Keyvius Sampson

Florida State's top recruit, Sampson would bring the Seminoles a dynamic arm the program has lacked in recent years, if he gets to school. That's not likely, as his lithe, athletic frame and power arm have attracted scouts' interest for the last two years. Sampson has overcome off-field problem, including the death of his mother, to become one of the top arms in the state of Florida, which will be the top producer of talent in this year's draft after California. He reminds some scouts of Edwin Jackson as an African-American pitcher with athleticism and a quick arm that produces above-average velocity. He's touched 95-96 as the season has gone on, showing stronger stuff to go with a power breaking ball. He's shown feel for a changeup as well and has good present control and projects to have average future command thanks to his athleticism. He tends to vary his arm slot more than he should depending on the pitch and needs to become more consistent to make projections of average command come through. Clubs that believe in the arm and athleticism won't let him get through the first two rounds.