With the 2018 MLB Draft quickly approaching, many teams are gearing up to select the player they hope can prosper into a star, and get them a World Series title. Teams can find anything from rare gems in the later rounds to busts in the first round. In this Last Word On Baseball Draft Profile, we take an in-depth look at pitcher Jackson Kowar.
Jackson Kowar 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Kowar is a right-handed pitcher coming into the draft out of the great baseball program at the University of Florida. In his time pitching for the Gators, Kowar has been part of two separate pitching machines. The first stellar rotation included Kowar, fellow 2018 prospect Brady Singer, and Alex Faedo who was selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers with the 18th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. Kowar is also a graduate of Charlotte Christian High School in Weddington, North Carolina as a member of the 2015 graduating class. Kowar was drafted in the 40th round by the Detroit Tigers in the 2015 MLB Draft. But with his strong commitment to play for the Gators, Detroit was unable to sign him.
This time, Kowar will most likely hear his name called much earlier than the 40th round. Kowar may have to bare comparisons to his fellow Gator, Singer, for the rest of their careers, but don’t get it twisted Kowar is his own pitcher.
Strengths
It could be called more of an advantage than a strength, but according to the scouting report of MLB Pipeline, Kowar can use his size to the fullest. At 6’5″, Kowar is able to get enough power to deliver his pitches with gusto. And some of that strength also comes from his arm. Kowar has one of the better arms in this draft class. This is extremely evident when Kowar delivers his incredible fastball. In the MLB Pipeline report, Kowar’s fastball reaches a top speed of 98 miles per hour, and can easily hit a mid 90s fastball. His second best pitch is his changeup.
Weaknesses
Kowar has a nice breaking ball that struggles at times but is no doubt right there to becoming one of his best pitches. His command is something that needs some work as well, but with his delivery being as strong as it is already, that aspect of his game will no doubt improve with time.
Final Thoughts
Jackson Kowar is no doubt one of the best pitchers that will be available in this draft. There are some scouts that think Kowar should be drafted before Singer, even though Singer is ranked as the number 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline coming into the draft. The main reason that Kowar is ranked lower is his sophomore season statistics. Kowar didn’t pitch up to his caliber his sophomore year pitching a 4.15 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 106.1 innings pitched. But a strong junior year settled any doubts with a 3.01 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 86.2 innings pitched. In Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline’s latest mock draft, Kowar is predicted to be selected by the Minnesota Twins with the 20th overall selection.
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