College Baseball is heating up and the best pitcher in the NCAA is already dominating.

in #sports5 years ago (edited)

College baseball season is upon us and being an ex college baseball player myself, I have always enjoyed watching 18-23 yr old athletes live the college life I once did. The best teams in the country this year are Vanderbilt, Oregon State and UCLA which is not much of a surprise because all three have been at the top of the polls several times in the last decade.

Baseball at most every level comes down to pitching. If your team has two dominate pitchers and a few other guys who can keep you in the game you have a high chance at success because good pitching can usually neutralize an offensive team that can stack up the runs.

This years best pitcher is Tanner Burns, the sophomore phenom from the University of Auburn with a crafty curveball and the rare screwball in his bag of pitches. I watched this kid last year and he was definitely a weapon for the Tigers but, he has made a big leap into his second season and most likely the last season of his college career once MLB teams start showing up to his games with radar guns.
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Burns is coming off an award-winning freshman season for the Tigers and has shown no signs of a sophomore slump. In fact, it looks like the 6-0 righty is getting stronger. He allowed just one run in each of his first outings and hasn’t allowed any since. Burns tossed a complete game shutout to open March, striking out 15 and walking none. Now, I understand that throwing a complete game shutout with 15k is not impossible and has been done by many college pitchers before him.......but Burns did this with only 104 pitches which is very impressive. An effective pitcher is a major asset to a club because it allows more innings to be pitched on a little less rest.
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Burns doesn’t have the most explosive fastball you have ever seen but pitching is 100% about changing speeds and location. Most college hitters are fundamentally sound and have great hand speed to handle a fastball at 90 MPH so a pitcher who can work around a hitters strengths can hold a powerful offensive juggernaut in check if you can put a few runs on the board.

Look for Burns to have a great season but the SEC is full of great talent and wins are hard to get. I doubt Auburn is good enough to best Teams like Florida, Mississippi State, LSU and Arkansas in the SEC so it may be hard for Burns to get a lot of ESPN airtime but, if he wins 15 games and dominates good college hitters, a huge payday and a first round draft pick is just a few months away.

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I remember my colleage days. Me and friends big fan of baseball game. It is very interesting game. Playing baseball with friends is so much entertainment for me. Because life incomplete without friends. Colleage time is best time in our life. Thanks this valuable post. @broncnutz.

College Baseball is still a crap shoot even for those at the top of the draft. Many 1st 2nd and 3rd rounders either never make the Bigs or only have a quick cup of coffee.

Concern with a kid like this is that today you need a 95+ mph fastball to set up the secondary pitches. Sure like some recent Red Sox hurlers with crafty stuff - you can post a few wins, dominate for a game or two, but you can't be consistently good without a fastball anymore.

Posted about my practice yesterday reaching 84 mph bat speed with 33.5" wood in pre-season. Used the Zepp app which shows all types of stats and the swing path/contact point. Should be up a few more ticks in speed with my normal 33" bat and after another month of swinging since it's early. Season starting 3/31 and I'll be breaking out my knuckleball on the mound with a GoPro on the catcher's mask. Good to see some baseball up here.

Excellent review @broncnutz and I hope that the Tanner Burns will meet and make the game much better, let's see what comes of it!

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College baseball is always entertaining and thrilling to watch and I know for sure that this season league will be fill with great surprises and also the discovery of young good talents @broncnutz

Interesting article @broncnutz, and I always wonder how someone would describe the differences between cricket and baseball, both being sports of immense audiences. With cricket, you also have your pros and cons like a fast or spin bowler can wreak havoc on an a team by himself, whereas a batsman that is up to the challenge and knows how to read his field can send the ball in any one of 360 degree angles, at any speed, at any distance and height, which makes for cricket delivering some of the best fielders you will get. But the one thing that truly makes the difference, I believe, is the fact that in cricket, the bowler (pitcher) bowls the ball and most every time it hits the pitch then bounces, and that plays a huge role in the final delivery. Would love to hear any thoughts if some has a view :)

the consistency will matter from here onwards

Who knows who will draft him in 2020. My hope? The Toronto Blue Jays!

Un excelente post amigo!

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