Dylan Questad, a right-handed pitcher, made a statement on the showcase circuit last summer, dominating quality prep hitters and exhibiting exciting potential on the mound. The Waterford (Wis.) native’s best outing came at the Area Code Games in San Diego, one of the marquee events of the summer.
Questad faced off against right-handed pitcher Noble Meyer, the top-ranked prep pitcher in the 2023 class, at the Area Code Games. Both pitchers performed well, but Questad stole the show. He threw three perfect innings and recorded six strikeouts to earn the event’s Pitcher of the Week award.
Questad’s success on the showcase circuit, especially at the Area Code Games, gave him confidence, as he proved to himself that he “can compete against the best guys in the country,” he said. It also caused him to surge up MLB draft boards. Entering the spring, scouts project the right-hander as a potential early-round pick in July’s draft.
Wisconsin hasn’t had a prep pitcher selected in the first five rounds of the draft in nearly two decades. The Seattle Mariners drafted left-handed pitcher Tony Butler out of Oak Creek High School in the third round in 2006.
“I am in awe with where I am because I never really thought I would be in the position I am in,” Questad said. “I always had a pretty strong arm, but it was never at the level it’s at now. Over the years, I have been fortunate to be around some really good coaches, and they have helped me a lot. It’s really special to me. I love the grind. I’m happy where I’m at, but I want to get better.”
Questad is a 6-foot-1, 205-pound right-handed pitcher who throws a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, changeup and sinker from a clean, athletic and smooth delivery and high arm slot.
His above-average fastball is his best offering and features plenty of movement. It sits in the mid-90s, touches 97 mph with ride, and generates plenty of swings and misses. He also has quality control and command of his four-seamer.
Questad is a strong and athletic pitcher with a competitive mindset. He projects as a starting pitcher in the college and professional ranks.
“The ability to command my fastball in all four quadrants,” said Questad on his biggest strength. “In my training, we have bullpens dedicated just to command. Every pitch gets a grade, so I will try to hit certain quadrants. Focusing on command and not worrying about other things eliminates the variables I can’t control.”
This offseason, Questad is working on refining his secondary pitches and improving his command. Questad wants to differentiate the velocities between his curveball and slider. His goal is to have his curveball sit in the high-70s and his slider be a firm high-80s pitch, so it plays well off his fastball.
Questad’s slider is his best secondary pitch and serves as an outpitch. He likes to throw his changeup to left-handed hitters, which features late fading action and tunnels off his fastball.
His curveball plays well off his fastball, featuring a 12-to-6 break. Questad’s sinker is a developing offering he recently started throwing in hopes of having another consistent pitch he can use to generate ground balls.
“My goal is to dominate games without relying on my fastball,” Questad said. “I want to show that I am not just a fastball pitcher and that I do have these off-speed offerings.”
Questad credits his transformation into a top player in the 2023 class to his work with Nate Brown of Optimum Performance and Physical Therapy in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Brown was a 40th-round draft pick by the New York Yankees out of Arrowhead High School in 2016 before pitching collegiately at Florida and Arizona.
Questad has worked with Brown for about three years. During that time, Brown has helped Questad develop into a Division I college recruit and pro prospect.
Besides his status as a draft prospect, Questad is an Arkansas commit. He verbally committed to Arkansas as a high school junior in September 2021. Arkansas is one of the top programs in college baseball and has a track record of developing players for the pro ranks.
“I really believe Arkansas has one of the best fanbases in all professional or college sports,” Questad said. “Arkansas sports are the biggest thing in the state. We went down there for a scrimmage, and they had like 10,000 people there just for a scrimmage. It was a really cool experience. The facilities are great, and the coaches are awesome.”
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Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for eight years. He has interviewed 433 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
Best side of this young man is his humility and work ethic. Great person outside of sports. Proud of your accomplishments kid. Seize the moment.