Stilson rewrote the A&M record books as a reliever last season, setting all sorts of records. As one of the nation’s most effective closers, Stilson struck out 114 batters in just 79 innings, saving 10 games and posting a ridiculous (even for college) 0.80 ERA. He struck out 13 batters per nine innings.
This season, Stilson made the jump to the rotation, where he has been better than anyone could have expected him to be. He currently has an ERA of 1.59 and has 89 strikeouts in 85 innings. He has only surrendered one long-ball all season long and has one complete-game shutout.
On the mound, Stilson regularly sits 92-96 mph but can reach for a little extra and hit 98 on occasion. His fastball has very good movement and is a definite plus pitch. His slider is his go-to breaking ball, and has the makings of a very good pitch. His changeup hasn’t seen much action, especially last year, when he was a fastball-slider reliever.
Surprisingly, there’s still a lot of projection left with Stilson. He’s only been pitching for three seasons now, as he played primarily shortstop in high-school. As he gains more experience on the mound, he should get even better.
He’s already a guy who maintains his velocity into the later innings and has the makings of an inning-eater. He likely won’t be a top-of-the-rotation starter, but he has excellent potential as a No. 2 guy. And if that doesn’t work out for him, whichever team drafts him knows that he will make a dominant reliever.
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