Taylor Jungmann
RHP / Texas
Bats-Throws: R-R
Height/Weight: 6-6/220
Hometown: Georgetown, Texas
Prev. Drafted: Angels ’08 (24)
Birthdate: Dec. 18, 1989
SCOUTING PROFILE: From the day that Jungmann set foot on campus at Texas as a freshman, it was a given that he would emerge as one of the greats at a storied program known for churning out a steady stream of top-notch pitching prospects through the years. Almost three years later, the 6-foot-6 righthander has been everything almost everyone expected he would be. He went 11-3, 3.00 as a freshman (including 3-0, 0.59 in 17 IP in the 2009 College World Series) and 8-3, 2.03 as a sophomore, before ratcheting up his game to another level this spring. Through his first 12 starts, he was 11-0, 0.92 and had limited opposing hitters to a .160 batting average. Jungmann began the season with a bang, pitching complete-game shutouts in his first two starts; his lone non-decision came in a 1-0, 15-inning Texas win over Oklahoma State, where he worked the first nine innings. Jungmann’s dominance over three years at the college level is very much in keeping with the dominance he exhibited in four years at two Texas high schools. In his year-by-year progression at Rogers High, he went 12-2, 0.90 with 138 strikeouts in 70 innings as a freshman for the Texas 2-A quarter-finalist; as a sophomore, he went 10-1, 0.84 with 145 K’s in 84 innings for the state semi-finalist; as a junior, he led his team to a state championship by going 13-0, 0.84 with 142 strikeouts in 85 innings. Jungmann elected to transfer to Georgetown High for his senior year to play against a faster level of competition, and was equally dominant. He closed out a legendary prep career by going 14-0, 0.77 with 153 strikeouts in 85 innings, while earning Texas 5-A pitcher-of-the-year honors. His remarkable high-school career record: 47-3, 0.72 with 578 strikeouts in 324 innings. Despite those impressive credentials, Jungmann was drafted no higher than the 24th round in 2008. He most likely would have been taken in the first round had he not made it abundantly clear to scouts in advance that he was bent on becoming the next pitching great at the University of Texas, which has churned out 16 first-round arms through the years (10 first-rounders, six supplemental first-rounders). Jungmann is a power pitcher with a fastball that sits at 93-95 mph, peaks at 98 and has good sinking action. But he is not considered one of the premier strikeout pitchers in a very deep class of college arms in this year’s draft. Throughout his Longhorns career, Jungmann has fanned 320 hitters in 323 innings, slightly less than a hitter an inning. In high-school, his career strikeout total of 578, while impressive, still left him far short of the state and national record of 842, set from 1970-73 by Houston lefthander David Clyde, the No. 1 pick in the 1973 draft. Jungmann has a very high ceiling, though, when combining his physical projection and competitive approach, along with a solid three-pitch mix that includes a 12-to-6 shaped curve with explosive downward action and an occasional changeup. If anything, he’s viewed as one of the more complete college pitchers in this year’s draft. He should also develop into a significant innings-eater at the big-league level, especially with the strength gains he has made throughout his career at Texas. Jungmann chose not to pitch in summer-league competition after both his freshman and sophomore years, in favor of staying close to home to add strength to his long, lean frame and build up stamina, and also improve his off-speed pitches. In the process, he has gone from a skinny, 180-pound freshman to a powerfully-built, 220-pounder as a junior. Over the course of the last year, he has improved his workload from an average of 7 innings per start as a sophomore to 8 as a junior. If there is a knock on Jungmann, it’s his high-effort delivery with noticeable violence in his upper half. He has a distinct downward head jerk at the point of release, creating an undesired bobbing motion. But he gains an advantage from his unique, deceptive delivery as his arm speed accelerates from the top of his throwing arc. Scouts have long said he will need to simplify his mechanics as he advances, but Jungmann has never had command issues or trouble repeating his delivery, or even the hint of a sore arm. In fact, he has actually thrown more quality strikes this year than ever before. In his first 98 innings for the Longhorns, he had walked 19 while serving up only 54 hits. Over his first two years at Texas, he averaged more than a walk every three innings. Given his extremely projectable frame, superior athleticism and impeccable track record, Jungmann is a slam dunk to become the latest Longhorns pitcher to be selected in the first round.
Projected Draft Position: First round / top 6-10 picks.round.
--ALLAN SIMPSON
Perfect Game Events Attended
2007 Aflac All-American Classic