The case for drafting lefty pitcher Asa Lacy

Texas A&M left-hander Asa Lacy, who turned 21 on Tuesday, is expected to be one of the top selections next week in the First-Year Player Draft. If the Orioles take him, turn that 21 into 1-2. He'll be a first-round pick and the second player taken.

Many mock drafts still project Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson going first to Detroit, leaving the Orioles to grab Vanderbilt infielder-outfielder Austin Martin should they choose to at No. 2.

But there are some reasons to consider that could lead the O's to Lacy.

Obviously, you can never have too much pitching for one. For two, it might present the possibility of a strong future rotation fronted by the likes of Lacy, Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall. Not to mention the depth building with a host of other pitchers on the O's farm. On MLBPipeline.com, seven of their current top 12 Orioles prospects are pitchers. For three, if you build strong pitching depth, you can always trade young pitching, which is very coveted in the industry.

Lacy has size at 6-foot-4 and 215 lbs. with a fastball that touches the high 90s. He's got four good pitches and a solid delivery where he hides the ball well. Lacy's slider, previously questioned, drew strong grades from scouts this year when it ranged from 87 to 90 mph. One area of concern is he can too often pitch deep in counts.

Before the college season was halted, he had made four starts and was 3-0 with an ERA of 0.75. In 24 innings, he gave up just two runs and nine hits with eight walks to 46 strikeouts. In what turned out to be his last start of 2020, Lacy pitched seven no-hit innings versus New Mexico State where he faced another projected high pick in Nick Gonzales. In three trips versus Lacy, he struck out, walked and flied out.

"I'm an Asa Lacy guy," Baseball America's J.J. Cooper told me this week. "I think you could construct a case this year with Asa Lacy at 1/1. I know I'm on a little bit of an island there. Others say he is the clear three of this group. Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall are the two (in the O's organization) that can maybe fit in the same firmament as Lacy. But Lacy has more upside that most pitching prospects in an organization. Even at pick 30 (the O's second selection), it can happen (you hit big with a pitcher) and there are great development stories. But it's a whole lot less likely at that point. The floor for Lacy is pretty high also. He's done it for multiple years in the SEC. And his makeup is great, too."

From Kerryville, Texas, Lacy also had big stats during his 2019 sophomore season where he led the nation by allowing just 4.97 hits per nine innings and ranked eighth in strikeout rate at 13.2. He went 8-4 with a 2.13 ERA. Over 88 2/3 innings, he allowed six homers among 49 hits. He walked 43, fanned 130 and posted a 1.04 WHIP. In Southeastern Conference games, he went 3-4 with a 2.94 ERA. In 52 innings, he gave up 33 hits with 29 walks and 78 strikeouts.

Lacy was recently interviewed on "Inside Access" on 105.7 The Fan.

"I would definitely say I'm a power pitcher," he said during the radio interview. "I've added a few things to my repertoire over the past two years. For me, growing up, really when I started getting good at pitching, I started watching Clayton Kershaw. Being in middle school at the time, when he was having his magnificent run of a couple of years, he was the only guy I would get to stay up and watch pitch because of it being on the West Coast. My parents would let me stay up to watch him. I really enjoy still watching him pitch to this day. I think he's an incredible man and father. I also love what he does off the field and he is someone I look up to."

Lacy was drafted out of high school in 2017 by Cleveland in round 31. He fell down draft boards due to a reported $1 million bonus demand to sign and bypass Texas A&M. If he is taken fourth or higher Wednesday, he'll become the highest pick in school history. Lefty pitcher Jeff Granger went No. 5 overall to Kansas City in 1993.