Daniel Avitia

School: Grand Canyon
Commit/Drafted: Cubs ’21 (19)
Age at Draft: 21.2

Avitia was selected in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but rather than starting his professional career he opted to attend Grand Canyon. He is now a 6-foot-4, 200-pound righthander who has earned a reputation as one of the best pure command pictures in the class. In two seasons with Grand Canyon, Avitia has posted a 3.99 ERA in 167 innings with a 27.7% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate. He doesn’t possess much velocity and sits 88-92 with a fastball that will scrape 95 but he throws from a lower arm slot and maximizes the stuff he does have with advanced pitchability and feel for his secondaries. He pitches off a low-80s changeup more than a mid-70s slurvy breaking ball, and neither pitch looks above-average in a vacuum, but his location and deception from his low release point allow them to both play up. He’s as safe a starter as you can find, but how teams think his stuff will miss bats in pro ball will ultimately determine his draft upside—adding more velocity in 2024 will make that projection simpler for scouting departments.