Chris Tillman

Tillman entered the season as the top prospect in Southern California's usually fertile high school ranks. His performance hasn't endeared him to scouts, however, and his 5-5 record for a struggling team probably hasn't made for a fun season for him either. A Cal State Fullerton signee, Tillman hasn't shown consistent stuff and is a player who clubs have to project significantly. He has a loose arm and excellent pitcher's frame. He's shown a 90-94 mph fastball velocity but hasn't shown the ability--or perhaps just as troubling, the willingness--to maintain his stuff deep into games. One theory is he's just cruising, while another is that he's growing into his lanky body. He often backs off on his fastball, sitting in the mid-80s and later going back up around 90. He also has flashed a 12-to-6 curveball at times, and at 74-78 mph it can be a plus power pitch. In searching for a third pitch, Tillman has thrown more split-finger fastballs than scouts want to see. While three years with the Titans would produce a more finished product, Tillman's projectability and possible two plus pitches figure to be too much for clubs to avoid, and he isn't expected to make it out of the first two rounds.