High school pitchers are a crap shoot in the draft. Young arms that dominate high schools may not translate to the majors. A three-pitch right-hander might be a good gamble in the top fifty picks, and with the right offer, Steven Jennings might be worth the risk.
Steven Jennings 2017 MLB Draft Profile
Overview
Jennings stands six foot, two inches tall and is a lithe 175 pounds. A native of Brush Creek, Tennessee, the right-hander played his prep baseball at Dekalb County High School. Prior to his senior year, he played quarterback for the Dekalb County football team. He missed his senior season in football while recovering from surgery to repair his ACL. He verbally committed to Ole Miss, and seems to plan to follow through with that commitment. It would probably take more than just slot money to make the deal happen. He was named as an Honorable Mention to the 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game All American Team, and was All-Region 1st Team.
Strengths
Jennings’ fastball peaks out currently at 94 MPH, and tends to stay around 91 or 92 MPH. He throws a changeup with similar movement to his two-seam fastball, that pulls the string to 81. A slideball with nasty movement finishes out his repertoire. His fastball could gain a tick or two as he matures in his game and as he focuses on pitching alone instead of playing in the infield around his starts. Developing a fourth pitch, such as a four-seam fastball would be beneficial to him as he matures as a player.
He earned a 4.0 GPA while playing three sports. This GPA should assist him in learning how to play at whichever level he wishes to play at next.
Weaknesses
Young pitchers are always a crap shoot. The chance of blowing an arm up as developing in the farm system is ever present. As a soft throwing pitcher, he will have to rely on placement as he faces tougher hitters, and that could prove difficult for the young man.
