Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Junior College is underrated. I went there, and look how I turned out. OK, maybe not the best example. However, there are quality MLB prospects to be found at JuCos, and Jacob Misiorowski is the best JC arm available in this draft.
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Previous Profiles
- Peyton Graham (June 15)
- Drew Gilbert (June 21)
- Ryan Cermak (June 22)
- Thomas Harrington (June 27)
- Peyton Pallette (June 28)
- Landon Sims (June 29)
- Malcolm Moore (July 5)
- Cade Horton (July 6)
- Walter Ford (July 7)
- Eric Brown (July 11)
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Vitals
6’7, 190 pounds
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
DOB: April 3, 2002
Location
Neosho, Mo.
Commitment: LSU
Rankings
The Athletic: NR
Baseball America: 68
CBS Sports: NR
ESPN: NR
MLB Pipeline: 78
Prospects Live: 75
Slot recommended bonus (No. 29): $1,950,900
Note: All information of draft prospects compiled from Internet sources, scouting reports and videos.
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The Dodgers aren’t opposed to looking at the junior college ranks, but they’ve not done it when it comes to their first selection. In fact, they’ve only used a 1st-round pick on a JuCo player once — Bryan Morris in 2006, after they drafted some prep lefty called Clayton Kershaw at No. 7. So, it’s a little surprising to see them linked to Misiorowski, the top JuCo arm available in this year’s draft.
Misiorowski is armed with a 4-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has touched 100 MPH. It features a high spin rate and carrying action up in the strike zone. He has a chance to add to the sitting velo if he’s able add some good weight to his slender frame. He pairs his fastball with a hard biting mid-80s slider that has touched 90 MPH. It has some of the sweeping action that is taking MLB by storm this year. It has flashed above-average and has a chance to be a plus-offering. With a strong fastball-slider combination, you’re probably wondering why he’s not rated higher by most. Well, he doesn’t have much of a third pitch of which to speak. His slider has a couple different looks to it, but that might not be enough for him to stick in the rotation. There’s a chance for him to add a legitimate third pitch — look at what the Dodgers have done with Dustin May. The player developmental department has added a legit curveball to Bobby Miller‘s arsenal, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Misiorowski add that or even a cutter or changeup.
Misiorowski’s stuff plays up thanks to his extension. With a 6-foot-7 from, that’s to be expected. He has a three-quarters release point that helps him get some extra movement on his offerings. However, the delivery isn’t super smooth and that helps lead to below-average present command/control. There’s real reliever risk not only because of the lack of a third pick, but because of the command/control profile.
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Video
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Misiorowski would likely be a 1st-round lock if he were a more well-rounded pitcher. He has two plus-pitches and, if he can add another, he could end up being quite the steal at No. 40. He has two years of eligibility remaining, so the threat of making it to LSU is real. But, the Dodgers should be able to give him a sizeable bonus, should they pop him. He has No. 4/5 starter or late-inning reliever written all over him right now. In LA’s system, that could change for the better.
