Owen Murphy

A two-way player as well as a star on the gridiron, Illinois prep product Owen Murphy opened eyes last fall as one of the top arms for Team USA’s 18U National Team. The athletic, 6-foot-1 195-pound hurler began where he left off last fall and cemented his name as a potential top-two round pick this spring with dominating performances and plus stuff that will only improve in time. Murphy uses a simple delivery that gains momentum as he progresses. With a loose, quick takeback, he releases his pitches from a three-quarter slot, landing on-line with good extension over his front side. The product out of his hand is live. Murphy’s fastball sat 91-94, presenting itself much firmer up in the zone due to high spin. Murphy loves to challenge hitters with his “No. 1” as it also serves as his go-to pitch in the clutch. Complementing his fastball is an 11-to-5 hard-breaking slurve that sits in the 76-80 mph range. Flashing plus, Murphy’s breaking ball will serve as his primary offspeed weapon moving forward as he possesses the ability to land it for a strike as well as intensifying the break to notch the punchout. There are two other offspeed pitches Murphy has tucked away in his arsenal, but he’s rarely used either this spring due to dominance with his fastball and curveball. He will flash an 84-86 mph cutter that presents like a slider at times, varying in plane and shorter three-quarter break. His changeup is also present at 78-82 mph, thrown mostly in his warm-up pitches. Evaluators have stated the traditional down-and-away movement is there when timed up as it appears to have the makings of at least a solid-average offering when fully developed. Murphy’s ability to attack in the zone, accompanied with his highly competitive nature, gives him a starter profile. The Notre Dame commit has put himself in a favorable spot on draft boards heading into July.