Draft League Spotlight: Collin Baumgartner

Player: Collin Baumgartner
Position: RHP
School: SIU-Edwardsville

After receiving a couple of below slot offers in the fourth & fifth rounds of last year’s MLB Draft, Baumgartner did not sign, instead betting on himself and returning to campus. At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds Baumgartner has always shown arm strength, routinely sitting 95-96 in shorter stints over the past year-plus. However, his secondary offerings lagged behind and he began work to improve them. Previously, he showed an early-breaking, low-80s slider with occasional late bite at the plate and a firm, work-in-progress changeup at 88 mph. Through some recent adjustments his slider now arrives to the plate 3-5 mph harder (84-87) with much greater consistency in its later action and shorter break than previous seasons. It now spins in the 2300 rpm range with spin efficiency in the mid-30s. The change has developed as well, now low-spinning in the 1400 rpm range at 83-85 mph. These improvements have given Baumgartner multiple pitches he can throw for a strike, and all from the same release point. He also progressed with his feel to throw them out of the zone to get additional swing and miss.

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