Willie Rios

Rios began his collegiate career at Maryland, throwing 19 2/3 innings as a freshman. He spent the summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, where he ranked as the No. 1 prospect, and transferred to Florida SouthWestern JC for his sophomore year. Rios has a big arm, but has struggled with his command, walking 49 and striking out 69 in 56 2/3 innings this season. He runs his fastball up to 94 mph, and pairs it well with a hard slider. He also throws a changeup and curveball, but both offerings lag behind his fastball and slider. He is much more of a thrower than a pitcher at this stage of his development, and his effortful delivery will likely relegate him to the bullpen. While Rios has struggled this season, lefthanders throwing 94 mph are hard to find and a team may be inclined to give Rios a chance to work through his control problems. If not, he is committed to Miami.