As a 17-year-old,
Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.) junior pitcher
Zach Eflin consistently reached the mid to upper 80s on the radar gun, occasionally hitting 90 mph.
A year later, the 6-foot-6 righthander had increased his velocity significantly, topping out at 96 mph during his senior season.
That, more than anything, is what has Major League Baseball scouts salivating at the thought of adding the towering prospect to their organization. Eflin, now 18, is a possible first-day selection in the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft today.
Zac Eflin, Hagerty
Courtesy Photo
"To me and my pitching coach [Derek Griffith], (the speed increase) really wasn't a surprise to us," Hagerty head coach Jered Goodwin said. "He jumped pretty consistently. The first week in the summer, he was at 90, and then two weeks later he hit 91. By the end of fall, after we had gotten in our fall workouts and our core strengthening, it was 93. He just worked really hard and came out in the spring and was hitting 95 and 96. I think as far as me and my pitching coach were concerned, we were pretty sure he was going to make a jump."
Eflin's height combined with his consistent arm slot suggested he was capable of a boost in speed.
"He's got a really advanced feel for his delivery and his body, especially for a kid that's 6-foot-6," Goodwin said. "You don't expect a kid his age to have that control of his body and repeat his delivery and have the same release point so he can command three pitches for strikes. I think that's what sets him apart."
Eflin credits a summer exercise regimen designed by Goodwin and the rest of the Hagerty coaching staff, a program more boot camp than training camp, with his advancement.
"Just a lot of offseason workouts, a lot of tire flips, sled runs. We did workouts with medicine balls and sledgehammers. A lot of core strengthening stuff," Eflin said. "Every day, we work up at 8 o'clock in the morning and would start doing long toss. Just a lot of work."
Eflin dominated central Florida hitters during his senior campaign for Hagerty. He surrendered only three earned runs and 16 hits all season, striking out 59 batters and walking just 11. He earned a 5-2 record but pitched just 41 innings, a result of a month-long break from playing after developing tendonitis in the triceps muscle in his throwing arm.
Eflin's injury came during the stretch run of Hagerty's season. He missed most of the playoffs but returned in time to start the Huskies' regional semifinal game against Spruce Creek. On a strict 40-pitch count, Eflin left after three innings with Hagerty ahead, but Spruce Creek rallied in the seventh, scoring three runs to advance 4-3. Spruce Creek would go on to win the Class 8A Florida state championship.
Hagerty finished the season 23-7, with four of those losses coming in four meetings with district rival Spruce Creek.
"Zach left with a 3-1 lead, and we couldn't hold the lead," Goodwin said. "He wanted to go more. But we stuck to the plan. We took all the precautions that we could take. He's 100 percent now. He can go out and throw 80 to 90 pitches with no problems, and the velocity's right back where it was."
Eflin said the worst part of sitting on the bench at a crucial point in the season was feeling like he was letting his teammates down.
"I mean, obviously I wish I could have gone longer against Spruce Creek, but I was just thankful that I was able to get back out there and pitch again for the team," he said.
According to Goodwin, Eflin's team-first mentality is one of his more endearing qualities.
"I think he's still a 12-year-old kid to me," said Goodwin, who also coaches Eflin on the travel ball circuit. "He's still just very shy and very humble and quiet. He just has fun with his friends, and he has fun with all the things that go on at school. Our baseball team is a really spirited group for all the other sports in school. He's right there in the middle painting his chest, leading the cheers. He's enjoyed his senior year and worked hard to accomplish his goals."
Eflin will have a difficult decision to make following his eventual selection in this year's draft. He signed with the University of Central Florida in November, a school 5 minutes from his house. Most of his family lives within 10 minutes of the school, and Eflin is, admittedly, a big family man. The lure of a professional career can be put on hold he said.
But whatever he chooses, he'll have the support of all those around him.
"He is, to me, one of the cool cases of a nice guy that's getting good things," Goodwin said. "He's a really good kid. He's a really good family person. He's a great friend and great teammate. I think everybody in this community just really wants to see him succeed."
