Yankees MLB Draft 2019: Yankees select LHP Ken Waldichuk from Saint Mary’s College with the 165th Pick

In the fifth round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected another left-handed pitcher: Ken Waldichuk from Saint Mary’s College.

Photo Credit: Saint Mary's College Athletics

Waldichuk, a junior, stands 6’4” weighing 220 pounds.  That frame is ideal for any power pitcher in the MLB.  The consensus on the internet is a bit mixed on the pick, however.  MLB pipeline does not value him as highly as Baseball America does.  Baseball America has him ranked as their 185th prospect in this year’s class.  Perhaps a reach, but the New York baseball club must really love his potential if they chose to draft him after already selecting two left-handed pitchers in the earlier rounds.

Waldichuk pitched in relief his freshman year but worked as a starter in his sophomore and junior seasons.  This year he has boasted a very impressive strikeout to walk ratio of 106:32 and all told, an ERA of 3.69.

Yankee fans can expect the tall lefty to bring heat.  He already sits in the low 90s and occasionally can push the radar up towards 95 MPH.  Scouts say that he also has a good slider, which makes him a good mold of what the Yankees’ staff wants from their pitchers.

Waldichuk is a good prospect with a seemingly high floor.  It will be interesting to see if he can improve upon his already effective stuff and become a real threat for the Yanks on the mound.

Article by: John Messina

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