Sean Hjelle

One of the tallest pitchers in any draft class, the 6-foot-11 Hjelle was the Wildcats closer as a freshman and became the team's Friday starter as a sophomore. He earned SEC pitcher of the year honors in 2017 and has been equally effective as a junior. What Hjelle lacks is a true out pitch. Hitters rarely square him up and his fastball has good plane, but he generally sits 90-92 mph, touching 94-95 at his best. It's an above-average pitch because he can locate it and it will sometimes flash arm-side run, but it doesn't generate many swings and misses. At its best, Hjelle's 81-83 mph curveball has plenty of power and 12-to-6 movement when he's staying on top. His 84-85 mph changeup ranges from average to above-average from outing to outing. Some scouts see Hjelle's long and still lanky frame and see further projection. Hjelle has added 20 pounds of good weight in his time at Kentucky and he has touched 97 mph in shorter fall ball outings when well rested. But more realistically, Hjelle projects as a reliable No. 4 starter thanks to his above-average control, three average or better pitches and a track record of durability.