• Full name William McKeown Sanders
  • Born 03/30/2002 in Atlanta, GA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: R
  • School South Carolina
  • Drafted in the 4th round (113th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2023 (signed for $600,000).
    View Draft Report
    School: South Carolina Source: 4YR

    Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
    Age At Draft: 21.3
    BA Grade:45/High
    Tools:Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.

    A projection righthander out of high school, Sanders ranked as the No. 200 prospect on the 2020 BA 500 thanks to a lanky, 6-foot-5 frame and an upper-80s fastball that scouts expected to be much firmer in just a few years. The projection proved accurate, as Sanders packed on strength to a frame now listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds and averaged 93 mph and has touched 98 mph with his fastball at peak velocity. Sanders has logged 50-plus innings each year at South Carolina, and in his 2023 draft year posted a 5.37 ERA over 11 starts and 60.1 innings, with a 27.9% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. He works from a deliberate windup with a more compact arm action than you might expect given his long levers, and throws from a three-quarter slot with downhill angle thanks to a high release point. While he has solid velocity on his fastball, and above-average induced vertical break, the pitch has always played down a bit and been hit hard. This spring hitters managed a 1.109 OPS against the fastball, though he has generated solid whiff rates with a curveball, slider and changeup. He throws his curveball in the low 80s with good depth and 12-to-6 movement, the slider is in the mid 80s with solid tilt and his changeup has long been a solid pitch for him in the mid 80s. Sanders has allowed a high rate of home runs in his career, and could experiment more with a cutter or two-seam fastball at the next level to keep hitters off the barrel more consistently.

Top Rankings

Draft Prospects

Career Transactions

  • Tennessee Smokies transferred RHP Will Sanders to the Development List.
  • Tennessee Smokies activated RHP Will Sanders.
  • RHP Will Sanders assigned to Tennessee Smokies from South Bend Cubs.
  • RHP Will Sanders assigned to South Bend Cubs from ACL Cubs.
  • Chicago Cubs signed RHP Will Sanders.
  • RHP Will Sanders assigned to South Carolina Gamecocks.

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