at age 18

After you expand up in Oklahoma, there's number of items even more hugely regarded than Sooners football, and when you happen to be offered a scholarship to perform quarterback for your , you realize you are some thing special. To pass on that opportunity indicates you have both acquired a screw loose, or you've got an unbelievable offer to undertake one thing else.

For Archie Bradley, that meant forsaking Sooners football in favor of the shot at turning out to be a top-of-the-rotation significant league pitcher. , the 6-foot-4-inch 225-pound right-hander was drafted seventh total from the Arizona Diamondbacks. The kid is surely an athlete who appears to get primed to climb rather quickly through the minor league process.

The Excellent:

Bradley throws tricky; at age 18, his fastball was clocked at 96 mph. Because moving into the Diamondbacks' developmental league ninja 250 fairing kit, the top end of his fastball is now even larger. He also throws a big curve ball that exhibits signs of getting a nasty out pitch to the substantial righty. His weakest pitch is his changeup, but he is acquired great management and excellent command of all three pitches.

The Lousy:

The significant righty is just out of substantial college where his plus-fastball and quality curve were all he necessary to dominate. But two pitches (even if they are two pretty great pitches) are not adequate on the tremendous league degree. That's why Bradley's allegedly been operating tough to create a great changeup. Beat writers for your reported last year that Bradley totally stopped throwing his curve in favor of functioning on the changeup. Scouting reports show there is even now get the job done to become done on his off pace things, but it is encouraging nonetheless.

The 2012 Projection:

Bradley will at some point grow to be a big league starter who ought to be close to the top rated of one's listing of pitchers on draft day. He's without doubt at No. one starter inside the generating, but count on to wait no less than one more yr, a lot more very likely two. The 19-year-old invested time final year having a developmental league, but once you get down to it he is only technically pitched two innings of small league ball (Pioneer League - Missoula Osprey - 2 IP - one H - 4Ks - 0 BB - 0.00 ERA - 0.50 WHIP).

I would seem for Bradley sometime in 2014, and when he gets the contact all indications are he'll be worth a speculative fantasy include in the waiver wire.

Few people love fantasy baseball as much as Kent Lister. Despite the fact that the pros are executing calisthenics and taking part in prolonged toss, he's scouring the most recent ADP lists and working through nonetheless another mock draft. Comply with him on to get a complete rundown of all his 2012 projections.