T.J. Zeuch, Pittsburgh
Position: RHP
Ht/Wt: 6’7/225
B/T: Right/Right
DOB: 8/1/1995
Like Justin Dunn, Zeuch has been mocked to the Dodgers by both ESPN’s Keith Law and MLB’s Jonathan Mayo. They also played a series against one another, once pitching in the same game (Zeuch starting and Dunn appearing in relief).
Zeuch, whose last name is pronounced “Zoyk,” was drafted out of high school in the 31st round by the Kansas City Royals three years ago. He began his career splitting time between the rotation and bullpen, making nine starts and six relief appearances as a freshman, but entrenched himself in the rotation in his sophomore campaign.
He pitched 88.1 innings in 2015, striking out 90 and walking 25. This year, he’s made 10 starts, throwing 69.2 innings while striking out 74 and posting a 3.10 ERA. He’s also faced some pretty stiff competition, pitching against five nationally ranked programs.
The first thing you notice about Zeuch is his height. He’s 6’7 with an athletic build and could fill out as he matures. His calling card is his fastball, which he throws in the low-to-mid 90s. Zeuch throws both a four-seamer and two-seamer, with the latter featuring heavy, late life.
He throws plenty of strikes but could do a better job of commanding the pitch. The rest of Zeuch’s arsenal is mediocre. He throws a curveball, slider and changeup, with only the former flashing signs of above-average potential.
The curve and slider tend to break out of his hand and roll off the table, lacking depth and bite. The changeup is pretty close to his two-seamer in movement, but there’s a decent amount of velocity separation between the offerings.
Zeuch has a simple delivery for a pitcher his size and has walked 19 batters in 69.2 innings this year. If you’re drafting him, you’re buying the arm strength, ability to throw strikes and hoping to develop a secondary pitch that’s better than average.
That’s a lot to ask of a first-rounder and he’d make more sense being taken in the second round, though if the Dodgers pass on him at No. 36 it’s unlikely he lasts until No. 65. However, if you’re spending nearly $2 million on a prospect, you’d expect a little more present ability.
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