After going exclusively down the college route with their first 4 picks
in the 2010 MLB first year player draft, the Chicago White Sox dipped
into the heavily stacked Georgia prep class to select right hand pitcher
Matthew Grimes in the fourth round with the 128th pick.
Matthew Grimes, 18, a senior at Mill Creek HS (GA), is a highly projectable 6’5″, 185 lbs pitcher who has flown up draft boards this spring after an excellent showing as his teams ace. He went an impressive 9-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 69 innings.
Grimes throws a four-seam fastball in the 90-92 mph range and it has been clocked as high as 95 mph. It currently grades out as his best pitch. Grimes’ two-seam fastball is not as strong as his four-seamer, but it is a usable pitch for him and he throws it in the upper 80’s. Grimes also features a power curveball that projects as a plus pitch for him in the future, and a changeup that gets average future grades.
In terms of projection, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Grimes add a couple of ticks to his fastball as he fills out, allowing him to sit mid-90’s and touching the upper 90’s. This would give him a true plus fastball to go along with his potentially plus curve and average change.
Matthew Grimes is far from a finished product, but he has excellent raw stuff and a lot of room for growth. He has the potential to be the best player from the White Sox’ 2010 draft class, but that’s assuming he signs, which is not a given considering his strong Georgia Tech commitment. His upside is that of a number 2 starter.