Ryan Zeferjahn

Coming out of high school in 2016, Zeferjahn was the clear third wheel in one of the best high school pitching classes in Kansas history. While Riley Pint and Joey Wentz were both Day 1 picks out of high school, Zeferjahn made what looks to be a wise choice by heading to college. Over the intervening three years, he’s filled out his once rail-thin frame, adding an inch in height and 25 pounds in weight since arriving at Kansas. He’s also added 3-4 mph to his fastball and significantly improved his changeup and slider while pitching for the Jayhawks. Zeferjahn has one of the better fastballs in this year’s draft class, sitting 94-95 mph but ranging anywhere from 92-97 mph with consistent plus life. At times, he will flash both a plus slider and plus changeup, so on the perfect day he can show three plus pitches, which is a true rarity for this year’s class. As of early May, Zeferjahn had already amassed three games with at least 10 strikeouts, including an impressive 14-strikeout performance against Texas. However, the lack of consistency in all three of his offerings is why he’s not going to hear his name called early in the first round. Two weeks before striking out 14 against the Longhorns, he walked seven hitters in six innings against Baylor. Zeferjahn’s arm slot wanders from a very low three-quarter slot to almost completely over the top. Sometimes he sticks with a consistent arm slot for an entire outing, but other times it changes from inning to inning. Zeferjahn can also get a little east-west in his delivery at times as well. His slider’s shape varies with his arm slot, but no matter where it comes from, it has both depth and tilt. If Zeferjahn was consistently dotting the zone with his varying release points, scouts would be less worried. Instead, his below-average control has long been a problem. He has shown some improvement, but as a junior, he’s still walking 4.7 batters per nine innings. Zeferjahn’s eventual landing spot could be in the bullpen as a power reliever, but whoever drafts him will most likely see if he can improve his control enough to start, at least initially. He has one of the higher ceilings among this year’s college pitchers, which could be enticing in a class lacking high-ceiling college arms.