Chris Stratton

Undrafted out of high school, Stratton just missed being eligible as a sophomore last year; he'll turn 22 in August, so he's a bit old for his class. Stratton went just 10-10, 5.25 in his first two seasons but gained needed confidence last summer in the Cape Cod League. He has a perfect pitcher's frame at 6-foot-2, 197 pounds, and has shown flashes of three above-average pitches this spring. He had everything working in a mid-March start against LSU, striking out 17, and has maintained a similar quality of stuff since then. His fastball sits in the 91-93 mph range with his fastball, regularly touching 95 and at times reaching back for a bit more. His fastball also features natural, late tailing action that he has learned to harness. His slider is his best secondary pitch, a true plus offering, but Stratton also throws a solid-average curve that at times is above-average as well, if a bit shy of plus. Scouts laud his poise and improved feel for pitching. He's able to throw his slider both for strikes and as a chase pitch, leading scouts to give him average to slightly above-average grades for his overall command.