Kevin Kopps

Kopps has carried a starter’s workload as a moment-of-truth reliever for the nation’s No. 1 team. In the NCAA regionals, Kopps threw 13.1 scoreless innings and 185 pitches in four days to get two wins and a save in three appearances. After NCAA regionals he led the nation with a 0.68 ERA. Kopps has one plus pitch, but it’s an exceptional offering. Even college hitters that know he’s going to throw his plus-plus mid-80s slider/cutter can’t lay off of it. He can throw it for strikes, where its late movement still makes it tough to hit. And when he gets to two strikes, he can lower his target and watch hitters swing over an almost unhittable slider in the dirt. Kopps throws his below-average 88-92 mph fastball just 24% of the time overall and just 17% of the time when he’s in a two-strike count. He will mix in a below-average slow (mid 70s) curveball and he’s toyed with a fringe-average changeup that is effective because of the surprise factor. This is Kopps’ fifth season at Arkansas (he redshirted one year and then received a medical redshirt as he recovered from Tommy John surgery). He is already 24 years old. A team picking him will expect him to move quite quickly, but considering his workload this spring, any pro team signing him will have to consider shutting him down until 2022 because of his heavy usage. He should move quickly, but there are some doubts that his dominance will translate effectively to pro ball.