While most college arms selected high in the draft will be put in a starting role immediately in pro ball, not all pitchers follow this trend. There have been numerous success stories of late-round pitchers who shifted into another gear once introduced to a pro development system. That kind of upside is tantalizing, even if it can be rare. It takes a special kind of arm to force a team take them with the intention of trying to help their big league club as soon as possible. Ben Joyce, Orion Kerkering, Andrew Walters, and Tyson Neighbors are recent examples of arms who provided the advanced stuff that appealed to teams enough to take this chance on within the first five rounds.
Some names on this list will probably get starting opportunities in the spring or in pro ball. This is meant to illustrate those who have the …