Sam Clay

Clay was a significant recruit for Georgia Tech but a bit raw to start as a freshman after a prep career that included playing quarterback for Georgia prep football power Buford High. He pitched just 23 innings as a freshman before stepping into a larger role this season under new pitching coach Jason Howell, who improved his delivery and got him throwing more strikes. His command remains below-average, but he shined in a relief role this spring, at times pitching three or more innings and leading the Yellow Jackets with seven saves. Hitters rarely square up Clay, who had allowed only one extra-base hit entering the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Most often he'll sit around 89-93 mph with a hard slider in the mid-80s, but at other times he's truly electric, pitching at 93-95 mph with depth to his slider. In longer outings he also throws a curveball and changeup, but mostly he attacks hitters with two power pitches. A draft-eligible sophomore who turns 21 two weeks after the draft, Clay could move into the rotation as a pro, if only to get the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder more innings.