Zebulon
Vermillion

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander’s velocity was down a bit from his typical 93-94, but still managed a successful start working from a near over the top slot in the 90-92 mph range with steep down plane. He’s an average athlete with a late pause in his delivery, creating some deception and timing issues for hitters. Vermillion also mixed in an 83-85 mph slider/cutter and an upper-70s changeup thrown with good arm speed.

Super 60: Arkansas recruit. 6-foot-4, 195-pound right-handed pitcher, highly projectable frame, wide shoulders, tapered waist, swimmer’s build; overall athletic physical specimen with plenty of room for continued growth. Athletic delivery, deep plunge on the backside, high front side, works downhill. Worked fastball at 90-92 mph with angle, consistent strikes, mostly straight. Showed advanced feel for changeup, 79-80 mph with sinking action around the lower half of the zone. Curveball ranged between 69-74 mph, flashed sharpness at times, inconsistent release and results.

8/1/15 - Vermillion is a 6-foot-5 175-pound right-handed pitcher. Vermillion had was impressive with an 85-88 mph fastball with late run, working both sides of the plate.  He has an over-the-top release with quick arm speed.  He showed command of his breaking ball and change-up.  Vermillion's curveball is a late breaking and  11-to-5 in shape at 71-72 mph.  His change-up has late sink at 80-82 mph with fastball arm speed.  Vermillion has loose arm action and slender frame that will allow for strength and increased velo as he develops.

4/24/15 - Vermillion is a right-handed pitcher outfielder that attends Shawnee Mission East HS in Prairie Village, KS. Uncommitted class of 2017 prospect. Lean, athletic 6-foot-5, 175-pound frame. Simple, repeatable delivery, high three-quarters slot. Worked fastball both sides of the plate for strikes, 84-85 mph in first inning, multiple 85’s. Attacked with mainly fastballs. Threw two and two-thirds no-hit innings.

10/19/14 - Vermillion is an athletic, projectable 6-foot-4, 170-pound right-hand hitting pitcher and left-hand hitting outfielder. Tall set-up at the plate, open stance, strides inline, smooth hand load, lower half in sync, hands inside the ball, middle-oppo approach, 87 mph exit velocity. Ran a 7.20 60-yard dash and 4.51 home-to-first. In game action reached on an error, stole a base and hit a triple down the left field line in three plate appearances. In the outfield showed fluid footwork, soft hands, clean exchanges, played through, over-the-top slot, arm works, 83 mph throwing velocity, all accurate throws. On the mound has an up-tempo delivery, vertical knee lift, tall balance point, strides inline, high three-quarters slot, throws downhill, athletic finish. Simple and repeats. Fastball in the 81-83 range with one 85, very high percentage of strikes, pounded the outer half versus right-handed hitters. Curveball with late break at times, 67-69 mph. Showed change-up in warm-ups.  Vermillion retired nine batters in 33 pitches, including five strikeouts with no walks. He threw 70%+ strikes using a fastball heavy mix. One of the top prospects in the Kansas class of 2017.

7-22-2018: The best prospect in the entire showcase was Arkansas sophomore righthander Zebulon Vermillion, who has a lot more going for him than the best name in college baseball. Vermillion made just seven relief appearances as a freshman this spring, posting a 4.82 ERA, and he arrived late to the Florida League after the Hogs’ run to the CWS Finals, but he has yet to give up a run in two appearances for the Sanford River Rats. He also threw 1.2 scoreless innings against the Valley League on Monday, striking out three without allowing a hit or a walk. Vermillion has an ideal pitcher’s frame at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, with muscular legs and a strong, well proportioned torso. He has a bit of a deep takeaway but is able to repeat his delivery well, showing good rhythm and balance, and his arm action is pretty clean from a high slot. This is how you’d draw up a power pitcher, and the result is power stuff.

Vermillion ranged from 91-95 and sat mostly 93-94 in his outing Monday, changing planes effectively and largely locating where he wanted to. He also mixed in a very promising power curveball at 78-82, with good rotation and depth; it generally rates as an average to above-average pitch currently, but it flashed plus on an 82 mph back-foot curve for a strikeout, and it’s easy to project it as a plus pitch down the road. A native of Prairie Village, Kan., Vermillion needs to gain experience and prove he has the command, stamina and third pitch to be a starter — right now those things are simply unknowns. But even if he’s just a reliever, he has the potential to wind up as a top three-to-five-rounds pick. If he develops into a frontline starter at Arkansas over the next two years, Vermillion has first-round upside. (Aaron Fitt)