William Fleming

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #262 prospect in 2021 draft
  Ryan Cusick isn’t the only physically imposing Wake Forest pitcher in the 2021 class, as Fleming looks the part of a big leaguer right now as well, with a 6-foot-6, 220-pound frame. Fleming was eligible in the 2020 class thanks to a big-time fastball, but went unselected and made his way back to Wake for a fourth season, where he posted a 6.03 ERA over 74.2 innings and 13 starts, with 65 strikeouts (7.8 K/9) and 21 walks (2.5 BB/9). Despite the performance, scouts are still interested in Fleming because of his arm talent. He averages 94 mph with his powerful, sinking fastball and has been up to 97-98 mph at his best. His go-to secondary is a tight slider in the low-to-mid 80s, but he also throws a slower curve with 12-to-6 shape and a mid-80s changeup. His secondaries are fringy now, but teams might want to move Fleming into a bullpen role at the next level where his stuff might play up. At the same time, he’s thrown enough strikes over the last two seasons (2.5 BB/9) that some teams might give him a shot at starting.
• Ranked #277 prospect in 2020 draft
  A 6-foot-6, 220-pound righthander with a fastball that gets up to 97, Fleming moved into Wake Forest’s weekend rotation this spring after spending his first two years in the bullpen. Fleming has two different breaking balls and a changeup that scouts see as an average pitch. They are more skeptical about his ability to spin the breaking ball and think his future role is as a reliever. Fleming posted a 4.37 ERA over four starts and 22.2 innings of work this spring, with 22 strikeouts and six walks, but scouts point to a bad arm action and just decent control as reasons he might be more effective out of the pen in the future. He also has never missed as many bats as scouts expected considering his velocity. Some compare him to righthander Morgan McSweeney, who was drafted out of Wake Forest in the 17th round by the Orioles in 2019. Both are hard-throwing righthanders with reliever concerns—albeit for different reasons—and stuff that plays down from what scouts would expect. Fleming has a 4.80 career ERA at Wake Forest over 80.2 innings and last summer in the Cape Cod League he posted a 5.33 ERA over 25.1 innings with Wareham, while striking out 24 batters and walking six.