http://s3.amazonaws.com/media.dth/28424_0412_baseballvsncstate_gargan196p.jpg

J.B. Bukauskas is a right-handed pitcher for the University of North Carolina who has the best pitching repertoire available in this year’s draft. Bukauskas is listed at 6’0” and 195 pounds, and with his delivery and pitch mix he reminds me of a smaller Matt Cain. A native of Virginia, Bukauskas played high school baseball for the Stone Bridge Bulldogs, where he quickly ascended draft boards during his senior year. In 2014, he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 20th round after asking teams to not draft him, and he ultimately made the predictable decision to attend college. With his electric pitching style and presence on the mound, he has the potential to separate himself from all other players in this year’s class.

Bukauskas’s repertoire consists of three pitches: Fastballs, sliders, and changeups, with all being above average or average. His fastball reaches the upper nineties, and he works with it on both sides of the plate. His slider is nothing short of nasty, and he can throw it at ninety miles per hour with the bottom falling out, making it nearly unhittable. His changeup will need the most improvement, but it should at least be an average major league offering. His command of his pitches has improved throughout his years at college, and will likely get even better.

The main concerns that scouts have about Bukauskas are his violent delivery and small size, which leads some to conclude that he will end up in a bullpen. He has already diminished the effort he uses while pitching, but has still managed to maintain his velocity, and with the right development he could continue to do this. His control has also improved with the changes in his delivery, and his walk rates have gone down every year in college. His size should not be a big concern, since many other pitchers with similar builds have had a significant amount of success in the big leagues, including Tim Lincecum, Sonny Gray, and Marcus Stroman. Even if Bukauskas moves to a bullpen, he could be an elite reliever.

Bukauskas could potentially be selected first in the draft, but the talk involving him and the Twins has subsided as the draft gets nearer. Right now, it looks as if the Twins will take a pitcher, and Bukauskas has a higher ceiling than any other college pitcher available. Most people think the Twins will take either a high upside player like Hunter Greene, or a potentially quick mover like Brendan McKay, but Bukauskas could be the perfect combination of the two, albeit a less physical one. Most right-handed pitchers who are selected first overall are much taller than Bukauskas, with recent examples being Kris Benson, Matt Anderson, Bryan Bullington, Luke Hochevar, Stephen Strasburg, Gerrit Cole, and Mark Appel. Few of them had big league success, making me wonder if height is the best way to separate hard throwing pitchers.

Bukauskas has been overlooked by many so far, but that could quickly change in the future. His athleticism and competitive nature make him fun to watch, and he has performed consistently against some of the best college competition. Some teams think that the injury risk with Bukauskas is too great to select him, but injuries are something you can get with any pitcher. The team that roles the dice and decides to take the undersized righty could get a future number one starter. Regardless of risk, Bukauskas is the best player available.