Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look at the Best Draft Prospect Tools

Best Fastball – Connor Prielipp

Connor Preileipp had a real chance of going top 5 in the draft; however, the southpaw will likely fall down the draft because of Tommy John surgery in May 2021. Although The lefty isn’t likely to pitch this year, we may see him in the Cape Cod League later this season. When evaluators last saw Prielipp, he was hitting the upper-90’s regularly with his four-seamer.

Prielipp is a hard thrower. His four-seamer comes in around 94-97 MPH but tops out at 99 MPH. The southpaw also throws a plus-plus slider. MLB Pipeline even goes so far to say his slider is the better of the two pitches. Overall, he’s a massive strikeout pitcher who has a 45.6% strikeout rate in 23 innings with the University of Alabama. He also utilizes a change-up, though it is a lesser-used offering.

There are some questions about Prielipp’s command. Although he only has a 6.8% walk rate, he misses his spots at an inconsistent rate. But once everything is said and done, Prielipp should eventually have decent control over his three offerings.