Coming in at number 58 on our top 100 countdown is North Carolina sophomore Tyler Baum.
Ranked as the 91st overall prospect by Baseball America out of West Orange High School in Ocoee, Fla., Baum chose to play for the Tar Heels.
Perfect Game ranked him as the 53rd best prospect in the country, as well as the second best right-handed pitcher in Florida, and the seventh best overall player in Florida.
He was immediately inserted into the starting rotation as a freshman in 2017 where he posted an ERA of 2.57 in 16 games (15 starts) and 63 innings pitched. Baum struck out 47 batters, walked 27 and allowed just 47 hits.
This past summer he pitched in the Cape Cod League where he continued to impress with a 2.86 ERA in 8 games (5 starts) and 44 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts, while allowing 10 walks and 38 hits.
The 6-foot-1, 171 pound right-handed pitcher has a very easy delivery. He features an above average 2-seam fastball that runs away from left-handed hitters and sits in the low 90s. Baum also has a very good curveball that he throws in the mid-70s with very tight break.
Even though he doesn’t have crazy strikeout numbers, he’s shown the ability to create weak contact, leading to easy outs for his defense. He’s also shown great control in his first collegiate season walking just 37 batters in a combined 107 innings.
Overall he had a WHIP of 1.14 between North Carolina and the Cape Cod League in 2017.
With all of the innings he threw this year, I expect him to become the workhorse starter for the Tar Heels in 2018 and set himself up to be a first round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.
