The Orioles select Cody Sedlock with 27th overall pick

With the 27th overall pick in the draft, the Orioles have selected Illinois right-hander Cody Sedlock. Prior to the draft, both ESPN and Baseball America had Sedlock going 17th overall to the Astros while MLB.com had him slipping to the Dodgers at 32nd overall.

The Orioles have fallen on some hard times when it comes to developing their farmhand pitchers. Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman have yet to pan out the way that scouts originally imagined. At the moment, right-handed pitcher Hunter Harvey is their only top-100 prospect according to MLB.com. Furthermore, their major league roster is in pretty dire need of starting pitching, though expecting the 20-year old Sedlock to make the majors any time soon would be foolhardy.

The 20-year old pitcher stands at 6'4", 210lbs with a plus fastball and above average slider. In 101.1 innings with Illinois, Sedlock has allowed 28 earned runs on 80 hits and 31 walks, while striking out 116. The former reliever transitioned well into a starting role thanks to a four-pitch repertoire that he throws for strikes and uses to generate plenty of groundballs.

Ranking 26th on MLB.com, Sedlock has plenty of potential and doesn't turn 21 until later this month. Baseball America has him ranked as the 42nd-best prospect in this year's draft class. Right-handed pitching prospects are bountiful in this year's draft, which could have contributed to the wavering rankings. That being said, his very effective spring helped him rise above.