Jacob Kostyshock

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #279 prospect in 2019 draft
  Based purely on projection, Kostyshock is one of the better arms in the draft class. Having gained more than 20 pounds since arriving in Fayetteville, he's continued to add easy velocity. He's now 92-95 mph from a very low three-quarters arm slot and he's touched 97. Kostyshock barely pitched in his first two years at Arkansas--he threw 21 erratic and ineffective innings over two seasons, but he started to figure things out in the Northwoods League last summer. After an erratic fall, he earned a spot in Arkansas' rotation for the season opener, but quickly moved back to the bullpen. He missed a couple of weeks mid-season with a sore arm, but otherwise he's been an impressive part of an excellent Razorbacks' bullpen. Kostyshock is able to sink and run the ball from a tough arm slot and he mixes in an average slider and has toyed with a fringe-average changeup. There's reason to think he can start, but he has to prove his durability to handle that role--he has just 46 innings in three years at Arkansas. His low-slot stuff and the possibility he could add even more velocity gives him a solid shot to be a useful reliever if staring doesn't work.

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Based purely on projection, Kostyshock is one of the better arms in the draft class. Having gained more than 20 pounds since arriving in Fayetteville, he's continued to add easy velocity. He's now 92-95 mph from a very low three-quarters arm slot and he's touched 97. Kostyshock barely pitched in his first two years at Arkansas--he threw 21 erratic and ineffective innings over two seasons, but he started to figure things out in the Northwoods League last summer. After an erratic fall, he earned a spot in Arkansas' rotation for the season opener, but quickly moved back to the bullpen. He missed a couple of weeks mid-season with a sore arm, but otherwise he's been an impressive part of an excellent Razorbacks' bullpen. Kostyshock is able to sink and run the ball from a tough arm slot and he mixes in an average slider and has toyed with a fringe-average changeup. There's reason to think he can start, but he has to prove his durability to handle that role--he has just 46 innings in three years at Arkansas. His low-slot stuff and the possibility he could add even more velocity gives him a solid shot to be a useful reliever if staring doesn't work.