2013 Draft Prospect: Kohl Stewart, RHP, TX

Kohl Stewart may be the most sought after H.S. pitcher in the 2013 draft class. Stewart has a slender 6’3” frame with more room to fill out even more as he matures. When watching Stewart pitch, he is consumed with a fiery sense of competitiveness but not in a way to affect his poise on the mound.

Part of that competitiveness bleeds over from the football field. At St.Pius X High School Kohl was one of the best quarterbacks in the country (#7 according to ESPN) and has double committed in both football and baseball to Texas A&M University.  Kohl has said before that he wants to play baseball for the Maroon at Blue Bell Park, but money can change a young man’s mind very quickly.

Stewart is a very highly respected prospect and his rankings on multiple scouting sites prove that. Kohl is ranked number 6 in the nation by Perfect Game. Keith Law of ESPN (Insider) ranks Stewart as the number 8 player in the upcoming draft. Baseball America ranks Stewart as the number 9 player. Diamond King Tournaments also has Stewart high on their list as the number 2 player in the Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Colorado areas going into the 2013 MLB Draft.

Stewart is still a very raw pitcher mechanically. His stride down the hill is soft and short while his arm whips quickly to catch up to his body. At the moment he is more of a thrower than a pitcher. As a dual sport athlete, Stewart could fix his mechanics and control with total attention to the sport of baseball for whomever drafts him. If Stewart could learn to be patient in his wind-up so he can explode down the mound with more intensity he will reduce the risk of arm injuries in the future and may improve his stamina on the hill along with a possible increase in velocity.

With that said, Stewart is still a great pitcher. He effortlessly sits in the low to mid 90s, topping out at 97 with his overpowering heater. His fastball is already a plus pitch, with no effort. Stewart also possesses a very hard thrown slider with tight spin and hard tilt. It sits at 86-88 and is considered a plus pitch by many who have seen him. At the moment Stewart is working on refining his change-up to an acceptable level. He has a little bit of feel for the pitch but doesn’t consistently hit his target.

Stewart’s sign ability could be something to think about. His whole family has went to College Station and Kohl wants to go there too. But he may easily have a seven figure check in his hands when June 6th rolls around, and that may be enough to sway Stewart towards the start of his professional baseball career. During the summer Stewart played with the Houston Banditos, the best college-prep baseball program in the country. Courtney Hawkins, Nick Williams, Kyle Drabek and Paul Goldschmidt all played for the Banditos as well.

Bottom Line: Stewart has more potential than every H.S. arm in this draft. I could see him becoming an above average major league starter. He is a competitor and a true athlete. He should be drafted early in the first round and take what will most likely be a fat check to the bank.

Links to Kohl Stewart Videos:  Kohl Stewart of St Pius X High School in Tomball, Texas pitches at the Perfect Games All American Classic in San Diego. Link here

–  Kohl Stewart of St Pius X High School in Tomball, Texas pitches at this past year’s Area Code games. Link here