Ryan Mullins

Mullins emerged as a prospect as a freshman, flashing a big curveball to earn No. 1 prospect status in the New England Collegiate League in 2003. He also dominated in the Cape Cod League last summer, and his resume against wood bats will come in handy because he had a less-than-stellar spring. He pitched behind Jeremy Sowers--the No. 6 pick in 2004--for two seasons in the Commodores rotation, but stumbled as a junior trying to replace Sowers as the staff ace. By the time Southeastern Conference play came around, righthander Jensen Lewis had overtaken Mullins as the Friday starter, due in part to Mullins' six-game suspension for a DWI arrest. Mullins' stuff has been a bit off all year. Typically he pitches with an 87-91 mph fastball and hard curveball in the low to mid-70s, but this year he's been in the upper 80s with a slower, though still 12-to-6, curveball. Even when it's not on, the curveball is an average pitch because he locates it and can change its shape, throwing a shorter, quicker version of the big bender at times. He has not filled out physically as scouts had hoped, though he remains deft at using his height to get a good downward angle on his fastball. Mullins' arrest this spring won't keep a team that liked him the last two summers from taking him high.