Maddux

Bruns

The southpaw allowed three hits, and didn’t issue a walk. Bruns has gotten 25 outs thus far for the Quakes (8 1/3 innings) and 18 of those have been via strikeout against two free passes. Command was the biggest question mark for the 19-year-old, but in a small sample, it hasn’t been an issue. Bruns has electric stuff with three pitches that grade well above-average, so assuming he can continue to find the strike zone, he has a chance to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. There’s volatility in this type of profile, but his upside competes with the majority of starting pitching prospects.

Per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, Bruns will get a $2.2 million bonus, slightly under the slot value ($2,424,600) for the 29th overall pick. Bruns, a prep left-hander from UMS-Wright HS in Alabama, was previously committed to Mississippi State. He has an exciting arsenal of pitches, but his command will tell the tale of where he winds up.

Bruns is a commitment to Mississippi State, but that’s not likely to be where he heads to, now. The southpaw has a plus fastball/slider combination, and he can also mix in a curveball that gets close to that level. The issue with Bruns is throwing strikes, and right now his command is more detriment than potential helper. Considering his age, there’s time for that to happen, but if not, he could be an excellent reliever with that stuff.