Ryan Rolison

A talented high school lefthander out of Tennessee, Rolison ranked in the top half of the BA 500 in 2016, but was drafted in the 37th round by the Padres and chose to attend Mississippi. As a freshman, Rolison pitched in 19 games, posted a 3.06 ERA and was named to the SEC's all-freshman team by the conference's coaches. Rolison allowed just 23 runs in 61.2 innings in 2016, which was the third-best mark in the SEC and helped him earn a spot in the starting rotation toward the end of the season. Rolison carried that success to the Cape Cod League that summer, where he used a fastball in the 91-94 mph range and a wipeout curveball to pitch to a 1.93 ERA and strike out 35 batters in 28 innings. Rolison has impressed during his draft-eligible sophomore season with Ole Miss as well, increasing his strikeout rate and using a three-pitch mix, headlined by a fastball with plus life in the low 90s. Rolison is not afraid to throw his fastball, which has been up to 96 mph, inside to righthanded batters, while his breaking ball regularly gets swings and misses and is at least an above-average pitch with the potential to be a plus offering down the line. Rolison's changeup should become a solid third pitch as well. What has worried scouts this spring is the direction the 6-foot-2 southpaw takes to the plate. Many evaluators have commented that Rolison has been coming across his body too much in his delivery, which has impacted his strike-throwing ability and caused his walk rate to tick up. That should be a relatively easy fix in player development and most scouts believe in his control, which has been solid in the Cape and at Ole Miss in the past. While his stuff isn't as loud as some of the other pitchers in the class, Rolison still has the talent to become a No. 3 starter down the road. As one of the few lefthanded arms at the top of the class, Rolison figures to come off the board in the first round and become the first Ole Miss player to do so since Drew Pomeranz, who was taken fifth overall in the 2010 draft.