Ethan Small

Small’s 2019 season was an excellent demonstration of how a pitcher can dramatically improve his draft stock by simply excelling week after week. When the season began, Small was seen as a potential fourth- to fifth-round pick as a durable and successful Southeastern Conference Friday starter with average stuff. The assessment of his pure stuff hasn’t changed all that much, but his control and command has ticked up and no one can deny the extremely impressive results. Small was second in Division I in strikeout rate (15 K/9) as of early May. A 26th-round pick of the D-Backs last year as a redshirt sophomore, Small has bounced back well from the Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2017 season. This season, opposing hitters have struggled to see and connect with his 89-92 mph fastball. Velocity-wise, the pitch average at best. But his delivery hides the ball well, and because of its movement and deception, it earns above-average grades from some scouts. Small’s delivery is long in the back, but he repeats it consistently. Much like Mariners’ lefthander Yusei Kikuchi, Small will vary the amount of time he hangs on the rubber before exploding toward home plate, which also messes with hitters’ timing. At times, Small can dominate college hitters pitching primarily off his fastball simply because he has plus command and plus control. Small fills the zone consistently, and he mixes in an average sluvy curveball as well. Small’s changeup was a better pitch in 2018 than it has been in 2019, when it’s been a fringe-average offering in most outings. There is reason to believe it can improve, however, since he’s shown more conviction and feel for the pitch in the past. Small doesn’t have a true plus pitch and projects as a No. 5 starter, but his command, control and consistency will likely push him into the second or third round.