Every year, a high school pitcher tumbles in the MLB Draft. It's a demographic defined by the brightest outcomes alongside spectacular disappointment. More and more, high school pitchers come armed to the nines with enormous arsenals and the feeling of infinite potential. So why are so few finding success in Major League Baseball?
Let's begin with why scouts and front offices are drawn to the teenage pitcher. Simply put, it's the perception of bang for your buck. Back in the 1980s and early 1990ss, high school pitchers drafted in the first round made up a large contingent of the most valuable pitchers in the sport (alongside international signings). College pitchers weren't providing the ceiling that some prep arms were. That trend continued through roughly 2006 when Clayton Kershaw was the No. 7 pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Since then, the tides seem to have turned.
If we use the …