Karsten Whitson First Look
RHP, Florida
6' 4" 215 Lbs.
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Junior
Karsten Whitson was taken 8th overall by the Padres in 2009 out of Chipley High in Florida. He was well regarded as one of the best prep arms in his class, and was offered a bountiful bonus north of 2 million dollars. However, Whitson shocked the industry when he spurned the Padres and headed to school to play for Kevin O' Sullivan's Gators. In his freshman season at Florida, Whitson lived up to the hype; He went 8-1 with a minuscule ERA of 2.40. Going into last season Whitson seemed poised to be one of the top picks in this years draft. Unfortunately, injuries and struggles with his command marred his sophomore campaign. Whistson will need a bounce back season to reestablish himself as one the elite pitchers in the NCAA, and he certainly has the pure stuff to do it.
Whitson has the ideal pitchers frame at 6' 4" and 215 Lbs. His fastball sits comfortably between 91-94 and he likes to work down in the zone. When he really rears back he get it up a few ticks, and it has been recorded as high as 97. Whitson next best offering is his power slider. With some refinement it could easily become a plus pitch. His change-up will need some work however, but it has been effective at times in the past. Few pitcher's draft status will depend as much on the upcoming season as much as Whitson's; If he can return to his prior form he could easily sneak back into the top 10.
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