2018 MLB Draft: Mason Denaburg, RHP, Merritt Island, Florida

Continuing our coverage of the 2018 MLB Draft, let’s examine another top high school arm with a look at Mason Denaberg, right-hander from Merritt Island, Florida.

Listed at 6-3, 190, Denaberg is a right-handed hitter and thrower born August 8th, 1999. He’s a multi-skilled athlete, a college prospect as a punter/kicker for football and a talented power-armed catcher/power-bat outfielder/power-armed pitcher on the diamond. Having settled on baseball as his sport and pitching as his position, he’s committed to the University of Florida but should be signable if drafted where his talent warrants.

That’s the rub though. After an excellent summer showcase performance, Denaburg entered 2018 as a very likely first round pick and looked very good in early outings. Unfortunately he was shut down for a month with “biceps tendinitis” and his status was unclear for a few weeks. He retook the mound in May and looked healthy again but the injury still weighs on his stock.

When everything is right Denaburg features a fastball at 93-95 MPH with peaks at 97. The pitch has plus movement as well as velocity. His breaking ball can be inconsistent but flashes plus, and he also shows the makings of a solid-average change-up. He has the frame and focus that projects well as a major league starter and if everything clicks he could be a number two starter.

If not for the injury Denaburg would be a candidate for the Top Ten. As it stands he should still be a first-rounder but the exact placement will depend on how comfortable teams are with his medicals. If he drops too far, college will start to look like a more viable option.

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