2016 MLB Draft: Dane Dunning, RHP, University of Florida

The Florida Gators have been fortunate enough to have three pitchers lead their staff this season. A.J. Puk and Logan Shore are the most talked about of the three, with Puk a potential number one pick and Shore looking like a late first to early second round selection. The third member and perhaps least talked about on a national scale is Dane Dunning.

The 6-3 205 right-hander has pitched out of the bullpen a majority of the season with 19 of his 24 appearances coming out of the bullpen. Dunning has been effective as a reliever this year with a 2.30 ERA as a reliever compared to a 3.04 ERA as a starter (Stats are as of May 14^th). While he has had success as a reliever in 2016, scouts feel his game will translate well as a starter at the next level. He has an excellent 67/9 K/BB in 54 innings overall.

Dunning has a fluid motion starting at the hip, continuing to bring his hands up, and followed by a late breaking of the hands. The late break of the hands allows Dunning to hold the ball longer and hide the ball from the hitter. His mechanics remind me of Zack Wheeler. His fastball is consistent at 93 and 94, but as a reliever he will max out at 96 since he is only in the game for a short time.

Dunning’s changeup is the better of his off speed pitches when compared with his breaking ball. His breaking ball is in the low 80's with an11-5 spin. The breaking ball still needs work. He has a tendency to keep it up in the zone and get in trouble, but once he fixes that he will have an even more impressive three pitch mix.

Here's some video from Prospect Junkies

Dunning, currently ranked 60^th in mlb.com’s top 100, may be heading towards a second round selection. The knock on Dunning of his breaking ball is one that is not an issue that is not going to hold him back for long at the next level. Overall, when combining his fluid motion, early to mid 90’s fastball, good changeup, Dunning has the tools to be a middle to back end of the rotation starter.