NC State head coach Elliott Avent will not have much time to get over the sudden end of the season in the Greenville Regional at East Carolina. The MLB Draft begins Monday and runs through Wednesday.
Here is a preview of what to watch for from the Pack’s perspective.
How high will Will Wilson be drafted?
Will Wilson’s struggles in the Greenville Regional is unlikely to affect his draft stock. The junior could be the first pick from NC State in the first round since Carlos Rodon and Trea Turner both went in 2014.
Wilson was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and hit .335 with 16 homers as a junior. His .661 slugging percentage and .425 on-base percentage also will appeal to major league clubs. MLB.com currently projects Wilson to be taken by Los Angeles Dodgers with the 25th pick in the first round.
One thing that is certain is Wilson will hear his name called by the end of the first day, which consists of the first two rounds, including the sandwich competitive balance roads and the second-round compensation picks. Day two is rounds 3-10, then the completion of the 50-round draft is Wednesday.
Avent was asked for his thoughts on Wilson after being eliminated from the Greenville Regional.
"He'll make more money than you and me put together by [Monday]," Avent answered.
Which other NC State players will be picked?
As much acclaim as Wilson deservingly garnered this year, senior first baseman Evan Edwards made his own credible case for being the team’s MVP. He hit .330 with 14 homers and a team-best 60 runs batted in while playing stellar defense at first.
Having Edwards return for his senior season was a bonus for NC State. He said that he was 50-50 about going into the draft last year and set a high signing bonus demand that was not met. Edwards could be picked fairly quickly this year as teams generally like to draft cheaper seniors in the first 10 rounds, saving money on those signing bonuses and spending the savings on the more expensive signs higher in the draft.
The bigger question is will any more underclassmen be picked. Notable in that group is junior right-handed starting pitcher Jason Parker. He started strong, giving up just 36 hits and posting a 1.98 earned run average in 41.0 innings during his first eight starts. He did not allow a home run in that time while walking 12 and striking out 36.
He was hit hard in adverse weather conditions against Louisville in start number nine and struggled to regain his form after that. In his final nine starts, Parker pitched 35.0 innings and gave up 42 hits, including seven homers, while walking 18 and fanning 34. His ERA in that time was 7.20.
Did he show enough promise early in the year for a team to take a chance, or will clubs want to see more consistency during a potential senior season?
Some bullpen arms could also get looks. Junior 6-foot-7 lefty Kent Klyman entered the year with a career 2.30 ERA in 51 appearances and 78.1 innings and had four saves as a sophomore. He was not as sharp earlier this year but seemed to regain his form down the stretch. In his final seven games he pitched 11.2 innings and gave up nine hits, walking four and striking out 16. His ERA in that time was 2.31, more in line with his previous years and dropping his season mark to 3.41.
Redshirt sophomore righty Dalton Feeney arrived at NC State as a prized prospect who would have likely been a high draft pick in 2016 coming out of high school if he was not set on going to college. After posting a 2.53 ERA in 21.1 innings as a rookie, he was shelved a year ago after having Tommy John surgery.
Back healthy this year, Feeney gave up 27 hits and walked 11 in 29.0 innings while striking out 23 and finishing with a 1.86 ERA. He flashed the potential that excites scouts, but Feeney also have the leverage to come back a year and improve his stock.
Junior righties Alec Barger, Andrew Blake and Michael Bienlien and sophomore lefty Evan Justice (who is age-eligible for the draft) all struggled with consistency this year but also have the raw stuff that may attract a flyer from a club in the later rounds.
At the plate, other than Wilson and Edwards the other name to watch is junior catcher/designated hitter Brad Debo, who hit better than his line of a .242 average with four homers and 39 RBI might suggest. Debo’s 16 doubles were also fourth most on the team, and he has long been considered an intriguing draft prospect by scouts.
What will be the impact on the recruiting class?
The biggest recruit looming is lefty pitcher Blake Walston from New Hanover High in Wilmington, N.C. The Gatorade Player of the Year in the state helped his team to a state title by going 9-1 with a 0.42 ERA this year. MLB.com ranks Walston as the No. 52 player in the draft class and project him at the end of the first round to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 34th pick.
“One of the most projectable and athletic high school pitchers available, Walston will be a tough sign who could be one of the first picks in the 2022 Draft if he goes to North Carolina State and develops as expected,” MLB.com’s Jim Callis wrote.
Walston may be helped by it apparently being a shallow draft class for high school lefties, with one report suggesting only two will be picked in the first five rounds.
Other recruits to watch include right-hander pitchers Sam Highfill from Apex (N.C.) High, Austin Pace from Barco (N.C.) Currituck County High and Matt Willadsen from Holly Springs (N.C.) High (both Highfill and Willadsen can also play in the infield), left-handed pitcher Chris Villaman from High Point (N.C.) Ledford High, first baseman Will Butcher from Asheville (N.C.) T.C. Roberson High, shortstop C.J. Neese from Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High, junior college lefty Andy Samuelson from Wabash Valley College, outfielder Noah Soles who is also at Ledford High and shortstop Jose Torres from Calvart Hall College High in Baltimore.
Junior college righty Logan Bender, a freshman All-American at Campbell two years ago who had a stellar season at Catawba Valley College this spring, is another signing that could get a look in the draft.
Entering the year, Villaman in particular was regarded as a potential high draft pick.
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