The 2018 MLB Draft begins on June 4 and major league teams will discuss numerous prospects when they prepare their draft boards for the three-day event. One fascinating debate will come between Matthew Liberatore and Carter Stewart, the top two prep pitchers in the 2018 MLB Draft class.
Liberatore is the top prep left-handed pitcher in this year’s draft class since last summer, while Stewart, a right-handed pitcher, has made a huge leap up the prospect rankings this spring. Both hurlers have the potential to go in the first 10 picks of the 2018 MLB Draft.
A 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty, Liberatore is an Arizona native and possesses an advanced four-pitch mix for a prep hurler. He made mechanical adjustments this spring to improve his command.
He throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball that topped out at 96 mph this spring. His best secondary pitch is his above-average curveball, which has tight spin and some sharpness. Liberatore’s repertoire also consists of a slider, which he introduced this spring, and a changeup. Both pitches have the potential to develop into plus offerings.
Liberatore led his high school, Mountain Ridge, to a runner-up finish in the state tournament. He posted an 8-1 mark with a 0.93 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 25 walks in 60 1/3 innings this spring.
He has a mature approach on the mound and possesses a high-floor.
Stewart, who’s a 6-6, 200-pound righty from Florida, has increased his draft stock this spring. After a strong summer a year ago, Stewart continued his success on the mound this spring, while also remaining healthy.
Stewart possesses the best fastball-curveball combination in the 2018 MLB Draft class. His fastball sits in the upper-90s, while his power curveball has sharp bite and elite spin rate. He also has a changeup, but it still has room for improvement, as he hasn’t needed it at the high school level.
He posted a 0.91 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings this spring.
Major league teams are always skeptical about taking right-handed pitchers high in the draft, but Steward possesses No. 1 starter potential.
Prep pitchers always present some risk because teams don’t know how they’ll adjust to consistently facing high-end talent. Liberatore and Stewart have top-of-the-rotation potential and could hear their names called in the first 10 picks of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Dan Zielinski III is the creator of the Baseball Prospect Journal and has covered the MLB draft since 2015. His draft work originally appeared on The3rdManIn.com, a sports website he started in December 2011. He also covered the Milwaukee Brewers as a member of the credentialed media for four years. Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
The 2018 MLB Draft begins on June 4 and major league teams will discuss numerous prospects when they prepare their draft boards for the three-day event. One fascinating debate will come between Matthew Liberatore and Carter Stewart, the top two prep pitchers in the 2018 MLB Draft class.
Liberatore is the top prep left-handed pitcher in this year’s draft class since last summer, while Stewart, a right-handed pitcher, has made a huge leap up the prospect rankings this spring. Both hurlers have the potential to go in the first 10 picks of the 2018 MLB Draft.
A 6-foot-5, 200-pound lefty, Liberatore is an Arizona native and possesses an advanced four-pitch mix for a prep hurler. He made mechanical adjustments this spring to improve his command.
He throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball that topped out at 96 mph this spring. His best secondary pitch is his above-average curveball, which has tight spin and some sharpness. Liberatore’s repertoire also consists of a slider, which he introduced this spring, and a changeup. Both pitches have the potential to develop into plus offerings.
Liberatore led his high school, Mountain Ridge, to a runner-up finish in the state tournament. He posted an 8-1 mark with a 0.93 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 25 walks in 60 1/3 innings this spring.
He has a mature approach on the mound and possesses a high-floor.
Stewart, who’s a 6-6, 200-pound righty from Florida, has increased his draft stock this spring. After a strong summer a year ago, Stewart continued his success on the mound this spring, while also remaining healthy.
Stewart possesses the best fastball-curveball combination in the 2018 MLB Draft class. His fastball sits in the upper-90s, while his power curveball has sharp bite and elite spin rate. He also has a changeup, but it still has room for improvement, as he hasn’t needed it at the high school level.
He posted a 0.91 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings this spring.
Major league teams are always skeptical about taking right-handed pitchers high in the draft, but Steward possesses No. 1 starter potential.
Prep pitchers always present some risk because teams don’t know how they’ll adjust to consistently facing high-end talent. Liberatore and Stewart have top-of-the-rotation potential and could hear their names called in the first 10 picks of the 2018 MLB Draft.
READ: 2018 MLB Draft: Profiles on 34 top prospects
READ: 2018 MLB Draft: Mock Draft
READ: The3rdManIn.com’s MLB Draft prospect history
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