Juaron Watts-Brown

School: Oklahoma State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.

Watts-Brown was a standout, multi-sport athlete in high school who excelled at baseball, football and basketball. He began his college career at Long Beach State, but redshirted in 2021 to recover from an arm injury he sustained in football. When he returned to the mound in 2022, Watts-Brown was named a Freshman All-American and his draft stock exploded over the summer when he showed improved velocity and some of the best all-around pitching upside during the summer in the Cape Cod League. In his first and only season with Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander posted a 5.03 ERA over 15 starts and 82.1 innings and led the Big 12 with 124 strikeouts and a 33% strikeout rate. He’s a good mover on the mound with a clean, fast arm, a bit of length in the back of his arm path and a three-quarter slot. Watts-Brown averaged 92 mph and touched 95 with a fastball that had around 19 inches of induced vertical break. He used that pitch less than half the time however, thanks to a high-usage, mid-80s slider that flashes plus with hard, tight spin and looks like a real out pitch. He generated whiffs at a 53% rate with the slider, with 40% usage, and often shows better feel to land it for strikes than either his fastball, his low-80s 12-6 curveball or his mid-80s changeup. Watts-Brown has fringy control and needs to improve his fastball command to make the most of a solid four-pitch mix.