Astros Select RHP Jake Bloss at 99th Overall

The Houston Astros opened Day 2 of the 2023 MLB Draft by going for collegiate pitcher Jake Bloss.

Previous Picks

First Round (28) SS, Brice Matthews, Nebraska

Second Round (61) P, Alonzo Tredwell, UCLA

For their third-round choice, the Astros decided to go with experience, choosing a right-handed pitcher out of Georgetown. Jake Bloss, of Greensboro, NC, stands six-foot-three and just passed his 22nd birthday.

Bloss posted a 17-10 record with a 4.26 ERA over four collegiate seasons, the first three with the Lafayette Leopards. For his final season of eligibility, he transferred to Georgetown, where he made 13 rotational starts (and one relief appearance) for the Hoyas.

After moving to the Nation’s Capital, Bloss blossomed somewhat, pitching to an 8-4 record and a 2.58 ERA. He missed a lot of bats, racking up 96 whiffs over 76 ²⁄₃ innings, while walking just 2.8 batters per nine innings. That translates to a K/BB of 4.00, and should immediately translate well to the low-to-mid-level minors. He ranked 178th on MLB’s Big Board.

MLB’s take:

He’s added some velocity since his Lafayette days with a fastball that averages around 93 mph and has touched 97 with good riding life to it, allowing him to miss a good amount of bats. He throws both a true overhand mid-70s curve and a harder, tighter low-80s slider, with the former typically a touch better than the latter, though both can flash above-average and elicit swings and misses. He doesn’t throw his changeup often or land it for strikes consistently, but it does show some fade away from left-handed hitters at times. — MLB.COM

What do you think about Houston’s third pick?