Connor Gatwood

School: Baker HS, Mobile, Ala.
Commit/Drafted: Auburn
Age At Draft: 18.8
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Tools: Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 50.

Gatwood is a 6-foot-5, 195-pound righthander with an excellent pitcher’s frame who has trended up significantly with his velocity since 2022. After pitching in the upper 80s, he now has one of the more impressive fastballs in the class and is regularly in the mid 90s. He even touched 98 mph this spring. Gatwood would have a chance to rocket up draft boards, but he dealt with injuries during the spring, including a broken finger in his throwing hand that ended his season. Gatwood has a prototype starter’s frame and throws with a fairly easy operation that starts on the first base side of the rubber and features a high three-quarters slot and crossfire action in his landing. While Gatwood’s fastball has become his calling card, he also showed a hard upper-80s slider that is unusually powerful for a prep breaking pitch and has legitimate plus potential. Like the rest of his arsenal, Gatwood’s changeup has ticked up in velocity over the years and now is thrown in the upper 80s, though he’ll need to make further progress with the pitch for it to become average. He’s a solid strike-thrower who should have average control in the future. Gatwood is committed to Auburn and could be a top-three rounds selection if teams are unfazed by his health status.