Drafted in the 5th round (137th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2002.
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Jackson State should produce the state's first college pitcher, as well as the first college position player (speedy outfielder Mike Goss). Pearson will go high based on potential and not on results. He's raw, capable of throwing in the low 90s with a hard downer curveball, though he has little command of either pitch and doesn't have a changeup. He went 4-7, 6.22 with 67 walks and 95 strikeouts in 77 innings as a junior, a comedown from his 9-1, 4.66 performance in 2001. But because he has a live, loose arm and a lanky 6-foot-3 frame, he reminds some scouts of Dave Stewart. Pearson will be a risky pick, but the payoff could be huge.
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