The first day of the MLB Draft wrapped up Sunday, and the professional baseball journey for the group of future big leaguers starts now. The last two seasons have seen one pitcher drafted in the first round the year prior debut on the big stage.
Last season, Paul Skenes debuted for the Pittsburgh Pirates and has been one of the best pitchers in the entire league, and Chase Burns debuted this season for the Cincinnati Reds. Who fits the bill to be called to action in next year’s big league season?
Three pitchers were selected in the top five picks of the draft this season, and two stick out like prime candidates to be in the show during next season.
The Los Angeles Angels selected right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner second overall from California-Santa Barbara. With all the choices in the world, the Angels selected the righty from the Big West Conference, and his stuff could be ready as soon as next year.
With a 70 grade on his fastball and a 65 grade on his offspeed, according to Rhett Bollinger on MLB.com, just one calendar year could be enough time for the Angels to make the call for Bremner in the bigs.
The second standout is left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle. The St. Louis Cardinals selected the Tennessee lefty with the fifth selection and he possesses talent that an aging Cardinals rotation doesn’t have: velocity.
Doyle has a fastball grade of 75 according to MLB Pipeline, and while his overall grade is a 55, he led the nation in strikeouts per nine innings. If his fastball stays electric in the minors, he could climb quickly to the major leagues, as the Cardinals starters’ contracts expire this season.
The third and final option is the longest shot, and the youngest of the group. After an outstanding performance in the College World Series, throwing 130 pitches over nine innings and shutting out Coastal Carolina, Kade Anderson was selected third overall by the Seattle Mariners.
Anderson was a third-year sophomore, and while he was ranked No. 2 in draft prospects by MLB Pipeline, despite his age and his early Tommy John surgery in 2022, when he was a junior in high school, he could have a case to be on the Mariners staff.
The Mariners are deep in pitching, so Anderson may not be as rushed to the major leagues, but he showed in the College World Series that he is ready for the spotlight is his number is called.
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