An elbow injury limited Thompson to just 31 innings of work this spring, but the 6-foot-2, 225-pound lefthander impressed scouts in a brief, three-appearance look with the Collegiate National Team, where he sat in the low 90s and complimented his fastball with an 82-84 mph, high-spin rate slider. Thompson also throws a fringe-average curveball and solid changeup, which give him the tools to become a middle-of-the-rotation starter if he stays healthy and lowers a walk rate that’s been just under five batters per nine innings at Kentucky. Scouts like Thompson’s athleticism and delivery, which allow them to be optimistic about the walk rate trending in the right direction. He could go high in the first round with a solid junior campaign.
