The Volunteers are gearing up for a significant MLB Draft, with a number of former players projected to be among the top 150 prospects. Tennessee's standout player in the draft is ace Tegan Kuhns, who is one of the top pitchers in the pool and is expected to be selected in the first round. Kuhns posted a 3.56 ERA last year, with an impressive 11.8 strikeouts per nine innings compared to just 1.8 walks per nine innings.
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Based on that, in the latest FanSided MLB mock draft, Cody Williams has Tennessee ace Tegan Kugns going No. 25 overall to the Milwaukee Brewers. In regards to the pick, Williams said:
"By no means is Tegan Kuhns a finished product, which is somewhat to be expected for a draft-eligible sophomore. However, what he does have right now is well worth betting on. His fastball is sitting mid-90s and his control overall is quite impressive. The lack of secondaries right now is a concern, but it’s just a development issue, not a lack of potential issue. And when you think about that type of profile in the Brewers’ pitching infrastructure, that’s a lot to like."
SP Tegan Kuhns is a first-rounder
I think Williams makes a great point about Kuhns having very good control and being able to command the zone with good pitches. However, I don't totally agree on the secondary pitches, as he has arguably the best curveball in the draft to complement his fastball. Yes, he does need to learn a couple of extra pitches, but he has a great foundation to start with, and plenty of guys come out of college with only a couple of reliable pitches.
Kuhns is raw, but with his one-two punch of a fastball and curveball, he offers a pretty high floor, especially depending on how well he can locate them. He is a prime candidate to move into a bullpen if starting doesn’t work out. He might not have the most overpowering stuff, but he projects to slide into the middle of a rotation and be a reliable arm.
What stands out the most is that the Brewers could be a major contender for the playoffs. They have developed Jacob Misiorowski into a potential young winner, and they lead the MLB in team ERA. The pitching staff they have built has been nothing short of amazing, especially given that they don’t have any big-time names on the staff per se.
Hopefully Kughsn ghets darfetd as higha s possible afetr hsi brealouit year ansd maximsizsxe his earnigns.
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