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MLB Draft Names to Know: High School Pitchers

By Benjamin Chase

Aug 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; National pitcher Riley Pint (27) pitches during the first inning in the Under Armour All America Baseball game against the American team at Wrigley field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; National pitcher Riley Pint (27) pitches during the first inning in the Under Armour All America Baseball game against the American team at Wrigley field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /
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David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

In a deep class of high school arms in the MLB draft, which ones stand out?

This year’s draft has been touted as deep, but not excellent, which is true. The top of the draft isn’t exceptional, which is why you hear so much discussion this late about who will go #1 in the draft. The MLB draft this year does, however, have tremendous depth at a number of positions. I highlighted one of them when I reviewed the catchers in the draft. Today, we’ll look at probably the deepest position in the entire draft, high school pitchers.

Jason Groome, LHP, New Jersey HS

Who Is He?

Groome is widely considered the top prospect in the entire draft. He’s a lefty that can throw up to the mid-90s with three “plus” pitches and a potential of all four pitches being graded that way. He was suspended for a portion of his 2016 season due to an odd rule about transferring schools, but that has continued some red flags that teams have had about Groome’s maturity and responsibility for his actions, as teams have asked him about the incident (and other things as well).

Groome has a great body for projection, throwing in a way that certainly doesn’t make you think there will be any future issues with him, injury-wise. Groome has been rumored to want big money to keep him from going to Vanderbilt, but he’ll likely be selected in the top 5-7 selections, so he’ll get the money needed to keep him out of school.

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Riley Pint, RHP, Kansas HS

Who Is He?

While Groome being a lefty probably gets him the consensus top selection, there are multiple places out there (Baseball America being one) that have Pint ranked over Groome. Pint has dialed up his fastball to 102 in short stints during showcase season last summer, and he mixes in a repertoire that is akin to Noah Syndergaard, with a change up and slider that both get rated that high by scouts and a curve that some scouts say could be his best secondary pitch, but he’s still developing feel on that pitch.

Pint is incredibly athletic, being a basketball recruit before giving up basketball to focus on baseball later in his high school years. He has less wear and tear on his arm than most, but he also has some worries with his delivery as he has a “stiff” front side, meaning he lands more straight than bent on his landing leg, and that can create issues in the arm and obliques.

Pint should be a top-10 selection and could even go ahead of Groome to a team that likes him more, and there are a number of teams that reportedly feel that way. He’s currently committed to Louisiana State.

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Next: Bama lefty and Cali righty

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