Philip Abner

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #105 prospect in 2021 draft
  A filled-out, 6-foot-1, 220-pound lefthander, Abner stands out for his physicality and fastball command. Last summer Abner sat in the 90-93 mph range, touching 94-95 and showing an impressive ability to spot the pitch consistently, especially to his glove side, to dominate hitters. He was a candidate this spring to take a jump, but after dealing with turf toe and missing some time, he’s generally shown the same sort of stuff. Scouts have seen him in the 92-94 mph range with some feel to land a breaking ball. He also throws a changeup in the low-to-mid 80s that has impressive diving life and looks like a pitch that can be effective against righties and lefties. Abner has thrown both a curveball and a slider, and the two pitches blend together and get slurvy at times. Scouts prefer the harder variant in the 82-84 mph range, which shows some late bite when he hits on it. Abner has a long arm-hooking action in the back of his delivery, which could inhibit his ability to get to a consistent breaking ball, and it also causes some scouts to wonder if he’s more of a reliever than a starter in the long run. Scouts who like his strong frame, three-pitch mix and chance to start might prefer him in the second or third round, but a Florida commitment could make him a tough sign. Abner will be 19 on draft day and eligible in two seasons if he makes it to campus.