Written by: Shawn Chalmers
Follow him on Twitter: @ShawnMi79848313
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With the 2020 MLB Draft only a few hours away, MLB GM’s are frantically working the phones, speaking one last time to their scouts and digging deep into their notes on all the potential prospects that might be available to pick when it comes time for them to make a selection. Many will be looking to fill holes in their organization, others will look to take the best talent on the board, whether it’s an impact hitter or a potential mainstay in their pitching rotation. In my last article, I touched on 3 hitters that I feel will become very good every day MLB players, today, I’m going to talk about 2 pitchers that, who may not be a big flashy name going into the draft, but both have very big potential and both will end up being big contributors to an MLB rotation.
Reid Detmers – LHP, Louisville Age: 20 Height: 6’2″ Weight: 210
| Fastball | Curveball | Changeup | Control | FV |
| 55 / 60 | 50 / 55 | 45 / 50 | 55 / 60 | 50 |
Louisville has a left handed ace by the name of Reid Detmers, who has nerves of steel and seems unfazed by anything thrown his way and already showing the bulldog mentality of an MLB pitching vet. He might not light up radar guns like other pitchers in this draft class, but you would be hard pressed to find a more effective arm in this years crop. He has arguably the best mound presence and pitchability in this class and has great work ethic, always looking to improve his craft. These are all traits that are hard to teach, and, combined with his arsenal, should give him the floor of a #3 type starter at the MLB level, with the potential for more. Detmers combines this stone cold mental make up with his strong, durable 6’2″ frame to surgically carve up the opposition at the plate. His mechanics are practically text book and he repeats his delivery with ease, allowing him to pound the strike zone. Watching him work, he reminds me a lot of Hall of Fame lefty Tom Glavine.
In Detmers 2019 sophomore year with Louisville, he had 13 wins in 18 starts, which led the NCAA Division 1, as well as a school record. He also posted a 38 % strikeout rate by racking up 167 K’s in 113 innings, which was 2nd in the D1 ranks. All of this while leading the Cardinals to the College World Series and earned the ACC Pitcher of the Year award, as well as a semi-finalist for both the Golden Spikes award and the Dick Howser award. Detmers then added a cherry to the top of his impressive 2019 campaign by being the US Collegiate National team’s best starter in the summer.
During the shortened 2020 season, he was off to another impressive season ranking 2nd in NCAA Division 1 in strikeouts with 48 and a whiff rate of 19.6 K/9 innings.
Detmers fastball will typically sit in the 90-94 mph range, but it looks faster because for whatever reason, hitters don’t pick the ball up well out of his hand and he commands it so well to both sides of the plate. He has a bit more room to add some size and strength to his frame, so we could see his average velocity bumped up a few ticks in the future. 93-97 mph isn’t a far stretch.
Detmers also possesses two good off speed pitches, a curveball and a change up, both showing signs of being plus pitches at the next level.
His curveball, which sits in the 73-77 mph range, has great shape to it, and at times, is just flat out filthy with knee buckling bite.
His change up, which is a sinking circle change, has good arm side fade to it when he throws it well and will sit in the 80-82 mph range. It is definitely lagging behind the other two offerings, but not by much. It could prove to be a devastating out pitch for him if he can perfect it.
Detmers should go high in this draft, and should move quickly through whatever system he ends up in. Whatever team that happens to end up being, will have a budding ace on their hands.
Bryce Jarvis – RHP, Duke Age: 22 Height: 6’2″ Weight: 195
| Fastball | Curve ball | Slider | Change up | Control | FV |
| 60 / 65 | 45 / 55 | 45 / 50 | 60 / 65 | 50 / 55 | 45 |
Down in North Carolina, at Duke University, Bryce Jarvis, the son of former MLB pitcher Kyle Jarvis, is impressing many scouts as he enters the 2020 MLB draft.
A year ago, Jarvis was a strike thrower with a good change up, but not over powering by any means, with his fastball sitting between 88-93 mph. He was a 37th round pick of the Yankees that year but turned them down and opted to bet on himself and return to Duke to up his draft stock. It appears that was a great decision on his part, because up his stock he has. Jarvis dedicated himself to a rigorous summer program and added 20 pounds to his 6’2″ frame and saw his fastball spike to the 93-96 mph range with a very good downhill plane in the fall and this spring. On top of that, his breaking balls, which used to be average at best, developed as well, and now flashes a plus curveball in the 77-79 mph range with tremendous bite. He also found a way to manipulate that curve into an equally effective slider with good late break that will sit in the 84-87 mph range.
Jarvis’s great fading change up however, still remains his best off speed offering, grading as well above average and a true out pitch for him. It will sit in the 83-85 mph range with great fade.
Many scouts wanted to see how his development would translate on to the mound this season, but due to it being cut short, never really got to find out. He did however, impress in the few starts he did make, throwing a perfect game against Cornell, striking out 15 batters, and flirting with another perfect game in one of his other 4 starts. Jarvis has also improved his control and command, posting an impressive 40-2 K/BB ratio in his 27 innings this year, showing the ability to command all of his pitches.
Jarvis now has a nice, smooth, easy delivery that he repeats and has drawn rave reviews by his coaches and opponents for his compete level.
Some feel, with him already being 22 years old, and having a slim frame and lack of a track record of flashing 1st round stuff, that he might fall down the draft board. I personally feel though, with his big league pedigree and commitment to working hard and improving, that this will make Jarvis a top 25 pick with the potential to be a #2 or 3 starter at the MLB level if he continues to grow.
These 2 arms I am very high on and I think both these young pitchers have very high ceilings and will become very good MLB starting pitchers. So, with the draft a mere few hours away, I’m excited to see which teams will be calling their names.