Jim Callis posted a mock draft for MLB Pipeline on Friday afternoon and he has the Pittsburgh Pirates taking Pitt right-handed pitcher T.J. Zeuch with the 22nd overall pick. This is a player we have heard before for the Pirates in recent mock drafts.
Early in the year, Zeuch was rated much lower, partially due to a groin injury that kept him out the first few weeks. When he returned to action, the 6’7″ Zeuch quickly shot up the draft rankings. His season is already over, so from here on out until the draft, he will probably be throwing during private workouts for clubs. He finished with a 3.10 ERA in 69.2 innings, with 19 walks, 74 strikeouts, and a .229 BAA. The impressive part about those 69.2 innings of work, is that they came in just ten starts.
The MLB Pipeline scouting report on Zeuch has a four-pitch mix, with nice downward action and room for more velocity as he gets stronger. He already touches 96-97, but sits 92-94 with sink to his fastball. He also has a curve/slider combo that gives him two potential plus off-speed pitches. His change needs work, though he can still throw it for strikes.
Prospect Junkies just posted this video of Zeuch two weeks ago, which gives you a great look at him. They had him sitting 93-95 MPH in this start.
We will have another mock draft tomorrow, along with some notes on the draft, including the strengths and weaknesses of the class.
