The Blue Jays have made their first selection of the 2016 MLB draft tonight, picking RHP T.J. Zeuch out of the University of Pittsburgh. Zeuch is 20-years-old and stands at 6’7″ and weighs 225 lbs. Zeuch was previous drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2013 in the 31st round.
Sources: TJ Zeuch to #BlueJays.
— Robert Murray (@RobertMurrayBBE) June 10, 2016
Zeuch was ranked as the 26th best prospect available in this draft class by Baseball Prospectus‘ Chris Crawford, and 28th by MLB Pipeline.
Zeuch received the following grades on his pitches and control from MLB Pipeline:
Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
From Chris Crawford’s fantastic MLB Draft book is the following report:
“And our last profile of the 2016 Draftbook is some- thing completely different: a right-hander with pro- jection. It’s just that kind of year. Zeuch’s fastball is actually above-average right now at 90-93 mph with downhill plane, but there’s plenty of room to add more, and his easy arm action suggests that he will. He throws both a slider and a curveball, with the curve being the more advanced offering, flashing plus with good shape. The slider is more of an average pitch that can get slurvy, and if I was in charge of his arsenal I would just scrap it. The change is an aver- age pitch with late fade and just enough deception from his arm speed to call it an average offering, as well. He throws strikes with all three pitches, and the command should catch up to the control. Even if the projection doesn’t materialize, he’s a potential back- end starter; but if it does come in, then he could be a no. 3 or better.”
MLB Pipeline had the following to say:
“After a very strong showing in the Cape Cod League last summer, scouts were very excited to see Zeuch in action as a junior at Pitt. A groin injury kept him out the first month of the season, but upon his return, Pittsburgh became a popular destination for scouts.
Zeuch has a four-pitch mix, all thrown with steep angle from his 6-foot-7 frame that could add more strength. He uses a relatively easy delivery to fire fastballs that have touched 96-97 mph since his return. He’ll sit in the 92-94 mph range and his fastball has good run and sink to it. Zeuch will use both a slider and a curve effectively, with his breaking stuff occasionally flashing plus, though it’s been inconsistent. He tinkers with a changeup in the bullpen, but doesn’t have a ton of feel for it and doesn’t use it much in games. He throws strikes with all of his offerings.
With the weather warming in Pennsylvania and the chance to see Zeuch start against ACC competition, he was getting a lot of looks as the spring progressed. There’s some helium here, with his name coming up often in first-round conversations.”
Here’s MLB Pipeline’s scouting video featuring Zeuch pitching.
Zeuch did a Q & A with MLB Daily Dish earlier in the week, and that can be read by clicking here. The Blue Jays have two more picks remaining tonight, at 57th and 66th. We’ll have coverage on those picks moments after they happen.
Lead Photo: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Crawford’s MLB Draft Book can be purchased on iBooks for just $4.99. It’s a must buy for anybody looking to learn more about all the top players in the 2016 draft class.