RHP Ian Bedell, Missouri
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DoB: 9/5/1999.
2020 Stats: 2-2, 3.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 35/4 K/BB in 24.1 IP.
Ian Bedell's name had some heat early in the 2018 draft cycle coming out of high school in Davenport, Iowa, but he graduated a semester early so he could pitch for Missouri that year. He only got into seven games that year behind a loaded pitching staff that included TJ Sikkema (Yankees), Michael Plassmeyer (Rays), Bryce Montes de Oca (Mets), and Andy Toelken (Diamondbacks), but the groundwork was set. In 2019, he returned with a 1.56 ERA over 40.1 innings in long relief, then went and dominated the elite Cape Cod League to the tune of a 2.31 ERA and a 40/3 strikeout to walk ratio over 35 innings. In 2020, he was the same polished strike thrower he has been, but he was a bit more hittable across his four starts and finished with a 3.70 ERA and a 35/4 strikeout to walk ratio in 24.1 innings.
Despite standing 6'2", Bedell is pretty skinny and doesn't figure to get a whole lot bigger, so he gets stuck with the "undersized" label. In relief, he could run his fastball into the mid 90's, and as a starter on the Cape, it still had solid low 90's velocity. He sat closer to 90 at the start of the 2020 season, down a tick from where he's been, and while the velocity might have rebounded as the season went along, he didn't get the chance and that doesn't help him. His curveball is a short, tight breaking ball that has a history of missing bats wherever he's gone. He's also working in a slider that shows promise, and his changeup is a weapon against left handed batters as well.
None of Bedell's stuff stands out as true plus, but what he lacks there, he makes up for in intangibles. He's a very competitive pitcher that goes right after hitters, rarely hurting himself with walks and controlling the zone consistently. Between the Cape and the shortened 2020 season, that led to a combined 75/7 strikeout to walk ratio in 59.1 innings against good competition – not too shabby. Additionally, since he won't turn 21 until September, he's one of the youngest college arms available, adding to his upside.
His delivery isn't necessarily high-effort, but it's also not the most effortless you'll ever see, so combined with his size, it leads to relief and durability questions. If he proves durable, he'll need to add a little velocity to stick in a big league rotation, but it's hard to deny his success against advanced hitters in the SEC and on the Cape. His youth also inspires confidence that he'll take the necessary steps forward, in which case he could be a mid-rotation starter. Bedell likely finds himself drafted somewhere in the third to fifth rounds.
2020 start vs Baylor
Pitching on the Cape over the summer
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