We move into the top 50 of our top 100 countdown with Florida State pitcher Cole Sands.
The right-handed pitcher was drafted out of high school in the 22nd round by the Houston Astros, but chose to fulfill his commitment to Florida State.
As a freshman in 2016 he had a 4.13 ERA in 69.2 innings pitched with 50 strikeouts, 33 walks and 69 hits.
That summer he pitched in the Cape Cod League and had a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts, 5 walks and 7 hits.
In 2017 his ERA jumped to 5.40 in 83.1 innings pitched with 72 strikeouts, 29 walks and 87 hits. So while he was able to limit his walks and saw his WHIP drop from 1.46 as a freshman to 1.39 as a sophomore, his ERA rose significantly.
He made a return trip to the Cape Cod League this past summer and had a 3.68 ERA in 22 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts, 18 hits and 4 walks.
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds he has the size to be a durable starting pitcher at the next level. Sands has an easy deliver and a fastball that gets on top of the hitters in a hurry.
He’s made great strides over the past year to improve his command, and even though it didn’t lead to better numbers in 2017, he appears to be heading in the right direction.
There are definitely some kinks to be worked out for this talented righty, but if he can put it all together in 2018 it will be a big year for him and the Seminoles.
