Sam Dyson

Dyson was a 19th-round pick of the Nationals out of Jesuit High in Tampa in 2006, but he decided to attend South Carolina. He missed his freshman season after having labrum surgery and seemed primed to go out high in the 2009 draft, as he showed power stuff and good competitiveness. His medical history, though, helped push him down draft boards, and he wound up as the Athletics' 10th-round pick and didn't sign. After going 17-4 his first two seasons, he hadn't posted as gaudy a record as a redshirt junior, but his 5-5, 3.92 season actually was more impressive. Dyson has dialed his velocity down into the 92-93 mph range rather than the upper 90s and sitting 93-95. He can still flash that kind of velocity but has sacrificed it for better command and life. He's driving the ball down in the strike zone more and had cut his home runs allowed from 18 in 102 innings to three in 83 innings. Dyson is at his best when he is throwing his curveball for strikes and not just using it as a chase pitch. He also throws a slider in the mid-80s that doesn't have great depth, but he locates it better than the curve. His changeup has made progress as well. Dyson's medical history is what it is, but he has been durable over the last two seasons, making every start and approaching 200 innings total. His improved control should allow him to stay in a rotation in the near-term, though his power stuff could lend itself to a bullpen role eventually.