Chicago White Sox draft left handed pitcher in first round

With his 6-foot-9 frame and low three-quarters arm slot, Schultz conjures physical comparisons to Randy Johnson. He can’t match the power in the Hall of Famer’s arsenal, but Schultz is a lot more polished than Johnson was as a teenager. He’s also difficult to figure out because he barely pitched as a high school senior and is strongly committed to Vanderbilt.

Schultz’s biggest weapon is an upper-70s slider with horizontal break that’s nearly impossible for lefties to track because of the angle he presents, and he also can back-foot it against righties. His fastball sat at 89-92 mph and peaked at 94 with good carry and armside run on the showcase circuit last summer, and he’s not afraid to work it inside on right-handers. He hasn’t had much need for a changeup yet but shows some aptitude for throwing one with some fade.

Schultz has unusual athleticism and body control for such a tall youngster and he keeps all of his moving parts in sync by working out of the stretch. Scouts would like to see him add some more velocity and he began to trend up a bit during the fall before dealing at 92-96 mph and also showcasing a sharper, harder slider in a two-inning outing to open his senior season. But he came down with mononucleosis soon afterward and displayed shaky control when he returned.