Adam Mazur was lightly recruited out of high school, drawing interest from Division I mid-major programs. The right-handed pitcher from Minnesota started his collegiate career at South Dakota State, where he experienced mixed results the last two years.
After last season, Mazur felt he needed to transfer to a new program to help his development on the mound. Iowa expressed interest right away. Mazur met with pitching coach Robin Lund twice over Zoom. Iowa head coach Rick Heller also attended Mazur’s first start in the prestigious Cape Cod League last summer, which spoke volumes to Mazur about Iowa’s interest.
Mazur’s relationship with Iowa’s coaches caused him to commit to the Hawkeyes over Purdue and Alabama. It was a major pickup for Iowa, as Mazur had a breakout summer in the Cape Cod League to position himself as a must-watch player for this spring season.
Mazur, a junior, is eligible for the 2022 MLB draft. Scouts project Mazur as a potential early-round pick in this year’s draft. If he can replicate last summer’s success, Mazur will enhance his status as a draft prospect this spring.
“It’s surreal,” Mazur said. “If you would have talked to me a year or two ago, I wouldn’t have believed it. But now, I’m seeing it become a reality. It’s a dream I have had since I was young to play in the major leagues. I’m just keeping my head down and focusing on the day-to-day stuff because I know if I go out there this spring and do what I need to do, the rest of the stuff will take care of itself.”
Mazur has made impressive strides throughout his collegiate career. As a freshman in 2020, Mazur posted a 5.75 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 12 walks as South Dakota State’s top starter in four games in the pandemic-shortened season.
Last year, Mazur flashed his potential but wasn’t consistent from start to start. He finished his sophomore campaign with a 5.43 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 31 walks in 68 innings in 12 starts.
Mazur broke out in the Cape Cod League against some of college baseball’s top hitters last summer. He pitched with confidence and had a better feel for his repertoire of pitches, recording a 1.55 ERA with 34 strikeouts and six walks in 29 innings in six starts.
Mazur’s success last summer and development in his first six months at Iowa have caused him to have high expectations entering this season. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound right-handed pitcher throws a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and changeup from a high three-quarters arm slot and delivery that features some deception.
His above-average fastball is his best pitch and sits in the mid-90s and touches 97 mph. In the offseason, Mazur tweaked his fastball grip, causing it to develop into a better pitch with improved metrics. Since the modifications, his fastball has more vertical break and is more effective up in the strike zone.
Previously, Mazur threw a two-seam fastball. But due to his four-seamer now having better natural movement, he doesn’t anticipate throwing his two-seam fastball much this spring.
Mazur’s slider is his best secondary pitch and serves as his outpitch. It’s a quality offering that Mazur also lands for strikes consistently. His changeup is an improving pitch, while his recently-developed curveball is a “get-me-over” pitch.
“My bulldog attitude is my biggest strength,” Mazur said. “When I am on the mound, I think no one is going to hit me no matter what pitch I throw. For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s the three-hole hitter or the ninth hitter. I go out there with the same mentality.”
This season, Mazur hopes to improve the control and command of his pitches after allowing 4.4 walks per nine innings in his two years at South Dakota State.
“Getting ahead with strike one is going to be the biggest thing for me,” Mazur said. “When I am throwing well, I am getting ahead of hitters and then letting my other pitches play off of that. I just need to command my fastball early on too.”
Mazur will play a key role in Iowa’s success this season. The Hawkeyes have not qualified for the NCAA tournament since 2017. They posted a winning season in each of the last four seasons, including a 26-18-mark last year.
This season, Mazur believes the Hawkeyes have the talent and team chemistry to qualify for the postseason.
“I think great things are ahead for us,” Mazur said. “We will shock a few people that might have us ranked a little lower. It’s just the preseason rankings, so we aren’t looking at those too much. But, I’m excited because I know the talent we have, especially on the mound, and it’s going to be a lot of fun to see guys have a lot of success this year.”
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Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for seven years. He has interviewed 356 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com and The Arizona Republic, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
