With the 31st pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Carmen Mlodzinski, a right-hander out of South Carolina.
Mlodzinski's journey to the draft was an arduous one after generating some hype out of high school and going undrafted. After finally earning the No. 1 starter gig with the Gamecocks as a sophomore, Mlodzinski broke his foot and missed the majority of 2019.
A dominant stint in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League showed scouts that the performance could match the tools, though, and he cemented his chances of becoming a first-rounder.
Bio
Age: 21
Position: RHP
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 232 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: South Carolina
Pick value (#31): $2,312,000
Tools
- Fastball (92-96 mph, touches 99 mph)
- Slider (55-grade)
- Change-up (55-grade)
- Three-quarters arm slot with decent command
Why you're going to love this guy
- 10-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Cape League with 0.65 WHIP
- High probability to make majors as starter
- Good at generating weak contact
- Experiments with additional pitches
Things he'll need to overcome
- Lacks true "out" pitch at times
- Really struggled in early collegiate career
2020 stats
| IP (G) | ERA | K% | K/BB | HR/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.1 (4) | 2.84 | 20.8% | 22/8 | 1.1 |
