NAME: Nick Bitsko
SCHOOL: Central Bucks East HS, Pennsylvania
POSITION: RHP
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’4″, 220 lbs
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: June 16, 2002
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: No
SCOUTING REPORT
Originally considered a potential first-round draft pick in 2021, Virginia commit Nick Bitsko graduated Central Bucks East High School in Doylestown, Pennsylvania a year early, making him draft eligible in this year’s selection process. He is the third top draft name to graduate early and jump forward a year, as Blaze Jordan and Alejandro Rosario did the same. The move makes Bitsko one of the younger draft eligible players in this year’s event; he doesn’t turn 18 until six days after the draft.
Bitsko would have been one of the top coveted arms (period) in 2021; Baseball America even projected him to potentially be the top player in next year’s draft. There is no reason to think he is not part of the cream of the crop of prep arms in 2020 as well, despite a lack of scoutable innings.
INTANGIBLES
At an impressive 6’4″ and 220 lbs, the right-hander has all the intangibles to become a workhorse starter for a team. He throws a class 99.94th percentile fastball, topping out at 97 mph and sitting comfortably between 92 and 96 mph. On top of the velocity, the flamethrower adds a whopper of a curveball at 76-83 mph, which was graded as high as his fastball by MLB Pipeline; both pitches received a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His changeup is a work in progress, with the pitch checking in at a 50-grade. While he does show some feel for the offering, it is not as good (yet) as his other two pitches.
So why isn’t Bitsko mentioned as a potential top-5 pick this year? It likely comes down to a lack of playing time. After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his entire senior season, Bitsko hasn’t pitched in live games in months. Scouts now have to rely on a total of 33.0 career high school innings (1.27 ERA, 68 strikeouts, 12 walks), some innings in a couple of showcase events in the summer and a pre-season bullpen session. There is no denying there is a lot to like in Bitsko, but the question is: which team thinks it has seen enough of the youngster to spend a top-15 pick on him in 2020?
SCOUTING GRADES
Scouting grades from mlbpipeline.com. Bitsko’s grades probably fluctuate across publications.
FASTBALL: 60
CURVEBALL: 60
CHANGEUP: 50
CONTROL: 55
OVERALL: 55
PROSPECT OVERVIEW AND FUTURE OUTLOOK
Everything Bitsko showed last summer could be considered as top-level for a high school pitching prospect. Sure, there are some issues with the limited number of innings on record, but the right-hander hasn’t done anything to quell the thought that he could turn out to be an absolute monster on the mound in the future. His smooth over-the-head windup and his physical build give him plenty of projection to grow into a middle-to-top of the rotation kind of starter. There is the (strong) commitment to Virginia that teams would have to buy out, but it is pretty safe to assume that a top-15 slot bonus would be enough to sway Bitsko to go pro.
MOCK DRAFTS
Recently, MLB Pipeline added Bitsko as a player the White Sox have in consideration for the 11th overall pick, but eventually place him at 18, to the Diamondbacks, or even into the supplemental rounds. This may not be high enough for Bitsko to forego his commitment to Virginia. Baseball America ties him to the Phillies at 15, but this is coming on the heels of the publication leaving him out of the first round completely just one mock draft earlier. The Pennsylvanian ranks among the Jared Kelley’s and Mick Abel’s of the draft as far as top available high school arms go. He is blowing up draft boards left and right — even surpassing both Kelley and Abel in multiple recent mock drafts.
It makes Bitsko an intriguing case to follow. The upside is evident, the available scouting history is limited, and the commitment to Virginia is strong. It’s going to come down to a team willing to take a shot on the potential without worrying about the rest.
POTENTIAL FIT WITH THE WHITE SOX
There is no doubt that Bitsko would be among the best possible options for the White Sox, if the organization opts to take a high schooler with the 11th overall pick. This would be the high-water mark for Bitsko in mock drafts so far. He is generally placed between 15-20, with some publications leaving him out of the first round altogether. With the potential talent available at the 11-spot, and with how the Sox minor league pitching depth is built up, Bitsko may end up being the odd man out for the Sox.
Meanwhile, the organization is being tied strongly to catchers Patrick Bailey and Tyler Soderstrom, local shortstop Ed Howard, and the aforementioned high school arms Mick Abel and Kelley. Robert Hassell and Austin Hendrick are reportedly also on the Sox’ list, making this year’s draft another prime example of White Sox subterfuge, smoke and mirrors. Whether Bitsko is indeed a candidate remains to be seen.
Photo credit: Instagram @NickBitsko