Lex Rutledge

Rutledge ranked just behind Mississippi State's Chris Stratton among Mississippi high school pitchers in 2009, and he spurned the Brewers as a 26th-round draft pick to attend Samford. The Bulldogs made him a closer and he thrived in that role, going 5-1, 1.71 with 11 saves in 2010 and striking out 65 in 47 innings. Rutledge struggled with command when he moved into the weekend rotation in 2011 and moved back into the bullpen in 2012. Walks remained a problem, though, and he has 84 in 142 career innings with a 6.81 ERA this spring. Rutledge has thrown hard in two summers in the Cape Cod League, hitting 97-98 mph in short spurts. His fastball has resided more in the 91-93 mph range this spring but touched 95-96. If he throws strike with it, he can put hitters away with one of the draft's better curveballs, a power pitch in the 79-82 mph range with downer action. It's a swing-and-miss pitch that at times gets slurvy. He hasn't shown strong stuff when used on back-to-back days. He could go as high as the second round, but more likely will last into the fourth or fifth.