2014 MLB Draft Profile: Kodi Medeiros, LHP, Hilo, HI High School

KODI MEDEIROS PROSPECT VIDEO, LHP, WAIAKEA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2014 @ACBASEBALLGAMES (via Steve Fiorindo)

Medeiros is a short, lean lefty at around 6' and 185 LBS. The first time I saw I him I thought he had a nice swing and could be a decent OF prospect if he could run and he had an athletic frame that looked like it could be a reasonable expectation. His actions at the plate reminded me a bit of Johnny Damon. Worth watching more of, for sure but then I saw him pitch. That resolved any thought of me seeing more of him at the plate.

He could get out big leaguers right now and I'm not exaggerating. His fastball is 90-93 touching 94 but that's just the appetizer. It has run in on lefties like a screwball. It fades away from righties. You can see lefties bail as it attacks them making it impossible to hit well with any frequency.

His slider is in the main course. It's a 76-78 MPH nasty offering. It's an expletive pitch. The first time I saw it live, I swore. From the angle he delivers it, it can be unhittable. Lefty hitters won't stand a chance hitting the ball that starts behind them and ends up on the outside corner. Right-handers could swing and miss and it could hit them in the chest. It is amazing. It has tight spin, late break and enormous movement both horizontally and vertically, although the bulk of it is horizontal due to his low ¾, almost sidearm delivery.

His changeup is a third potentially plus pitch that has similar fade as his fastball. It sits in the 80-82 MPH range and it gives him a solid third offering for those who are high on him to place him as a future top of the rotation arm.

Medeiros is a very polarizing talent due to his unorthodox delivery, inconsistent mechanics and slight build. I can only think of one amateur player that I have seen that has requisite talent to compare him to and that is Matt Purke as a freshman at TCU. Purke was more polished and consistent in his delivery. The MLB comp to give you a mental picture is hard. Maybe Jesse Orosco? Medeiros is more of a slinger and has more movement in his delivery. He's athletic and should be able to improve the consistency with better mechanics. The size is something he can't control. He can gain strength to add durability and maintain his velocity deeper into games but that's about it.

The combination of talent and athleticism suggest he should go in the top 20 picks of the first round and potentially in the top 10. He is committed to Attend Pepperdine if he shuns signing.