Jake Madden

Originally a South Carolina commit, Madden’s path deviated after having Tommy John surgery and then heading to Northwest Florida State JC, where he looked to add some track record to solid arm talent this spring. Scouts have seen Madden up to 96-97 mph, though he has primarily pitched in the 93-95 mph range with impressive arm-side run at times. Madden throws two promising secondaries: the first a mid-to-upper-80s slider and the second a mid-to-upper-80s changeup. The slider has solid power and vertical bite, with solid sweeping action to his glove side. He’s done a solid job keeping the changeup down in the zone, and it features hard dive and plenty of arm-side running life. Madden is tall and lanky at 6-foot-6, 185 pounds, with plenty of room for more strength, and throws from a loose, three-quarter slot but needs to refine his control and command. This spring Madden posted a 4.52 ERA over 47.2 innings, with 76 strikeouts and 24 walks. Originally a cold weather arm from Pennsylvania, scouts think there’s plenty left in the tank with Madden, who is now committed to Alabama.