SEC arms continues to be a theme in the top 10 as Ole Miss lefty Ryan Rolison comes in at seven on our countdown.
Coming out of the University School of Jackson in Tennessee, he was ranked as the best player int the state as a senior and the 76th best overall draft prospect by MLB.com.
The San Diego Padres took a shot at him in the 37th round of the 2016 MLB Draft, but he opted to go to Ole Miss.
As a freshman in 2017 he appeared in 19 games and and made 10 starts, posting a 3.06 ERA in 61.2 innings pitched with 64 strikeouts, 24 walks, 57 hits and a WHIP of 1.32.
He earned Freshman All-American honors by Collegiate Baseball, and he was named to the SEC All-Freshman team by the coaches.
But it was this past summer where Rolison’s stock took off in the Cape Cod League. There he posted an impressive 1.93 ERA in 28 innings pitched with 35 strikeouts, 10 walks, 15 hits and a 0.89 WHIP.
At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds the draft eligible sophomore already has the frame of a major league starting pitcher.
His fastball sits in the low 90s, but has very good movement to both sides of the plate. How well he learns to command this pitch will determine just how high his ceiling is at the next level.
Rolison’s best offering might be his curveball, which plays like a slider with downward, tilting motion. He can throw this between 81-83 MPH, giving good separation from his fastball.
He also throws a change-up at the same speed with a different kind of break to keep hitters off balance.
Rolison is a guy that I could see having a great year and being a top 10 pick, or having a mediocre year and returning to Ole Miss for another season to try and improve his draft stock.
Either way, there is a lot of projectability in this lefty’s arm, and I can’t wait to see what he does in his sophomore season.
