After being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 19th round out of junior college, John Stilson decided not to sign and went off to Texas A&M instead. He seems to have made the right decision and could possibly go in the first round of the 2011 draft. Teaming with Barret Loux to form one of the best 1-2 punches in Division I, Stilson has gotten off to a start almost as hot as his mid-to-high 90s fastball.
Stilson is near the top of the leaderboards in a number of categories so far this year. His ERA comes in 3rd at 1.07 and the sixth place 2.54 FIP shows it's no fluke. He has shown an ability to power through hitters evidenced by his 13.95 K/9. Many young fireballers struggle with control but Stilson has managed to keep a respectable 2.50 BB/9.
His secondary pitches could use some work but they do show promise. He is able to mix a 95-98 MPH fastball with a developing slider that comes in around 81-83. He also has a curve and a change-up but both pitches need some polish before they would be big league ready.
Stilson has all the tools to be a successful reliever with swing and miss stuff. Look for him to go in the early rounds and expect a bumpy but steady rise into the big leagues where he could one day turn into a solid set-up man or if he can add some more bite to that slider he could turn into one of the game's nastier closers.
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