Blake Walston

One of the most exciting, projectable arms in the 2019 class, teams were aware of Walston last summer but weren’t able to see him much on the showcase circuit due to his commitments as a talented high school quarterback. Listed at 6-foot-4, 172-pounds, Walston is a thin lefthander with an immensely projectable frame that could easily add 30-40 more pounds in the future. He has a clean arm action and delivery, and scouts note that his plus athleticism translates well to the mound, allowing him to be one of the best natural strike-throwers in the high school class. At the moment, Walston throws his fastball in the 86-91 mph range, topping out in the low 90s, but scouts are convinced that he’ll start to throw harder once he gains more physicality. He also has terrific feel to spin a breaking ball that projects as a plus pitch in the future, and he has shown a solid changeup as well. In a down year for high school lefthanders, Walston could see himself selected as soon as Day 1, although he is expected to be a tough sign out of his North Carolina State commitment. While there’s nothing plus with Walston right now, every element of his operation screams upside and plenty of high-level decision makers have laid eyes on him this spring.