5 Collegiate Pitchers to Know for the 2017 MLB Draft

RHP J.B. Bukauskas, North Carolina

The Skinny

J.B. Bukauskas is looking to create another stir in the MLB Draft, but this time around, he wants to get drafted out of the University of North Carolina. Standing at six-feet tall, the right-hander out of Virginia has the most electric college arm among this year's potential first rounders.

He has a fastball that sits mid-to-high 90s and that will hit 100 throughout the entirety of a start, and while he loses command of his primary pitch at times, battling back is a little easier with a wipeout slider that sits in the mid-80s. This arsenal has helped him earn a 2.53 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 116 strikeouts this season.

As MLB.com notes in his draft profile, many scouts see him coming out of the bullpen and serving as a closer with a good amount of upside because of that electric arm.

The Tar Heel garnered first-team All-American honors this past week after being eliminated by Davidson in Chapel Hill Regional play. Latest rumors have the righty slipping a bit, but likely not out of the first 15 picks.

Defining Quote

"He has a 70-grade fastball that he not only consistently fires over the plate in the mid-90s but also commands well with the added bonus of sinking action. His 60-grade slider also moves well. The earlier reports of inconsistencies with the pitch seem to be quickly erasing themselves. His changeup showed much improvement this past summer and continues to do so this spring." - Wayne Cavadi, MinorLeagueBall.com

College Career

Bukauskas has started all 42 games he's appeared in with North Carolina, and is the proud owner of a 3.17 ERA and 1.19 WHIP through 244 innings pitched off the strength of 10.84 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.54 walks allowed per nine.