Drew Smyly

Smyly's senior high school season in 2007 was marred by back trouble, and he redshirted in his first year at Arkansas after sustaining a stress fracture in his elbow during an intrasquad game. He started to come on at the end of last season, striking out 12 and coming within two outs of a no-hitter in an NCAA regional championship game against Oklahoma. Though he doesn't have a signature pitch, Smyly has been the Razorbacks' ace this spring. He mainly works with a fastball and a cutter/slider. He can add and subtract from his fastball, ranging from 86-93 mph, and works in the low to mid-80s with the cut/slider. He also mixes in a curveball and changeup. Smyly has exceptional feel for pitching, which allowed him to thrive even when a blister on his middle finger prevented him from gripping the seams on the ball for a couple of starts at midseason. Six-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he throws strikes on a good downward angle to the plate. In a draft bereft of lefthanders, Smyly shouldn't last past the top three rounds, though his extra leverage as a draft-eligible sophomore could scare off some clubs.