MsStateBaseball
10-24-2014, 10:28 AM
Ethan Small (2015, Lexington, Tenn.) certainly opens eyes during Day 1 of the 2014 WWBA World Championship as the lefthander came out firing early on in the game. Standing at 6-foot-3, 175-pounds, the Mississippi State commit is extremely projectable with loose actions and long limbs. In the first inning Small touched a couple of 93?s on the radar gun, working mostly in the 90-91 mph range, showing 92?s throughout the first inning and flashed one or two in the second inning. As good as the velocity is though it?s the big angle Small creates and ability to work downhill to both sides of the plate that made him as effective as he was. There is a lot going on in his delivery but Small is able to repeat it and with the moving parts his delivery features, it makes it hard for the hitter to pick up the ball, evidenced by the empty swings hitters were still putting on his fastball when it was 87-88 mph later in the game.
Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, Small mixed in both a changeup and a curveball, a pitch which he would manipulate both the shape and velocity of. Though he slows his arm action a bit on his changeup he is still able to throw it for strikes and creates nice fade to his arm side with the pitch. When he would throw his curveball in the low-70s the pitch showed short 1-to-7 life, but when he would put a little more on it and was up to 76 mph with the pitch, he was able to create sharper shape and more depth with the pitch.
Once they re rank him we should a little bump in the rankings. We are currently 4th. National signing day is Nov 12th.
Throwing from a three-quarters arm slot, Small mixed in both a changeup and a curveball, a pitch which he would manipulate both the shape and velocity of. Though he slows his arm action a bit on his changeup he is still able to throw it for strikes and creates nice fade to his arm side with the pitch. When he would throw his curveball in the low-70s the pitch showed short 1-to-7 life, but when he would put a little more on it and was up to 76 mph with the pitch, he was able to create sharper shape and more depth with the pitch.
Once they re rank him we should a little bump in the rankings. We are currently 4th. National signing day is Nov 12th.