Bradley Wallace Taken By Rays in 10th Round For Arm Strength

The Tampa Bay Rays continued their run on college players in the 2014 MLB Draft, selecting Arkansas State University senior right-hander Bradley Wallace in the 10th round. Their third senior pick in a row, drafting Wallace is likely a move to save money to spend on their earlier picks, as well as potentially some later picks. That being said, Wallace isn’t without potential.

Wallace is known for his pure arm strength, and that trait alone led the Rays to be attracted to him. As a whole his stats this season were underwhelming, as he posted a 4.37 ERA with a 69-25 K-BB ratio in 78.1 innings as a starter. However, there is plenty of room for improvement. He currently has a high-effort delivery, and improving that can improve his pitch location moving forward. His 25 walks shows he has decent control, but as his 86 hits allowed proves, he needs to work on making his pitches in the zone less hittable. Given his hard throwing and unimpressive stats as a starter, it seems a move to relief is likely in the cards for Bradley Wallace. Converting to the ‘pen should automatically increase his performance. If the Rays can hone in his delivery and work on turning him from a hard-thrower into a more rounded pitcher, he could become a solid reliever down the road.