Ryne Nelson

Previously a two-way player for Oregon who played shortstop and also served as the Ducks’ closer, Nelson transitioned into a full-time pitching role this spring and attempted to start in his first four games. That experiment didn’t go well, and Nelson quickly returned to a relief role. He has one of the most electric arms in the country, with a 70-grade fastball that has reached the 99-100 mph range at its best. However, the pitch hasn’t played to that level this spring, and he gets hit more than scouts would expect given the premium velocity. He also has a three-year track record of being a below-average strike-thrower in the Pac-12. Despite those knocks, Nelson pairs his fastball with an above-average slider that flashes plus with the potential to a be a true out-pitch. He also throws a fringe-average curveball and changeup. Nelson entered the season with huge stuff and the hope that he could showcase a viable path to starting, but he’s most likely a long-term reliever. As a plus athlete with a 6-foot-3, 184-pound frame, teams might still want to gamble on his pure stuff early on Day 2 of the draft. He hasn’t focused exclusively on pitching for much time at all, and pro player development might be able to make the tweaks necessary for Nelson to become a shutdown reliever at the next level, but there is plenty of work to be done to reach that level.