Coming in at number four on our countdown is Auburn starting pitcher Casey Mize.
Coming out of high school in Springville, Ala., Mize was ranked as the second best pitcher in the state of Alabama.
As a freshman at Auburn in 2016 he impressed right away posting a 3.52 ERA in 69 innings pitched with 59 strikeouts, 18 walks, 69 hits and a WHIP of 1.26.
That following summer he had a 3.00 ERA in the Cape Cod League over 12 innings of work with 11 strikeouts, 5 walks, 9 hits and a 1.17 WHIP.
But this past spring he really broke out by going 8-2 with a 2.04 ERA in 83.2 innings pitched with 109 strikeouts, only 9 walks, 66 hits and a WHIP of 0.90.
He earned second and third-team All-American honors after the season, and turned himself into one of the top pitching prospects in college baseball.
This past summer he spent time with the USA Collegiate National team, but left early due to forearm tightness, something he’s struggled with throughout his collegiate career.
The 6-foot-3, 220 pound righty has an electric arm and a very smooth delivery on the mound.
Mize has added some muscle since his high school days, which may have helped his velocity jump into the mid-90s. He also posses a nasty splitter and a slider that both generate hard downward movement.
The only question mark on Mize is his healthy. It almost seems inevitable that he’s going to miss a year-and-a-half at some point with Tommy John surgery.
But when healthy, he has the ability to lead a pitching staff. I’m hoping we’ll see a big, healthy year for Casey Mize in 2018.
