By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

With just seven players committed in Kentucky’s 2017 class, a lot of talent remains on the board, and the number of commitments will increase dramatically in the coming months. Over the next week or so, we will take a look at the top uncommitted juniors by position group. Today we kick off that series of articles with a look at five of the top uncommitted right-handed pitchers from the 2017 class.

Name: Ben Jordan
Height: 6-9
Weight: 210
High School: West Carter
State Ranking: 2
Scouting Report: (10/4/14) The 6-foot-9, 210-pounder’s combination of size, projectability, and high-80’s fastball makes him one of the premier right-handed pitchers in the country in the 2017 class.  Arm works easily with long arm action through a high-3/4 slot, works fastball on a downhill plane at 86-89 mph, curveball shows sharp 11/5 action at 73-75 mph, shows advanced feel for 74 mph changeup with some sink to the arm-side, allowed no hits and struck out three in two innings of work, has a huge ceiling and is already a highly-coveted national prospect.

Name: TJ Graves
Height: 6-4
Weight: 180
High School: Nelson County
State Ranking: 4
Scouting Report: (8/1/15) 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, long and lanky frame with big upside, uses long arm action, high-3/4 slot, quick arm, fastball shows some arm-side run and sink, sat 87-90 mph throughout his two inning outing as a member of Team KY,  tends to get under 71-73 mph curveball leaving it up and flat but occasional flashes a sharper one when he stays on top, curveball has big potential with continued development, still has some element of rawness, but the combination of his frame and arm speed make him one of the top arms in Kentucky’s 2017 class with an exceptionally high ceiling.

Name: Trip Lockhart
Height: 6-2
Weight: 165
High School: Lexington Catholic
State Ranking: 8
Scouting Report: (8/1/15) 6-foot-2, 165-pound RHP with lanky frame that projects well, quick arm works through a ¾ to high-3/4 slot with regular effort, stays online and lands square, showed expected jump in velocity. Lockhart didn’t have the highest velocity on Team Kentucky, but he had the most efficient outing, keeping Team Ohio’s bats quiet in his two-inning stint. The 6-foot-2, 165-pounder pounded the strike zone with his 84-87 mph fastball, 74-75 breaking ball and 77 changeup. He allowed one hit and struck out two while inducing weak contact and working both sides of the plate effectively.

Name: Maddex Richardson
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
High School: Owensboro Catholic
State Ranking: 9
Scouting Report: 6-foot-2, 190-pound RHP with good pitcher’s frame, quick arm that works through a high-3/4 slot with regular effort, deliberate delivery, lands open occasionally, fastball sat 85-87 mph with occasional late sink, 77-79 mph slider is advanced for age with tight spin and late/sharp biting action that generates swings-and-misses, showed a 75-79 mph changeup thrown with good arm action, tends to go deep in counts, threw two hitless innings while walking one and striking out four (two on FB, two swinging on SL), high-level 2017 prospect. Pitched well as a member of Team KY at the PBR Future Games in a two-inning stint against Tennessee.

Name: Eddie Satisky
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
High School: Lafayette
State Ranking: 12
Scouting Report: (6/29/15) 6-foot-2, 190-pound RHP uses long and loose arm action through a ¾ arm slot that produces natural arm-side run and sink to fastball, fastball sat 84-87 mph topping at 88, throws a sharp 68-70 mph curveball with 11/5 action for strikes, shows very good confidence in 73-75 mph changeup that mimics the action of his fastball, has continued to show a steady increase in velocity since last summer, allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out two (looking on FB and CB) in his two innings of work, has developed into a top class of 2017 arm.