Draft Spotlight: LHP Chase Watkins
May 27, 2018
When you first look at left-hander Chase Watkins the workhorse frame is something you don’t miss. Standing 6-foot-5 and 200-pounds the big and lanky Cal Poly commit has consistently shown the ability to miss bats (37% K%) this season working with a solid three-pitch mix.
Watkins utilizes a compact arm from the 3/4-release, hiding the ball well behind his front arm and showing late explosiveness out of the hand. The fastball works at it’s best when he’s touching the height of his high 80’s range and allowing the pitch to have it’s two-seam run late at the plate.
He matches his upper-80’s fastball with an above average change in the mid-high 70’s that has late arm side sink off the fastball plane. He regularly goes back to the pitch when needing a strike or to put away the hitter. His curveball has slurvy 1-7 break and is often used down in the bottom third of the zone, but flashed as a solid third pitch.
Having seen multiple starts this season (early, mid and late season), Watkins may be a late draftee who makes it to Cal Poly and ends up being a higher pick three years from now as he continues to mature and pitch on a consistent basis.
Let’s take a closer look at Chase Watkins.
