Jacob
Schlesener

12/28/13 - The thin, athletic-framed 6-foot-2, 170-pound Schlesener combines right now pitchability with projection.  His clean arm action, simple delivery and high ¾ slot produce good sinking action away from right-handed hitters with both his 79-81 mph fastball and 72-76 change-up.  He also has good feel for a controllable 12-6 breaking ball.  Overall he showed command of all three pitches and has a frame that has plenty of room to add weight lending me to believe there is more in the tank velocity-wise.  Schlesener is a member of the Midwest Nationals organization out of Springfield, Missouri.

Top Prospect Games: On the mound, the lanky 6-foot-2, 170-pound Schlesener displayed a loose, quick arm with all three pitches around the strike zone. His fastball was thrown in the 81-83 mph range, we have seen him throw it harder and have no doubt that he should be and will be consistently in the mid-80s. Schlesener showed command of his fastball throwing it on both sides of the plate and keeping it down in the zone. His breaking ball had good, tight spin and late movement, creating quite a few swings and misses. His change up was thrown in the 74-75 mph range with some depth and arm side run.

KC Preseason: Another veteran of PBR events, every time we see Schlesener, he continues to mature physically. With  a projectable 6-foot-1, 165-pound frame, the left handed pitcher shows a quick arm on the mound with easy effort, good rhythm, and solid pitching mechanics. His fastball showed run and sink, topping at 82-mph. He slows his arm speed a bit on his offspeed pitches, but they still show good movement. His 67-68 mph breaking ball was sharp, while his 70-71 mph change up showed arm side run. He has lots of upside on the mound as he continues to physically mature. At the plate, Schlesener has good rhythm with a level line drive producing swing and uphill finish, showing ability to make consistent contact. In the outfield Schlesener showed a clean exchange while playing through the ball with accurate throws

Premier Underclass Showcase: Schlesener is a 6-foot, 160-pound player who looks to be an impact player has he continues his career and progress. This was Schlesener’s second event, and he showed improvement in his abilities since we last saw him. The left handed pitcher topped out at 82 mph, with his heavy fastball that had arm side run. His deceptive and easy delivery made his fastball jump pout of his hand. Schlesener also threw a sharp, late breaking 2-to-8 breaking ball with near fastball arm speed and a 68-69 mph change up with arm side movement. At the plate, Schlesener has a quite approach with loose hands and a short quick swing that produced line drives to the right side. As we have said before, as Schlesener continues to mature physically, he has the tools to be an impact player.

KC Top Prospect Showcase: Schlesener is a LHP with a long, lean projectable 5-foot-11, 155-pound frame. He showed poise on the mound for a player of his age, impressing with a 77-78 mph fastball. Schlesener’s breaking ball (67-68 mph) had 11-to-5 movement with sharp, late break. He also threw a 71-73 mph change up, a pitch that has potential to be an out pitch with some fine tuning.  As Schlesener continues to mature, he has the ability to be an impact pitcher and one of the top players in the Class of 2015.