Jonathon Crawford

Most colleges recruited Crawford as an outfielder, but a Gators assistant liked his arm strength and got him to throw a bullpen during some down time at a high school showcase. Soon, Crawford had an offer to pitch for the Gators, and though he made just five appearances as a freshman, he emerged as a prospect that summer, racking up 51 strikeouts in 38 innings in the Northwoods League. He pitched his way into Florida's weekend rotation as a sophomore, tossing a no-hitter against Bethune-Cookman in regional play and earning a spot on USA Baseball's college national team last summer. The Gators and Crawford got off to slow starts this season, but scouts saw no dropoff in his stuff. He still has an electric arm with a durable, strong 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame. His fastball sits 92-96 mph at its best, and he holds that velocity deep into games. Crawford powers through a less-than-clean delivery and struggles to repeat his release point, so he fights his fastball command and doesn't consistently deliver his plus slider in the 82-84 mph range. His changeup has progressed but remains a distant third pitch. Crawford looks like a reliever to some scouts, but the paucity of college pitching makes it likely he'll go out in the first round and get an opportunity as a starter.