In the fifth round, the White Sox kept adding to their stable of college pitching with Indiana University right-handed starter Jonathan Stiever with the 138th overall selection.
School: Indiana
Position: RH SP
Height/Weight: 6-1, 188
D.O.B.: 5/12/1997
2018 Stats: 100.1 IP, 3.41 ERA, 97 K, 32 BB
Stiever attended Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, which is located 20 miles north of Milwaukee. Jonathan was a first team all-state pitcher as well as being named to the all-state team in football as a wide receiver and defensive back. He was also named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Football State Player of the Year.
Stiever wasn’t drafted out of high school and decided to attend Indiana University. In 40 innings as a freshman, Jonathan struck out 30 hitters while walking only 5 and posted an ERA of 2.48. As a junior, the righty posted a 4.31 ERA in 77 innings with 57 K and only 9 BB.
He’s been the Friday night starter for the Hoosiers the last two seasons. The athletic right-hander also has some summer league success on his resume. In 2016, he pitched in the New England Collegiate League and posted a 3.03 ERA in 35.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Stiever was also a teammate of White Sox third-rounder Konnor Pilkington on the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League in 2017. He had an ERA of 4.45 in just over 28 innings that summer but struck out 25 hitters and walked just 2.
Baseball America ranks Stiever as the No. 125 prospect in the draft class. The publication calls him a “solid athlete that repeats delivery well.” Jonathan is the 88th ranked prospect in the class according to MLBPipeline.com. The publication notes that he wasn’t a high-profile recruit as a Wisconsin high schooler in 2015. They write that his fastball sits in the “low 90’s but peaks at 96 mph.” Pipeline also says that the fastball “plays above velocity thanks to its run, sink and plane.”
Stiever is 11th in the NCAA in walk rate. He has an advanced feel for an upper 70’s spike curveball, which becomes a harder slider at times. They also write that his changeup works as average to keep left-handers in check. He’s smaller than sometimes desired, but he should have no problem staying in the rotation moving forward. The publication states that the athletic righty “generates quality strikes and maintains stuff deep into games while also earning praise for his competitiveness.”
Scouting Grades: (courtesy of MLBPipeline.com)
FB-60
CRV-55
CHG-50
CNTRL-55
Thoughts from Brian Sakowski of Perfect Game USA
White Sox take one of my favorites in Indiana’s Jonathan Stiever. Solid sized RHP, high-level strike thrower, usually in the 90-93 mph range, has touched higher, hard spike breaking ball he can manipulate, good feel for changeup
— Brian Sakowski (@B_Sakowski_PG) June 5, 2018
Stiever previewing the Big Ten Tournament back in 2017:
High school football highlights:
Nick Hostetler and company draft another guy who has displayed summer league success. He’s the third member of the 2018 draft class who previously played for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod League. Stiever is an athletic right-hander that should stay in the starting rotation. He adds to the deep stable of pitching prospects in Chicago. While his size doesn’t limit him to a relief role his stuff would likely play up in the bullpen and he has experience pitching in relief in summer ball.
Check out our profile on White Sox 1st rounder Nick Madrigal
Check out our profile on White Sox 2nd round Steele Walker
Check out our profile on White Sox 3rd rounder Konnor Pilkington
Check out our profile on White Sox 4th rounder Lency Delgado
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