William Kirk Stats & Scouting Report

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School: Ramsey (N.J.) HS Commit/Drafted: Virginia
Age At Draft: 18.8
BA Grade: 50/Extreme
Tools: Fastball: 50. Slider: -. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 60.

A lean and wiry lefthander with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Kirk is one of the more advanced command pitchers in the class and has long stood out for his advanced pitchability and feel to mix and match his arsenal. He carved hitters last summer on the showcase circuit while topping out at around 92 mph and typically pitches in the 87-91 mph range. The fastball plays up thanks to his feel to locate it, and he does have some sink and running action. Like his fastball, Kirk has above-average feel for a pair of secondaries: a slurvy breaking ball in the mid 70s that spins in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range and an upper-70s changeup that is his most consistent swing-and-miss offering. Kirk’s feel to land the changeup is more advanced than most high schoolers, and he’s been throwing it with conviction for a long time, enough to believe it’ll become an above-average pitch as he adds more velocity to his fastball. Nothing Kirk throws currently is plus, but he has a clear starter profile with a mix that could become solid-average across the board if he’s able to grow into more power and velocity. Kirk is committed to Virginia and could be a tough sign.

School: Ramsey (N.J.) HS Committed: Virginia
Age At Draft: 18.8
A lean and wiry lefthander with a 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame, Kirk pitched at Perfect Game’s National showcase and the Area Code Games. In those two outings he faced 19 batters and struck out 12 without allowing a hit and walking just a pair of hitters. Kirk is an above-average mover on the mound who works quickly and throws from a three-quarters slot with a direct landing to the plate. He pitched in the 87-91 mph range, so he didn’t overwhelm hitters with velocity, but his fastball enters the zone with lots of sink and running action and during his three-inning Area Code Games outing he racked up nine whiffs with the pitch. It was particularly effective running away from righthanded hitters and he did a nice job attacking the zone with it. Kirk showed solid feel for a slurvy breaking ball in the 75-79 mph range. The pitch was mostly fringe-average or below, with 2-to-8 shape and spin in the 2,300-2,400 rpm range, but he did throw it for strikes at a high clip. If he’s able to get on top of the pitch and add power it has more potential. Kirk’s more exciting secondary might be his 77-79 mph changeup. The pitch was a consistent swing-and-miss offering for him and featured nice diving action. Like his fastball and breaking ball, he showed nice ability to land the changeup where he wanted. Kirk is committed to Virginia.