Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Left-Handed College Pitchers to Watch This Spring

Carson Dorsey

The Texas Rangers drafted Carson Dorsey as a 19-year-old during last year’s draft. Although the Rangers picked him in the 17th round, Dorsey went unsigned. He’s heading into his age-20 season, which will still make him a hard sign, but he’s a left-handed pitcher with a lot of upside, one that could potentially sign over slot.

Dorsey pitched with the famous Savannah Bananas last year in the Coastal Plain League. He only pitched 22.1 innings but was extremely effective. In total, Dorsey only allowed four earned runs and 12 hits, none of which were home runs. He also only walked three batters and struck out 32. It was a small sample size for a team who is more entertainment than sport, but a good sample size nonetheless.

Dorsey has a ton of projection. At 6’5”, 165 pounds, there’s plenty of room for him to add strength to his frame. Not only does he have a physical projection, but he’s already a great athlete on the mound. He sits in the lower-90s with his fastball, but his curveball projects as well above average, and his slurve is another solid offering. It’s a nice package, but there’s certainly some risk involved.

The southpaw has a complicated motion on the mound. Dorsey flies open, and his arm can be a bit long, causing some command issues. He has a near over-head arm slot. But many evaluators think Dorsey’s ceiling can be sky-high and love his projectability. His projection and athleticism should help him out in the long run. Both his fastball and curveball project as plus-plus and the underlying metrics support that claim.