With their ninth round pick in the 2022 MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Mike Walsh out of Yale.
RHP Mike Walsh pitched nicely after moving to the bullpen in the Cape this summer. No. 498 on the draft board. High spin rates on the FB (92-93) and slider. Control is fringy.#Pirates #MLBDraft
— Carlos Collazo (@CarlosACollazo) July 18, 2022
Walsh ranked 498th overall in this draft class, getting a bumped based off the info in the tweet above. His low-90s fastball has a high spin rate and he has a slider with a sweeping motion that is called above average. The Pirates are definitely going all in on guys with 90s fastballs/sweeping slider combos this year. He did not have good results at Yale this year (or in limited prior college time), posting a 5.68 ERA in 65 innings, though he picked up 80 strikeouts. He did outstanding in a relief role in summer ball, with 23 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. He doesn’t have the best control, which could keep him in that bullpen role. He managed to hit 24 batters this year at Yale. He’s 21 years old and stands 6’2″, 200 pounds.
