Arizona pitcher Matthew Liberatore could be first high school player chosen in 2018 MLB Draft.
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Left-handed pitchers are a prized commodity in the Major League Baseball Draft and this year's group of lefties is a strong one, including, perhaps, the top high school player chosen in this year's selection process.
MaxPreps continues its look at the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft with a review of the top five left-handed pitching prospects.
MLB Draft Prospects: Top 5 Left-handed pitchers
Matthew Liberatore, Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.)At 6-foot-5, it's no surprise that Liberatore can bring the heat. His fastball has topped out at 96 mph this spring and he is regularly around 92, according to some reports. The fact that he also has an above average curve and change makes Liberatore the top high school prospect in the draft. He helped lead Mountain Ridge to a runner-up finish in the state championship game, while posting an 8-1 record with a 0.93 ERA for the year. He had 104 strikeouts and 25 walks in 60.1 innings pitched.
Draft forecast: While not expected to be the first overall selection, look for Liberatore to be the top high school player chosen around the third or fourth pick.
Ryan Weathers, Loretto (Tenn.)A player with a high baseball IQ thanks to a father who played in the Major Leagues, Weathers likely will weigh going to Vanderbilt or go pro depending on where he is chosen. He has a 90-94 mph fastball and can also get batters out with the curve. He's dominated at the small school level in Tennessee, going 9-0 as a junior with 139 strikeouts and adding a 10-0 record with a 0.24 ERA, 119 strikeouts and seven walks during his senior season.
Draft forecast: Weathers is seen as a mid-first round prospect, but he could end up at Vanderbilt.
Luke Bartnicki, Walton (Marietta, Ga.)Another hard-throwing lefty with an outstanding curveball, Bartnicki can hit 94 mph on his fastball. He has good size at 6-foot-3 and has played against some of the nation's top competition at Walton. He had a 7-1 record this year with a 2.53 ERA, 84 strikeouts and 31 walks in 52.2 innings pitched. He had one of the top performances at the Perfect Game All-American Classic, going an inning with no hits, no runs, no walks and two strikeouts.
Draft forecast: If not late in the first round, Bartnicki likely won't last past the second round.
Jonathan Childress, Forney (Texas)Childress has good size at 6-foot-4 and a smooth delivery while his fastball tops out at 93. He's consistently shown a good curveball. He was a workhorse this spring for Forney, logging 75.1 innings pitched with a 9-2 record, a 1.02 ERA and 139 strikeouts with 20 walks.
Draft Forecast: Look for Childress to go somewhere in the second or third round.
Jonathan Gates, Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville, Fla.)Not quite as big as the other southpaws on the list and a tad slower on his fastball (92 mph), Gates still is very effective thanks to a strong repertoire of pitches that includes as fastball, curve, slider and change. Gates threw a no-hitter this year and has 131 strikeouts in 74 innings pitched. He posted a 9-1 record with a 0.85 ERA.
Draft forecast: Like Childress, Gates could go somewhere between second and fourth round.
