2023 3rd Round Pick (#86): Kiefer Lord - RHP - (Jr) Washington (WA)

[86this]

Slot = $808.20k

 

Edited July 18, 2023 by 86this
Correcting Thread Title

[86this]

Correction "Kiefer Lord"

[86this]

MLB Film Room

[Hazmat]

Sorry, not a baseball name.

[86this]

Just now, Hazmat said:

Sorry, not a baseball name.

More like an actor.

[Greg Pappas]

Righthander from Washington.  Just turned 21 last month. From MLB:
 

Quote

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

Lord wasn’t a prospect coming out of the California high school ranks, and he headed to Division III Carleton College in Minnesota to continue pitching. As a result of work he put in during his pandemic down time learning about pitch mechanics and design, he started to throw gradually harder, going from the low 80s in high school to sitting around 91 mph in his second year at Carleton. Seeking more exposure, he transferred to Washington and came out of the gate throwing harder in the weekend rotation to raise his profile.

The work Lord put in had him firing his fastball up to 97 mph and sitting around 94, though that backed up a bit for a stretch during this season before he regained that velocity. He throws the heater a lot, more than 70 percent of the time, and it has good carry with hitters unable to touch it when he elevates it. He has shown an ability to spin a curve and a slider, with the harder low-80s slider a potential out pitch with two-plane break when he executes it. He doesn’t throw his changeup often, but it should be an effective offspeed offering when he commits to it.

Long and loose, Lord repeats his full overhead delivery and big leg kick well and has a good track record of throwing strikes. He can run into trouble when he can’t find his breaking ball grip and his curve and slider blur into each other. His stock took a hit when his stuff backed up early, but he was back pointing in the right direction as a potential top-four-round-type pick with starting pitcher potential.

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Greg Pappas

[Sports Guy]

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Sports Guy

[Greg Pappas]

Ranked 127th overall by MLB.

[MurphDogg]

Keith Law had him at #73 in his top 100.

He is a transfer from Carleton College who pitched one year at UW.

Law suggests that he would have been a "easy second-round pick" before giving up 22 runs over 8 and 2/3rds in his final three outings of the season.

He has a high spin rate and has reached 99 MPH.

Law summarizes "There's still a lot of untapped potential here, and it's the sort of makeup you want to bet on."

[86this]

So if he does or doesn't perform, people can yell "Oh Lord"?

[btdart20]

Pick 3.91 was Nolan McLean.  It'll be interesting to see how these two compare.

[Otter]

Ugly stats, but looks and sounds projectable.  I prefer upside over current production, but we'll see how he develops.

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

Pick 3.91 was Nolan McLean.  It'll be interesting to see how these two compare.

And McLean with whoever they draft 100th.

[clapdiddy]

Could be a BP guy?   Maybe a fast-moving BP guy?   

[sportsfan8703]

MLB coverage said that you don't often get a NCAA arm that still has a lot of projection.  Really good fastball.  He taught himself pitch mechanics.  They said to watch his start vs. USC to get an idea of what he could be.