Number 82 on our countdown is TCU sophomore Charles King.
The right-handed pitcher was ranked as the 126th best prospect in the country by Baseball America coming out of high school.
As a freshman for the Horned Frogs he had a 5.44 ERA in 46.1 innings pitched. He made 20 appearances with one of those being as a starter. King struck out 37 batters, while allowing 56 hits and 17 walks.
It certainly wasn’t a banner year for King, but that’s to be expected as a freshman in the Big 12.
This past summer he played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL). There he posted a solid 2.57 ERA in 21 innings. All of his appearances came as a starting pitcher. He struck out 18 batters, gave up 18 hits and 5 walks.
King has a big frame at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. His delivery is a little funky as he turns the ball away from the hitter very early, which can give some deception to the hitter.
He has a fastball that sits in the low 90’s with some tailing action that comes in on a right-handed hitter like a 2-seam fastball would.
His slider is also a plus pitch that he can get some strikeouts with, and he also has a change-up. The slider can get up to the high 80’s, while the change-up sits in the low 80’s.
There is obviously a lot of upside for King with that repertoire and that frame, which is why he makes this list.
Based on his work in the summer King will most likely push for a spot in TCU’s deep starting rotation. We’ll see if he can take the next step in his development this year.
