MLB Draft: 2016 Top High School Prep Arms

Forrest Whitley is the perfect high school arm for the Pirates. Whitley stands at an impressive 6’7” and 225 pounds. The 18 year old from Alamo Heights High School in Texas maybe my favorite high school arm, and arm in general in this class.

The first thing is his frame, which just screams velocity, and he backs that up sitting in the mid-90s, and comfortably reaching 97 miles per hour. He also features a curve-ball sitting in the low 80s, a slider, and also a changeup.

The second thing with is height, is how he should be able to get good downward movement and induce a good portion of ground-balls. A big body should be able to strikeout a fair amount and get ground-balls is ideal. Whitley also shows a delivery that is easy to repeat, which should allow him to have a good amount of control.

To put his size in comparison, Noah Syndergaard stands at 6’6” and 240 pounds and Tyler Glasnow is 6’8” and 225 pounds. The Pirates like big right handed arms, seen in Glasnow, and Whitley certainly fits that mold. He’s committed to pitch at Florida State next season, but if he is there when the Pirates pick at number 22, I really hope he is the selection.