With the 2018 Draft fast approaching (June 4-6 on MLB Network and MLB.com), we take a closer look at the top prospects in this year's class.
:: 2018 Draft coverage ::
Name: Cole Wilcox
Position: RHP
School: Heritage (Ga.) High School
Rank on Draft Top 200: 19
DOB: 7/14/1999
Bats: R
Throws: R
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 220 lbs.
College commitment: Georgia
Tools
(Future grades on 20-80 scouting scale)
Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Top 20 Draft Prospects profiles
Stats (2018 season)
11 G, 65.2 IP, 9-2, 1.59 ERA, 95 K
Scouting report
Ethan Hankins and Kumar Rocker are the marquee names among Georgia high school pitchers, but a third Peach State prep hurler, Wilcox, joined them on the Team USA pitching staff that won a gold medal at the 18-and-under World Cup last September. Wilcox also could join them in the first round of the 2018 Draft. Through he hasn't received the same notoriety, he might have a better likelihood of developing three solid pitches.
Wilcox has a fastball that already sits at 91-94 mph, reaching the plate with heavy sink and the promise of more velocity once he fills out his athletic 6-foot-5 frame. His 81-84 mph changeup is equally effective, featuring fading action and often bottoming out at the plate. He'll also flash a plus slider in the low 80s, though it's not quite as consistent as his other two offerings.
Wilcox repeats his mechanics well and has an advanced feel for pitching. However, his delivery and arm action aren't as smooth as those of Hankins and Rocker, which could give pause to teams already leery of taking high school pitchers in the first round. If he follows through on his commitment to Georgia, he'll be Draft eligible as a sophomore in 2020.
MLB comp:Gerrit Cole
Fun fact: Along with baseball, Wilcox was a standout basketball player for Heritage. He ended his basketball career with 1,506 points while also pulling 996 rebounds and racking up 198 blocks.
He said it: "I love it. I just love to compete in anything, anything from throwing marbles or baseball. To be able to compete at such a high level with so many talented players is just amazing." -- Chattanooga Times Free Press
They said it: "He doesn't want to lose in anything that he is doing, no matter what it is… . He obviously has the ability and the stuff that matches up with what most people are looking for, but the thing that he's got is that competitive drive that not everybody has."
-- Heritage High School assistant baseball coach Thomas Gray