It looks like the Twins will be paying up to pry 6’5” RHP Ethan Wachsmann away from Wake Forest. It’s the first high school player drafted by Minnesota this year, and it will be a fun development project to watch. He is ranked 87th on the MLB Pipeline board and 54th on the Fangraphs board, while some scouts have talked about him as a first round prospect.
After a huge growth spurt in the middle of high school, Wachsmann’s velo spiked. He pushed his fastball into the upper 90s and has worked up to 100
mph with high spin and carry potential. He has a trio of secondaries in a curveball, slider, and changeup. Very inconsistent spin and command on the secondaries, but he is flashing 2,900 RPM on the curveball with excellent late bite. He has shown the ability to turn that changeup over and get some real fade.
Wachsmann is a thrower more than a pitcher at the moment. He fits right into the mold of Charlee Soto and Dasan Hill, who have both flashed early on. He is raw with a long road of development ahead, but the big frame, flashy velocity, and high spin rates generate some very exciting potential at 18 years old.
