Andrew Schultz

Schultz is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in college baseball. He’s also completed one of the most significant delivery makeovers in the college ranks as well. Schultz’s delivery was once extremely long in the back, as he brought his arm through a sweeping arc that brought the ball far behind his back. Thanks to an upper-90s fastball, it seemed to work as a freshman. He was wild—11 walks in 16 innings—but he managed to get out of trouble regularly and finished with a solid season (1-0, 3.31). It all fell apart as a sophomore, however. Schultz threw only eight innings in 15 appearances and 20 of the 42 batters he faced reached base. Now, Schultz has a completely reworked delivery. He cocks the ball behind his head in an extremely abbreviated takeaway that makes it look like he’s throwing a dart. Scouts don’t love his new delivery either, but it does make it tougher for hitters to pick up the ball. His new delivery also helped him improve to below-average control as a junior. He still walks too many batters—16 in 22 innings at the end of the regular season—but because of a 96-100 mph fastball that has touched 101 mph, it works. In addition to his plus-plus fastball, he shows a plus slider. Schultz is extremely athletic, which helps explain how he pulled off such a significant delivery tweak. It’s a reliever-only profile, but there is plenty of impact stuff to work with.which helps explain how he pulled off such a significant delivery tweak. It’s a reliever only profile, but there is plenty of impact stuff to work with.