Will Ethridge

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #30 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: After serving as a reliever for Mississippi for two years, Ethridge jumped into the rotation for the 2019 season and excelled, pushing him up draft boards. The Rockies drafted him in the fifth round and sent him to short-season Boise, where he posted a 3.82 ERA in nine starts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Ethridge looks the part of a traditional rotation workhorse, and the Rockies are looking for him to become one. He doesn't have standout stuff and that limits his ceiling, but has a solid, well-rounded pitch mix that includes a fastball that sits in the low-90s, and an average slider and changeup that can both generate swings and misses. The Rockies see particular upside in further refining his slider. Etheridge locates everything well with average control, understands how to mix his pitches and is always in attack mode on the mound.
  
  THE FUTURE: Moving to full-season ball in 2021 will be a good chance for Ethridge to prove his durability as a starter. He projects as a potential back-of-the-rotation or depth arm.
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #29 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: A 35th-round pick by the Mariners out of high school, Ethridge instead chose to attend Mississippi. He worked mostly in relief in his first two seasons with the Rebels before moving to the rotation as a junior. Ethridge quickly became the Rebels' Friday night starter and showed enough for the Rockies to draft him with their sixth-round pick and sign him for $327,500.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ethridge throws three average or better pitches for strikes while mostly pitching to contact. His fastball sits 90-93, topping out at 96 mph which sets up an above-average changeup he can throw to either side of the plate, serving as his chase pitch. He refined his hard slider in college to the point that it's now an average pitch. Ethridge threw the slider more in Boise, where it generated the highest swing-and-miss percentage of his mix. Ethridge's key is being comfortable throwing strikes and generating soft contact with all three pitches at the bottom of the zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ethridge will get the chance to show he can remain a starter, and low Class A Asheville looks like a likely starting point in 2020. He has one of the higher floors in the Rockies' system.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #277 prospect in 2019 draft
  A 35th-round pick of the Mariners after an excellent career at Georgia prep power Parkview High, Ethridge has matured into a big, physical workhorse who anchors Mississippi's staff. He's the kind of well-rounded pitcher with plenty of top-level college experience and success that ensures he won't have to wait long on day two of the draft to hear his name called, but he also lacks the projection and plus pitch that would push him into earlier consideration. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder fills the strike zone with a 90-93 mph average fastball. At times, lefties seem to get a good look and hit him hard, but he also flashes an above-average changeup that should help neutralize them. His slider is average as well. With three 50-55s on his report and average control, Ethridge has a pro future. Finding an extra gear on one of his pitches will determine if he has a major league career ahead of him.
• Ranked #135 prospect in 2016 draft
  The co-ace of Baseball America's 2015 High School Team of the Year with current Mariners prospect Ryne Inman, Ethridge has been one of the best players in the history of Parkview baseball. While neither of his pitches blows scouts away, the sum of his parts makes him a valuable prospect, and could allow him to some day pitch towards the back end of a rotation. He has a sturdy 6-foot-5 frame and throws all three of his pitches downhill. His fastball regularly sits at 88-92, and he's shown the ability to hold velocity throughout seven-inning games. His changeup might be his best offering; he has feel for the pitch down and to either side of the plate and throws it with deceptive arm speed. He also throws a slider, which flashes average but will need to continue becoming more consistent for him. His command is still developing, but he has control of the bottom of the strike zone and misses low when he doesn't hit his spots. Ethridge is committed to Mississippi, and he could be an immediate contributor for the Rebels if he doesn't sign out of high school.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After serving as a reliever for Mississippi for two years, Ethridge jumped into the rotation for the 2019 season and excelled, pushing him up draft boards. The Rockies drafted him in the fifth round and sent him to short-season Boise, where he posted a 3.82 ERA in nine starts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Ethridge looks the part of a traditional rotation workhorse, and the Rockies are looking for him to become one. He doesn't have standout stuff and that limits his ceiling, but has a solid, well-rounded pitch mix that includes a fastball that sits in the low-90s, and an average slider and changeup that can both generate swings and misses. The Rockies see particular upside in further refining his slider. Etheridge locates everything well with average control, understands how to mix his pitches and is always in attack mode on the mound.
  
  THE FUTURE: Moving to full-season ball in 2021 will be a good chance for Ethridge to prove his durability as a starter. He projects as a potential back-of-the-rotation or depth arm.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After serving as a reliever for Mississippi for two years, Ethridge jumped into the rotation for the 2019 season and excelled, pushing him up draft boards. The Rockies drafted him in the fifth round and sent him to short-season Boise, where he posted a 3.82 ERA in nine starts.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: At 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Ethridge looks the part of a traditional rotation workhorse, and the Rockies are looking for him to become one. He doesn't have standout stuff and that limits his ceiling, but has a solid, well-rounded pitch mix that includes a fastball that sits in the low-90s, and an average slider and changeup that can both generate swings and misses. The Rockies see particular upside in further refining his slider. Etheridge locates everything well with average control, understands how to mix his pitches and is always in attack mode on the mound.
  
  THE FUTURE: Moving to full-season ball in 2021 will be a good chance for Ethridge to prove his durability as a starter. He projects as a potential back-of-the-rotation or depth arm.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A 35th-round pick by the Mariners out of high school, Ethridge instead chose to attend Mississippi. He worked mostly in relief in his first two seasons with the Rebels before moving to the rotation as a junior. Ethridge quickly became the Rebels' Friday night starter and showed enough for the Rockies to draft him with their sixth-round pick and sign him for $327,500.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ethridge throws three average or better pitches for strikes while mostly pitching to contact. His fastball sits 90-93, topping out at 96 mph which sets up an above-average changeup he can throw to either side of the plate, serving as his chase pitch. He refined his hard slider in college to the point that it's now an average pitch. Ethridge threw the slider more in Boise, where it generated the highest swing-and-miss percentage of his mix. Ethridge's key is being comfortable throwing strikes and generating soft contact with all three pitches at the bottom of the zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ethridge will get the chance to show he can remain a starter, and low Class A Asheville looks like a likely starting point in 2020. He has one of the higher floors in the Rockies' system.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A 35th-round pick of the Mariners after an excellent career at Georgia prep power Parkview High, Ethridge has matured into a big, physical workhorse who anchors Mississippi's staff. He's the kind of well-rounded pitcher with plenty of top-level college experience and success that ensures he won't have to wait long on day two of the draft to hear his name called, but he also lacks the projection and plus pitch that would push him into earlier consideration. The 6-foot-5, 240-pounder fills the strike zone with a 90-93 mph average fastball. At times, lefties seem to get a good look and hit him hard, but he also flashes an above-average changeup that should help neutralize them. His slider is average as well. With three 50-55s on his report and average control, Ethridge has a pro future. Finding an extra gear on one of his pitches will determine if he has a major league career ahead of him.