Kyle Muller | LHP
Background
The 18-year-old old Muller had a record breaking spring with Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas. He set a national high school record by striking out 24 consecutive batters across two starts, including the first 18 batters of the game as part of an eight-inning, 21-strikeout performance. Muller also set a record by recording 36 consecutive outs on strikeouts at one point. He had a 0.46 ERA with 133 strikeouts and 15 walks in 76 innings this spring and is committed to Texas.
Scouting Report
Muller has the most big league ready frame among high school players in the 2016 draft class. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 230 lbs., though despite that build, he generally only sits in the 89-92 mph range with his fastball. That’s up from 85-88 mph last year. Muller’s climbed draft boards quickly this spring thanks to the velocity spike. That said, he doesn’t offer much projection physically, so it’s tough to expect more velocity down the road. Muller also throws a curveball and a changeup, though neither is even an average offering at this point. His delivery is sound for such a big guy, though he is pretty deliberate and slow to the plate. He often focuses more on repeating his mechanics than executing the pitch. It’s worth noting Muller is also a legitimate prospect as a power-hitting first baseman — he’ll get a chance to be a two-way player in college — though his upside is much greater on the mound.
Miscellany
Both MLB.com and Baseball America consider Muller a first round talent; they rank him as the 24th and 25th best prospect in the draft class, respectively. Keith Law (subs. req’d) is a little lower on Muller and ranks him 58th. The Yankees hold the 18th pick. We’ve heard New York is targeting high school arms this year, and while Muller is not one of this draft’s elite prep pitchers, he could very well be the best one still on the board when their pick comes around.
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