Number one this year might have been the easiest selection we’ve ever had. As soon as the College World Series was over last year, just about everyone knew Brady Singer was the best player in college baseball.
We already knew he was a great talent as the Toronto Blue Jays took him in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft. However, a failed physical sent him to college (yay us),a and he now has the chance to be the first overall pick.
Things didn’t start out great for Singer in college as he had a 4.95 ERA as a freshman in 43.2 innings pitched with 38 strikeouts, 17 walks, 43 hits and a WHIP of 1.37.
He made improvements in the Cape Cod League that following summer posting a 0.82 ERA in 22 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts, 2 walks, 16 hits and a 0.82 WHIP.
But this past spring he took it to a whole new level with a 3.21 ERA in 126 innings pitched with 129 strikeouts to just 32 walks. He did allow 120 hits, which made his WHIP a tad higher than you would expect at 1.21.
He was a Second-Team All-SEC selection last year, and this year he’s a First-Team Preseason All-American.
Singer has been able to dominate at the college level with pretty much two pitches, but his mid-90s fastball and slider are already plus pitches.
His fastball has a ton of movement on it running back in against right-handed hitters, and is slider is just as good as his former teammate’s in Alex Faedo.
Obviously you would love to see him develop that third pitch, most likely a change-up, before getting to the next level. But what he has now is good enough to get out major league hitting.
His wind-up is a bit herky-jerky, which raises some red flags. But Chris Sale (although as a left-hander) has done just fine at the next level with a similar delivery.
Regardless of what happens at the next level for Singer, I love the passion and fire that he plays with, which is what makes the college game so great. That passion for the game combined with his talent makes him an easy choice for number one on our 2018 CBD Top 100 Countdown.
