Draft League Pitches of the Week
June 4, 2021
The Prep Baseball Report team has identified the following pitches as the Draft League’s Pitches of the Week for May 24-31. Selections were made by the PBR staff based on in-person looks, TrackMan data and video review.
FASTBALL
RHP DYLAN HEID, Trenton Thunder
21 whiffs on 27 swings! Heid continues to create Whiffs with his Fastball at an impressive rate! His 90-94 mph fastball plays up and has deception. With 1 ft more extension than average and an average Induced Vertical Break (IVB) of 21 inches, hitters are struggling to touch, let alone square up Heid’s fastball.
LHP RONAN KOPP, Frederick Keys
14 whiffs on 17 swings! Not only is Kopp’s fastball hard, up to 98.2 mph, but the lefty adds an impressive amount of spin (2400-2500+), creating plus rise. Kopp’s combination of rise and velocity from the left side is impressive.
CURVEBALL
RHP COLE AYERS, Mahoning Valley Scrappers
Chase rate of 60%! Ayers throws his curveball hard, 80-85 mph, and with depth, up to -11.4” IVB. The righty maximizes his spin to create angle and throws his breaking ball with intent and confidence. With any added spin, this plus curveball gets even better.
SLIDER
LHP JIMMY BURNETTE, Scrappers
A lefty with a tight, sharp sweeping slider? Sign us up. Burnette shows great feel and ability to spin his slider up 2846 RPM. He can land it backdoor for strikes against right-handed hitters or bury it on their back foot when vying for a chase. The sharp movement and velocity puts the southpaw’s slider high on this list.
CHANGEUP
RHP TREVOR TIETZ, West Virginia Black Bears
Though he’s known more for having a Hop fastball up to 96 mph, Tietz has another weapon in his changeup. The righty throws his low-spin, low-IVB changeup with good arm speed and intent at 86 mph, showing swing-and-miss potential with the pitch.