Andre Pallante

Pallante won third-team All-America honors as a sophomore and played for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer. He wasn’t quite as sharp this spring but still put together a solid season as UC Irvine’s Friday night starter. Pallante’s fastball sits 90-92 mph and touches 94 mph as a starter, and he’s been up to 97 mph in relief. His heater stays off the barrel with late life and carry through the zone, inducing more soft contact than swings and misses. Pallante’s above-average 82-84 mph slider is his main secondary, and he’ll mix in an average 80-84 mph changeup and below-average 72-74 mph curveball. Pallante is a plus strike-thrower with four pitches and track record of durability, but his delivery and arm action raise questions about his command. Most evaluators project him to the bullpen, where they envision his fastball and slider playing up.