Brad Boxberger

Boxberger is the son of Rod Boxberger, a righthander who led Southern California to a College World Series title in 1978, when he was also a first-round pick of the Astros. Both father and son attended Foothill High in Orange County, where Brad succeeded Phil Hughes as the staff ace and became a 20th-round pick of the Royals in 2006. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps to Southern Cal instead, and he has essentially been the Friday starter since he was a freshman. At an even 6 feet with a strong and mature frame. Boxberger has three pitches with plus potential. First is a 91-93 mph fastball that peaks at 94. He can add and subtract velocity from his 79-80 mph curveball, and his circle changeup is a bit inconsistent but has excellent deception and late drop when it's on. During his windup, he has a distinctive habit of turning his back to the plate. Boxberger offers little projection and ideally would be a middle-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues. He has a tendency to hit the wall, and late in starts his velocity will drop, his command will disappear and the wheels will come off. Brad doesn't figure to be the 11th overall pick as his father was, but he could reach the back of the first round in a best case.