Del Howell

Like many college pitchers this spring, Howell's draft stock has been volatile. Recruited as a two-way player, Howell shined as a pitcher in the Texas Collegiate League last summer and earned top prospect honors there, striking out 47 in 34 innings. Alabama intended to use him as a reliever this year, in a middle-relief, "moment of truth" role, but he wasn't 100 percent healthy as he recovered from a case of mononucleosis. In an effort to make up for lost innings, Alabama used Howell as a starter early in the season, and he flashed above-average stuff, including dominating Vanderbilt in a complete-game effort. His fastball touched 94 in relief last summer and sat at 89-92 mph at its best this spring. He's got natural sink and tail on the fastball as well and complements it with a good, hard slider in the low 80s. In relief, Howell was a two-pitch guy, but he flashed an average changeup this spring. He has thrown fewer than 100 innings in college, making him an intriguing, fresh arm for scouts who have seen him throw well. He doesn't have the innings under his belt to know how to get out of jams or fight through innings when he doesn't have his best stuff. He could go anywhere from the second to the fourth round.