What to know about Rays top pick Nick Bitsko
Here are 10 things to know about prep right-hander Nick Bitsko, whom the Rays selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2020 Draft on Wednesday night.
? Bitsko, 17, announced in January that he would be graduating from Central Bucks East (Pennsylvania) High School early, making him eligible for the Draft. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound right-hander has a fastball that sits in the 92 mph-96 mph range, a good curveball and a developing changeup.
? According to MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo, at least one scout sees Bitsko becoming a Justin Verlander-like pitcher if he reaches his ceiling.
? Bitsko's father, Nick Bitsko Sr., played college football at the University of Delaware.
? Bitsko is a fan of analytics, and has been digging into his numbers with respect to spin rate, vertical and horizontal break, and other metrics.
? Bitsko verbally committed to the University of Virginia for 2021, pending the results of the Draft, so he now will have a decision to make about joining the Cavaliers or signing with the Rays.
? Off the field, Bitsko has volunteered locally with the Parkinson¡¯s Disease Foundation and has completed multiple service-mission trips to the Dominican Republic.
? Bitsko will be a pitcher at the professional level, but he told The Intelligencer he wants to "try to keep hitting until someone says, ¡®Put the bat down.'" On his Instagram page, he has some short videos of him hitting, and he certainly looks the part. He hit .450 with a 1.416 OPS and five home runs for Central Bucks East.
? Though Bitsko's season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, scouts have seen plenty of him, including during his time with the USA National Team Development Program the last two seasons. Bitsko was named a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American and was also recently named the 2019-20 Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania.
? He has excelled at every major showcase event he's pitched in, but Bitsko was particularly sharp at the East Coast Pro showcase last summer, touching 97 mph with his fastball.
? Three months after his 15th birthday, Bitsko was hitting 90 mph with his fastball. He's added seven mph in the last three years.