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With the 24th pick in the draft, the Indians have selected right handed pitcher Daniel Espino from Georgia Premier Academy in Statesboro, Georgia. In mock drafts, Espino was unmocked by ESPN and mocked 28th by Baseball America.
Many consider Espino to have the best pure stuff in this entire draft class, with a fastball that touches up to 100 MPH, a pair of breaking balls that grade as plus pitches in his slider and curve, and the makings of an average changeup. Espino also has a great mind for pitching and knows how to both attack hitters and set them up, allowing his stuff to even further play up.
The main reason Espino didn’t get taken higher is some are scared of the hard throwing prep right handed pitcher category, as it’s seen mixed results in the past. However Espino is a different pitcher than those guys and should on on to have success as a pro.