When you throw a 97 MPH fastball, people pay attention.
Kyle Zimmer, a right-handed starting pitcher from San Francisco, throws gas and enters the MLB draft projected to go in the top-five picks.
Pretty incredibly considering he was a third baseman for the majority of his high school career and had logged just 21.1 innings on the mound heading into college.
As a junior at La Jolla High School he was a 5’11’’, 185-pound contact hitter with a .410 slugging percentage. Good numbers, but nobody with a frame like that is expected to make the majors.
Once he stepped onto the rubber, Zimmer wasn’t a huge fan and, according to Tom FitzGerald of the San Francisco Chronicle, was forced to stick with it by San Francisco coach Nino Giarratano. When you listen to Giarratano, it sounds like he was a quicker leaner:
So Kyle wasn't going to get any time there. We wanted to explore all his options. His arm was his best tool. Without any type of pitching mechanics, he immediately threw 88-90 mph.
Now, he’s 6’4’’ and 225 pounds with a 93 to 97 MPH fastball that has reached as high as 99 on the radar gun. He has a strong changeup and a decent slider and curve he can throw for strikes.
This year, the 20-year-old posted a 5-3 record, 2.59 ERA with 96 strikeouts and a mere 15 walks in 83.1 innings. He has great command and the velocity on his fastball to land the strikeout when he needs to.
With only two full seasons of pitching under his belt, Zimmer is still rough around the edges. But with the incredible learning curve he has jumped past already, there is no question he is one of the most talented and intriguing prospects to come around in years.
Give him two years of work in the minors to gain more experience, and Zimmer will be able to crack a starting rotation in 2014, where he will proceed to become a No. 1 or No. 2 starter for the next decade.
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