Spencer Schwellenbach

Schwellenbach is one of the most intriguing draft storylines as a legitimate two-way player who scouts continue to be split on. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound shortstop at Nebraska is solid at the position, though his foot speed limits him defensively. He doesn’t have the athleticism to stay at shortstop long term and could potentially see a future at third base. He hasn’t shown power but he has consistently high exit velocities off the bat and the analytics are promising. Where Schwellenbach has drawn even more interest is with his arm, as a player who rolls in from short and has been up to 99 mph on the mound. He sits 94 to 97 with super easy velocity but generic life. The righthander has an average slider in the mid-80s with good shape, and a changeup he can throw for strikes that will be an average pitch, though he hasn’t showcased it often. Though his delivery could use refining, he throws strikes, commands his secondaries, knows what he is doing, has good feel for the zone, lands everything, and does it easily. He hasn’t pitched a lot, getting into 16 games out of the Huskers’ bullpen and posting a 0.71 ERA over 25.1 innings with 29 strikeouts this year, which might temper some enthusiasm for his starter upside. Schwellenbach has had arm issues in the past, including a non-Tommy John UCL reparation surgery, but the arm strength and strikes are impressive and he gets a higher consensus rank for the pitching profile.