With their second spherical decide this afternoon, the A’s took USC left-handed pitcher Mason Edwards, the 47th decide within the 2026 MLB Draft:
The group is including a second faculty prospect this afternoon, one other that appears like he might transfer via the system slightly rapidly. The lefty (who turns 21 on Tuesday) has high quality management of his three-pitch arsenal, which contains a low-90’s fastball, a “bender” than acts in a slurvy movement, and a high quality third off-speed pitch that has loads of fade on it. None of them alone are a really elite pitch however he does an awesome job in combining them to alter batter’s eye degree and has deception in his supply. In his closing 12 months at USC he posted a 2.07 ERA in 17 begins, with 169 strikeouts in simply 95 2/3 innings.
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Here’s what MLB Pipeline needed to say concerning the latest Athletics prospect:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
Edwards is a Los Angeles space native who attended Palisades High School, incomes back-to-back league pitcher of the 12 months honors in addition to consecutive first-team all-city nods in 2022 and 2023. After heading only a stone’s throw away to Southern Cal for faculty, the left-hander served as a swingman sort for the Trojans, amassing simply over 70 innings mixed. A powerful fall displaying has been adopted up by a stable spring main the weekend rotation, which has stored the scouting business’s curiosity piqued.
In some ways, Edwards matches the prototype of a school lefty with a really feel for pitching. He has a stable three-pitch combine and is aware of the right way to use it successfully. While his fastball sometimes sits within the 91-93 mph vary, he can contact 95. There is a few carry and “darkness” to his heater, resulting in a 30-percent miss fee on the pitch in 2025, in accordance with Synergy, a miss fee he maintained this spring. He’ll throw his slurvy breaking ball round 80 mph, and the curve flashes as a plus pitch with wonderful spin. He has good really feel for an above-average changeup with good fade that can also miss bats.
Teams will like that Edwards will simply be turning 21 instantly after the Draft. The undeniable fact that his strike-throwing has improved since he received to campus gained’t harm, both, as he confirmed wonderful command throughout his work this fall. He has all of the substances wanted to be a stable beginning pitcher and his capability to keep up his stuff this spring has floated him up into top-two-round consideration.
How would you guys grade this one? Discuss under!