball into a cutter, which comes in around 90-91 and is very tough to square up. That cutter can in turn become a slider, which is currently his worst pitch but which also gives hitters a slower look. However, his not-so-secret weapon is a plus-plus splitter that just dives at the plate and could be classified as "un-hittable." On top of it all, he knows exactly how to use all of it and can spot all of his pitches around the zone, leading to tons of swings and misses. He has walked just 16 batters over his past two seasons, totaling 168 innings, striking out 228 in the process. Simply put, he has obliterated SEC hitting for two seasons by spotting excellent stuff without making location mistakes. He's listed at 6'3" and 210 pounds, a prototypical starting pitcher's build.
Weaknesses
There aren't many. Mize did have to be shut down with arm fatigue at the end of the season last year and again over the summer, which made some teams nervous, but he has proven to be durable this year and has not had any of the same issues. He does throw with a little bit of effort; not too much to the point where I would make anything of it, but it's also not the absolute smoothest motion in the world. It's simply nitpicking to fill this paragraph.
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