{"id":31964,"date":"2020-05-24T01:57:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-24T05:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonbaseball.com\/?p=31964"},"modified":"2020-05-24T01:57:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-24T05:57:00","slug":"tanner-witt-2020-mlb-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2020\/05\/24\/tanner-witt-2020-mlb-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"Tanner Witt 2020 MLB Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tanner Witt 2020 MLB Draft Profile<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There is always a market for pitchers in Major League Baseball, and that\u2019s an understatement. A tall flame-thrower with control is an especially hot commodity. One such player is Tanner Witt, a graduating high school senior from Bellaire, Texas. The 6\u20196\u201d, 198-pound prospect is also a shortstop \u2013 it\u2019s his primary position, in fact \u2013 and with the new two-way player designation coming into Major League Baseball, that could also make him a top prize. However, his commitment to play college ball for the University of Texas might make teams balk at selecting him.<\/p>\n

Strengths<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tanner Witt is the top-ranked high school shortstop in Texas. He has, according to Texas Longhorns recruiting coordinator Sean Allen, \u201cas much raw power<\/a> as any high school kid in the country.\u201d Moving to the mound seemed natural, given how hard he throws. In one year, his fastball increased in velocity<\/a> from 90 to 94 mph. He also has a mid-70s curveball with downward movement and a high-70s changeup. According to MLB\u2019s scouting video, he uses a 3\/4 arm delivery that allows him to change delivery angles easily. The scouting video also says that big league scouts feel that he could learn a slider quickly.<\/p>\n

Weaknesses<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tanner Witt\u2019s pitching still needs to develop, as his primary position is shortstop. However, the biggest \u201cweakness\u201d is signability. When he committed to Texas<\/a>, the buzz surrounding him was that he will be a fourth-generation Longhorn. His mother, Lori, played softball there. His quote when signing there was \u201cThere is no atmosphere like the atmosphere of Longhorn Nation.\u201d Texas head baseball coach David Pierce said, \u201cTanner has burnt orange in his genes\u2026.\u201d These statements do not make it seem very likely that he will go pro if drafted, even if he is chosen in the high rounds.<\/p>\n

MLB Comparison<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Being a two-way player immediately draws comparisons to pitcher\/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani<\/a><\/strong> of the Los Angeles Angels<\/a> or pitcher\/outfielder Michael Lorenzen<\/a><\/strong> of the Cincinnati Reds<\/a>. His height and weight, however, are similar to reliever Jerry Blevins<\/a><\/strong>. If he were to develop a slider, it would probably be in the mid-80s range. Doing so would give him the same pitch selection and pitch speeds as Lucas Giolito<\/a><\/strong>, who is also 6\u20196\u201d but outweighs Witt by 50 pounds.<\/p>\n