SEC pitchers have dominated draft boards year after year. David Price, Drew Pomeranz, Sonny Gray, Aaron Nola, Walker Buehler: the names are countless. The next in line? Brady Singer. He has dominated SEC and national competition and has the opportunity to be taken with the first overall pick.
Brady Singer 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Brady Singer is a right-handed pitcher at the University of Florida. He stands at 6’5″ and 180 pounds. Singer was raised in Eustis, Florida and attended Eustis High School. He was drafted in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, however he decided to attend the University of Florida.
As a freshman, Singer went 2–2 with a 4.95 ERA, amassing 38 strikeouts in 43.2 innings as a reliever for the Gators. Singer moved into the starting rotation as a sophomore where he blossomed into one of the most dominant starters in the SEC. Singer went 9-5 with a 3.21 ERA with 129 strikeouts against 32 walks in 126 innings pitched. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team and helped lead Florida to the College World Series Finals. The starter in Game 1, Singer struck out 12 batters, leading the Gators to a 4-3 win. Florida eventually won the national title and Singer was named to the All-Tournament Team. As a junior, Singer was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year after posting an 11-1 record with a 2.27 ERA, posting 98 strikeouts against only 19 walks in 95 innings.
Strengths
Brady Singer checks all the boxes for a pitcher that could be selected as the number one overall pick.
He has the archetypical delivery of a major league pitcher: slim and tall with great athleticism.
Singer has a three-pitch repertoire, a fastball, slider and changeup. All of them are plus pitchers. But his elite command of those pitches is what drives his success.
His fastball sits in the low-90s and can touch 96. But his ability to consistently throw the pitch inside for strikes is what makes it effective. The slider, which sits in the low-80s with two-plane break, is also a plus pitch. Singer is comfortable using it in any situation and uses it to wipe-out hitters. He uses the changeup less often but commands it well.
As much as Singer dominates his pitches, his biggest strength has nothing to do with his arm. Singer’s demeanor on the mound and competitive makeup are everything that teams want in a future frontline starter. Singer was slotted behind two future first-round pitchers—A.J. Puk in 2016 and Alex Faedo in 2017—in the Gators rotation.
However, it was Singer that dominated hitters in the 2017 College World Series and is leading them on a pursuit for another championship in 2018. For multiple seasons, Singer dominated the top competition in Division 1 baseball.
In short, Singer is the guy you want on the mound. Major league teams know that and the Detroit Tigers could select him first overall because of it.
Weaknesses
Scouts love Singer’s prototypical build. However, his delivery is somewhat unusual. He throws with a three-quarters arm slot, which can cause him to whip his arm to create a higher release angle. But sometimes he pitches with a different arm slot all together, which can cause his fastball to flatten, which would bring many problems in the major leagues.
This is basically the only knock on Singer’s ability, but it is enough of an issue to draw concerns with scouts. It poses enough of a concern that the possible first overall pick could slip to the middle of the first round.
MLB Player Comparison
Singer compares best to Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola, another three-year SEC pitcher and first-round draft pick. Nola is showcasing his ability to effectively pound the zone against major league hitters in just under four years since being drafted.
Singer’s route to the majors could be quicker than Nola’s. If that’s the case, any team is gaining a future frontline starter by selecting him. Despite the inconsistency of his mechanics, Singer will be among the first five selections in the draft and is one of the front runners to be selected as the first overall pick.
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