Tyler

Kolek

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 Draft, Kolek underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The 21-year-old’s professional high in innings is 108 2/3 and he’ll obviously be watched closely from a workload perspective in 2017. “Everything feels great,” said Kolek, “till you start pushing it a little bit. Then your body reminds you that you did have surgery. So it’s like, you have to listen to the doctor. There’s no rushing anything. It doesn’t matter whether I rush or not or if I feel really good. I can’t pitch tomorrow.”

MLB teams love the big right-handers from Texas (the Marlins once got a really good one in Josh Beckett), and Kolek is one of the biggest, checking in at 6'5" and 250-260 pounds. He throws in the mid-90s, hitting 100 mph on occasion, and he has a pair of breaking balls. His command lags behind his stuff and he needs to work on his changeup, but he’s quite a talent.

Kolek, who is one of the hardest throwing high school pitchers ever, will net a $6 million signing bonus. The big right-hander still needs to work on his command and improve on his offspeed offerings, but he’s an outstanding young talent.

The right-hander surrendered just two hits over five scoreless frames. He got knocked around a bit in his first two outings, but that’s not unusual for a 19-year-old in his first full year in the minor leagues. Last year’s No. 2 overall pick routinely hits triple digits with his fastball.

Kolek complained of soreness in his right arm near the end of March. With Wednesday’s Tommy John surgery, the 20-year-old right-hander will miss the entirety of the 2016 campaign. He was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2014 amateur draft. In 130 2/3 career minor league innings, he holds a 4.55 ERA with a 99/74 K/BB ratio. This injury is a setback to his development, but even if Kolek was healthy, he would be a ways away from making the major league roster.

It’s unclear at this point whether he’ll undergo an MRI. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 Draft, Kolek’s pro career has been a disappointment so far, as he’s put up a 4.55 ERA and 99/74 K/BB ratio over 130 2/3 innings in the lower minors.

Kolek missed much of the 2016 and 2017 seasons following Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery, and he’s apparently still having some issues. The 22-year-old right-hander was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft out of a high school in Texas. He holds an unsightly 5.23 ERA and 100/88 K/BB ratio in 134 1/3 professional innings -- all in the lower minors.