Braden Shipley

While Nevada has produced big leaguers, the school has never had a first-round pick. That will change this year, as Shipley emerged as one of the draft's biggest risers. Shipley was a two-way player in high school in Oregon and was recruited as a shortstop, but his arm was so good that the coaching staff gave him a shot on the mound during his sophomore year. Then he leaped up draft boards after being named the No. 1 prospect in the Alaska League last summer. Shipley's fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range and gets as high as 98, and he already has feel for one of the draft's best changeups. He doesn't use his curveball much, but has a feel for spin, too. His breaking ball is a hard, downer pitch in the upper 70s, and he has experimented with a cutter. Shipley is a good athlete and makes difficult defensive plays on the mound look routine. Athleticism runs in his family, and his cousin Jordan Shipley was a wide receiver for the Bengals, Buccaneers and Jaguars. Shipley also pitches with a mean streak on the mound and is fearless when it comes to challenging hitters and owning the inner half of the plate.