Alex Cornwell

A 37th-round pick of the Cubs out of high school, Cornwell missed two seasons with a back injury but returned to spend the last two years in Southern California’s rotation. He struggled this spring in a down year for the entire Trojans’ pitching staff, going 5-6, 5.35 in 15 starts and allowing a .299 opponent average. Cornwell shows flashes of intriguing stuff but struggles to put it together consistently. His fastball sits 89-91 and touches 93 mph and he previously had an above-average, top-to-bottom curveball in the mid 70s. He began throwing a slider this year and lost his feel for the curveball, making it a slurvy, fringe-average offering. He also throws a fringy changeup in the low 80s. Cornwell’s arm slot floats in his delivery and affects his command. He throws strikes but often gets too much of the plate. Cornwell becomes interesting if he can rediscover his previous curveball with help from the right player development staff. A move to the bullpen would help his fastball tick up as well.