Zach Pettway

Pettway spent four years in UCLA’s rotation and was the Bruins’ Opening Day starter as a sophomore and junior. He entered this year expected to be one of UCLA’s top pitchers, but his stuff regressed and he had his worst season. He went 2-5, 4.89 as the Friday night starter for the Bruins and got worse as the season went on. Pettway succeeds more on deception than stuff even when he’s going well. His fastball sits at 87 mph and touches 91 at its best and plays up with elite extension, and his stop-and-start delivery disrupts hitters’ timing. But at the end of this season his fastball averaged 85 mph and topped out at 89, leading to lots of hard contact and short, ugly outings. Pettway’s above-average changeup is his best secondary. His low-70s breaking ball is a below-average offering. Pettway has the command to work the corners and avoid the middle of the plate, but at his current velocity, his stuff is hittable even when he locates his pitches. Pettway needs to return to his previous velocity to have success moving forward. He is a senior sign candidate for an analytically-inclined team who likes his extension and past performance.