2021 West Virginia Top MLB Draft Prospects

Today, Baseball America rolls out its state-by-state rankings for the 2021 MLB Draft. Additionally, you can find our:

500 Draft Rankings | 2021 MLB Mock Draft | MLB Draft Tracker

1. Jackson Wolf, LHP, West Virginia (BA RANK: 231)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-7 • Wt: 205 • B-T: L-L • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Wolf was off to a career year in 2020 before the season was cut short. He posted a 1.05 ERA and was looking at the best strikeout-to-walk rate of his career, with 27 whiffs and just five walks through the first 25.2 innings of the season. Wolf had some interest from teams last year, but ultimately went unselected in the five-round draft and should now be one of the priority seniors in the 2021 class. A tall and lanky 6-foot-7, 200-pound lefthander, Wolf posted a 3.03 ERA over 14 starts and 89 innings, while striking out 104 batters (10.5 K/9) and walking 37 (3.7 BB/9). Wolf is not the hardest thrower. He works in the 88-91 mph range and gets up to 93-94 at his best, but teams love the vertical break on his fastball and believe it plays up thanks to his size and the spin profile. Wolf also throws a slurvy breaking ball in the upper 70s that looks more like a slider at times and more like a three-quarter curveball at others. The pitch shows solid tilt and late bite at its best, but it can get loopy and hittable as well. Wolf has less feel to land a low-80s changeup that shows some diving life and is another fringe-average sort of secondary. Wolf throws from a lower, three-quarter arm slot that is particularly tough on lefties, who struck out 30% of the time against him.

2. Ryan Bergert, RHP, West Virginia (BA RANK: 435)
Source: 4YR • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 205 • B-T: R-R • Commitment/Drafted: Never Drafted

Bergert hasn’t pitched at all this spring thanks to an injury, but scouts liked him entering the year thanks to a high-spin four-seam fastball and two solid breaking pitches in a low-80s slider and mid-70s curve. If he was healthy, some scouts thought he could have had a breakout spring this season. In his first two years with West Virginia, Bergert posted a 2.30 ERA over 58.2 innings as a starter and reliever, with 68 strikeouts (10.4 K/9) and 19 walks (2.9 BB/9). Teams have his injury to evaluate now and he doesn’t have much of a track record as a starter, but his control has been solid when he’s on the mound and teams should like his fastball spin characteristics.

3. Grant Hussey, 1B, Parkersburg (W.V.) South HS
Source: HS • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 220 • B-T: L-R • Commitment/Drafted: West Virginia