James Karinchak

Karinchak was the ace of Bryant's 47-12 club in 2016, going 12-3 with a 2.00 ERA while ranking 25th in the country with 112 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. The righthander came out of the chute showing first-round stuff, challenging Arkansas in his first start with a fastball that reached 96 mph, a changeup with tumbling split action and a hard, power curveball in the low 80s with downer action. His curve earned plus grades, and the three-pitch mix and Karinchak's confidence were moving him up boards before he lost momentum. He left a start in early March with an apparent arm injury and missed some time. His fastball command backed up as did his velocity; in some starts, he sat 90-92. He has a high, over-the-top arm slot that aids his curveball and a bit of a head whack in his delivery, and several scouts turned him in as a future reliever.