Austin Maddox

Maddox was a decorated amateur player who at one time projected as a first-round pick due to his power bat and arm strength. A high school catcher and pitcher, he fell to the 37th round of the 2009 draft (Rays) after ranking No. 81 on BA's Top 200 draft prospects. Maddox went to Florida and has helped the program make consecutive trips to Omaha while transforming himself as a player. Blocked at catcher by Mike Zunino, Maddox hit 17 home runs as a freshman corner infielder but tumbled to six in 2011 with the less-potent bats, and his lack of selectivity and a defensive position drove down his stock as a hitter. After not pitching as a freshman, he seized the closer role as a sophomore, and he remains there as a junior. Scouts now view him as a pitcher, though his background as an everyday player days comes through in his competitiveness. Maddox has closer makeup and mound presence to spare, with confidence and an attacking mentality. At his best, he features a 92-94 mph fastball that has reached 96, and he gets swings and misses in the strike zone with it. His arm action causes his offspeed stuff to be erratic, but scouts think his mechanics can be refined with a full focus on the mound. He throws a slurvy slider, which is effective when he stays on top of it, and a changeup that gives hitters a different look. He's had some rotator cuff tendinitis this spring but generally has handled a heavy workload well, and his 6-foot-3, 235-pound body should help him hold up under a pro workload.