Jackson
Kowar

4/4/18 - 6’6/185, Junior- Long, slender bodied right-hander with an athletic, quick paced delivery. Lands on-line, throwing from a three-quarters slot with downplane when he doesn’t get side to side with his delivery and pull off. Maintained fastball velocity of 91-95 mph while pitching to both sides of the plate. Pitch numbers 102 and 103 were both 94 mph. Went six and one-third innings, throwing 105 total pitches. When he got into a jam, he went to his fastball as his typically plus to plus-plus tumbling changeup was not at its best today. The change was flat early, showing more depth in the later innings and it played mostly average at 82-85 mph. He threw it to both left and right-handed hitters. His misses were down, throwing it to both sides of the plate. Below average breaking ball showed curveball shape at 74-77 mph and used it mostly as a show pitch. Kowar profiles as a major league mid-rotation starting pitcher and will likely be selected on Day 1 of the draft. However, it might be tough to take a right-handed pitcher with average strikeout totals and a below average breaking ball too high in the first round. A good comparable may be Michael Wacha, another 6’6 right-handed pitcher with a changeup as his best secondary offering, who went 19th overall to the Cardinals in 2012. He had similar college strikeout totals, but walked far fewer than Kowar. However, one major difference is Wacha combined a four-seam riding life fastball from a high three-quarters slot with his sinking changeup, while Kowar is a sinker baller throwing from a three-quarters slot with a tumbling change.

2/28/18 - A wiry 6-foot-6, 185 pounds. He has a very simple, low effort delivery and throws from a 3/4 slot. The arm works free and easy with whip. The ball comes out of his hand very well. The fastball worked 92-94 touching 97 mph with late, riding life. Despite a plus fastball, he seemingly pitched backwards early, working off of a plus to plus plus changeup at 83-86 mph. He threw the pitch at any count to any hitter. Showed especially impressive ability to control the pitch to right handed hitters on the inner half. Also showed a feel for an above average slider with late sweeping action at 75-78 mph. Would’ve liked to see him work off of the fastball early, then work into the changeup, but he does show a feel to pitch. Changes speed and shape on all three of his pitches. The way in which the arm works, the low effort delivery and two plus pitches with above average feel to pitch, he projects well as a starter.