Brock Selvidge

Selvidge has been a significant member of the 2021 draft class since his sophomore year of high school, with early projections that he would follow a similar path as Matthew Liberatore, the last southpaw pitcher from Arizona to be drafted in the first round when the Mountain Ridge High hurler was taken in 2018 by Tampa Bay with the 16th overall pick. But Selvidge’s senior season at Hamilton (Ariz.) High hasn’t gone as projected. In the past, Selvidge commanded a fastball sitting 90-92 mph and touching 94-95, with a low-80s slider with hard and tight movement and late break and an 80-84 mph changeup with tumbling action and thrown with good arm speed. In his senior season at Hamilton, talent evaluators saw him having to work harder to get to his ideal velocity, affecting the command and control of his pitches, with walk rates approaching five per seven innings. The development of the secondary pitches hasn’t advanced, all grading as below-average pitches, and he abandoned the use of a curveball earlier this season. The life and movement on his fastball have also been below-average. With a strong commitment to Louisiana State, Selvidge might be viewed as unsignable, causing his name to drop off draft boards. His competitiveness and makeup is outstanding and the components for success are still there, so a different approach and the challenges of pitching in the SEC could provide a boost.