The first round of this year’s MLB draft will be held on June 4. For the teams that have an early pick on day one, it is essential for them to get a player who can help the team quickly. While drafting a player is not an exact science, teams do their best to ensure they are getting a talented player who can move quickly up the system and help them reach the ultimate goal. College players tend to be more refined and closer to being major league ready. High school players can be taught by the organization’s own coaches but require longer time in the minors. Depending on a team’s needs and evaluation of talent, the draft picks tend to vary in age and maturity level.
Kris Bubic 2018 MLB Draft Profile
Kris Bubic is a lefthanded pitcher at Stanford University. He stands 6’3 and weighs 220 lbs. and is one of the top left-handers in the draft. He will be 21 years old in August and could go in the first round of the MLB draft. Bubic has pitched well as a junior this year at Stanford. He has an 8-1 record with a 2.62 ERA to go along with a 101/32 K/BB ratio in 86 IP. Notable baseball players to come out of Stanford include A.J. Hinch, Stephen Piscotty, and Mike Mussina.
Strengths
Bubic has a solid frame and profiles to be a workhorse as far as innings go. He sits in the low 90s and can hit 95 with his fastball. Bubic has a plus changeup which helps him neutralize right-handed batters because of its run away from them. He has a little delay in his motion like Clayton Kershaw which adds to his deception. Bubic also throws the fastball and the changeup at equal arm speed and angle. He has a good repeatable delivery and is not afraid to attack hitters with his offerings.
Weaknesses
While his fastball and changeup are plus pitches, his curveball needs some work. He neither commands it well nor does it have a sharp enough break. He is likely maxed out physically, which isn’t bad, but teams may look at him as not being able to show much improvement on what he has done so far.
Overview
Kris Bubic is a borderline first-round pitcher. MLB Pipeline has him at #49 on their prospect rankings. Fangraphs has his going at #57 to the Los Angeles Angels. He has had a very good year at Stanford and should be a solid pitcher going forward. His ceiling is as a number two starter in the big leagues. Many project him as more of a three or four. While he may be an innings eater for clubs, he doesn’t have the stuff to be a top of the rotation guy.
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