Keegan Thompson

A native of Cullman, Ala., Thompson is old for the class as he missed his junior year last spring due to Tommy John surgery. He's been Auburn's de facto ace since stepping on campus as a freshman in 2014, during which he played both ways as a pitcher and first baseman, posting a rotation-best 2.01 ERA. Injury limited Thompson somewhat his sophomore year before his torn UCL wiped out his junior year entirely. But Thompson has bounced back nicely this spring, going 6-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 66 strikeouts to just 16 walks in 85.1 innings to anchor the Tigers' rotation. Thompson missed a couple of weekends on the mound, and his stuff hasn't come all the way back, at times sitting 87-90 mph, while other times working 90-93. While Thompson isn't as explosive as he was early in his college career, he has plus pitching feel and poise as well as above-average command. He shows a plus breaking ball and has feel for his changeup, throwing all of his pitches for strikes. Thompson could be a quick mover at the pro level due to his age and polish, but there's risk with his injury history.