Alex Wood

Scouts can't recall a delivery quite like Wood's. When he lands on his right (lead) leg, he hops backward. It's odd to watch and will be difficult for pro pitching coaches to avoid changing. Still, he does a lot of good things, starting with his fastball. He has excellent velocity for a lefthander, touching 95-96 mph regularly and sitting in the 89-94 range. He throws a lot of strikes with his heater, showing the ability to locate it to both sides of the plate. When he's filling up the zone with his fastball, he's able to set up his changeup, his favorite pitch and a solid-average offering. His slider is a below-average pitch, and he has never shown much of a feel for spinning a breaking ball. A redshirt sophomore, Wood has had Tommy John surgery already, and between that and his delivery, he creates a wide diversity of opinion. But power lefthanders who throw strikes and perform in the Southeastern Conference (6-1, 2.64, 82 IP, 81-19 SO-BB) usually don't last long on draft day.