Jackson Baumeister

School: Florida State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21
BA Grade:45/High
Tools:Fastball: 60. Slider: 45. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.

Baumeister was a talented two-way player in high school as a catcher and pitcher who ranked as a top-100 player in the 2021 draft class. A draft-eligible sophomore in 2023, Baumeister pitched out of the Florida State bullpen during the 2022 season, where he posted a 5.60 ERA over 27.1 innings, while striking out 41 and walking 20. He struggled significantly with his control but showed improvement in that area through five starts and 17 innings with Hyannis in the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 3.71 ERA and struck out 25, while walking eight. Those control improvements translated to the 2023 season, where the 6-foot-4, 226-pound righthander posted a career-best 9.4% walk rate, with a 4.96 ERA over 69 innings. Baumeister’s arsenal is led by an excellent fastball that sits around 93 mph and has touched 98. What makes the pitch special is the above-average induced vertical break, over 17 inches, that also comes with tremendous extension and a flat approach angle that all help the pitch play above its velocity. Baumeister’s go-to secondary is a mid-70s top-down curveball that looks average, and he has also thrown a mid-80s changeup that could be a decent offering for lefthanders. He also added a new slider in the low 80s but he struggled to get on top of the pitch consistently and used it just 7% of the time.