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Prospects covered this week: Chandler Day, Jackson Kowar, Nick Madrigal, Daniel Reyes, Wesley Rodriguez, Patrick Sandoval, Thomas Szapucki, Max Wotell.
Chandler Day – RHP
There were times last summer when Chandler Day had arguably as good of stuff as any 2015 pitcher in the country. Unfortunately, Day has rarely left Ohio to throw in anything but a couple of showcases and has only pitched in one WWBA event, so his profile nationally has been relatively low.
The first thing that one sees in Day is that he has an extremely narrow frame, the type that is unlikely to add much weight as he matures. It is a different frame than PG All-American Triston McKenzie, although they have similar measurements, in that McKenzie has broader shoulders and hips and you can see places to put additional strength. Day is just a naturally very slender person and scouts will question his future durability because of that.
Day has often worked in the 88-90 mph range this spring in extended outings according to scouts but was more 90-93 for 2-3 inning stints last summer. He throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with good downhill angle to his pitches while repeating his relatively low effort mechanics very well. Throwing strikes has never been an issue.
What made Day so impressive at points last summer was that his fastball was arguably his third best pitch. He throws an upper-70s curveball that is big and tight and nasty and was a present plus pitch frequently. Day will sometimes drop down to a slightly lower slot, probably unintentionally, with his curveball, giving it more of a big sweeping shape that was equally effective. He shows feel for the pitch and can throw it for a strike or bury it depending on what the hitter is set up for.
Day's changeup in the low-80s also flashed plus at times, with ideal arm speed and release point and lots of late diving action. Day was very confident in the pitch and would even double up on it at times with great effectiveness.
Day is signed with Vanderbilt and there is a obvious comparison already with the Commodores in righthander Walker Buehler. Buehler had some of the best raw stuff in the 2012 high school class but scouts were worried about his slight build and potential durability problems, issues that have re-emerged this spring. Day could potentially be in the same position heading into the 2015 draft and into his near term baseball future.
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