Coleman Willis

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #119 prospect in 2021 draft
  Willis is a lanky, 6-foot-6, 190-pound righthander who showed flashes of a decent three-pitch mix, but questionable command last summer. Over the past six months or so, Willis has filled out, added strength to his frame and ticked up his velocity. With that, his draft stock has gone up significantly, and there’s now a chance pro teams might buy into his upside enough to sign him out of a commitment to Georgia. Last summer Willis topped out around 91 mph at East Coast Pro with a fastball that showed solid cutting action to his glove side and a spin rate in the 2300-2500 rpm range. He also showed a mid-70s curveball with 11-to-5 shape and solid depth, and a mid-80s changeup with sink and fading action. While the stuff was intriguing, Willis struggled to control anything and wound up getting the inning rolled on him. However, he’s now touching 93-94 mph this spring and his curveball is getting above-average projections with a bit more power on the pitch. Evaluators believe that as he continues to add strength he’ll be able to more efficiently control his tall frame and levers, and with that the control will follow. While Willis has taken steps forward, he’s still a fairly deep projection pick for teams who believe he has the ingredients to develop a plus fastball and solid enough control to handle a starting role. His upside warrants a pick inside the top-five rounds, but given Georgia’s track record producing arms in recent years, he might be a tough sign.