Pitching rotation takes shape
With the news of Trenton Wallace and Drew Irvine signing with their respective MLB organizations, the Hawkeyes will have a good deal of change coming for their starting rotation. Last season, Iowa was able to go with a three-man rotation all year because of the conference-only scheduling, but 2022 will include midweek games, so the rotation will be expanded. I’ll take a look at the potential pitchers that could make up the 2022 Iowa starting rotation.
Returning Options
Jack Dreyer was one that had the most uncertainty when it came to being signed by an MLB team or returning to Iowa. From what I heard, Jack was planning to sign with any team that offered him a contract, but that has not yet happened. He is listed on the new roster on the Iowa website, so it seems like he will be back for one more season. Dreyer is an incredibly talented pitcher, but injuries have limited him to just 20 appearances over four seasons with the Hawkeyes. In those 20 games, Dreyer has started ten, posting an 8-3 record and a 3.41 ERA. He has logged 76 strikeouts in 60.2 innings of work. Jack had Tommy John surgery last year and has been working through rehab, which likely steered some teams away from talking with him during the MLB draft. He is expected to be a full go once the beginning of the season comes around next year and he will be a frontline arm in the Hawkeyes rotation next season.
Cam Baumann and Duncan Davitt fall into an interesting spot when looking at the starting rotation for next season. Both guys consistently were apart of the weekend rotation, combining for 21 starts, but the increase in starting pitching depth on the team could lead to them being moved to a midweek role or even a bullpen spot. Davitt had four appearances out of the bullpen, so he would be the leader of the two to move there full-time. Baumann had a really good stretch midseason, where he put together six straight starts of two earned runs or less. I could see Baumann holding a midweek starting spot. The good thing for both pitchers is that they limit walks, as they walked just 33 in 117.1 combined innings pitched. That is really a stat you like to see if they were to come out of the bullpen. Ultimately, both pitchers have the ability to be used out of the bullpen and as a starter, so I expect them to do both next season.
Dylan Nedved was talked about by both Coach Heller and Coach Sutherland, as a guy that will probably get an increased role on the Iowa pitching staff next season. Heller compared his potential role to that of Trenton Wallace, where he will predominately pitch, but will get starts in the field from time to time. Nedved was a pretty reliable arm out of the bullpen for the Hawkeyes last season, leading the team in saves with nine. Dylan potentially could be a guy that starts a midweek game or two, but with plenty of starting options Nedved is a guy that is likely needed more as a bullpen option.
Incoming Recruits
Any time a projected top five round MLB draft prospect lands on a college team, as rare as it is, they make an immediate impact. Brody Brecht out of Ankeny will be no different and will be a weekend starter right out of the gate. Brecht touts a mid 90s fastball and has been lights out for Ankeny as a senior. He is 9-0 in nine starts, posting an elite .51 ERA over 55.1 innings pitched. Brecht has struck out a mind blowing 117 batters, which is good enough for 19.04 K/9. Not quite sure that Brody will be the Friday night starter right out of the gate, but Saturday or Sunday is almost guaranteed for the incoming freshman.
Marcus Morgan does not have the fastball velocity that Brecht has, but his off-speed pitches are well above average, which makes him a candidate to start some games for the Hawkeyes next season. Morgan currently has a fastball right around 90 mph, but Coach Marty Sutherland thinks that some work on mechanics and getting the fastball spinning efficiently could bump the velocity up to 92-93 before the season begins. As a senior at Iowa City West, Morgan is 4-2 in ten starts, posting a 1.48 ERA. The strikeout numbers impressive, as he has struck out 108 batters over 56.2 innings pitched. Look for Morgan to start some midweek games.
Incoming Transfers
South Dakota State transfer Adam Mazur is a guy that has really come on strong over the last month or so and could end up being a huge steal for the Hawkeyes. Mazur has had a great summer playing for the Wareham Gateman in the famed Cape Cod Summer League. He has appeared in four games, allowing just one earned run in 18.2 innings pitched. On top of that, Mazur has struck out 23 batters, while walking just three. The rumors are that Mazur has quickly gained traction among MLB Draft scouts that have watched him pitch. This transfer pickup right now looks like a sneaky good one and Mazur could end up being a weekend arm for the Hawkeyes next season.
Butler transfer Connor Schultz brings a lot of experience to the Hawkeyes, as he has accumulated 42 appearances and 27 starts over four seasons with the Bulldogs. Schultz was named to the Big East All-Conference First Team in 2019 after posting a 2.29 ERA, so he has the potential to be a quality starter. The question is….is he going to be able to crack into the weekend rotation?
Missouri transfer Jared Simpson comes in after struggling for the Tigers in the SEC last season, but had a fantastic 2019 season for Iowa Western. Coach Sutherland was pretty high on Simpson saying, “I think he was looking for a fresh start. If we can get him back to reflect a little bit of how he was a year or two ago, I mean you are talking about a front-end guy. We thought he would have a chance to be a weekend guy out of Iowa Western.” Will be interesting to see if the coaching staff tries Simpson as a starter or if they move him to a bullpen role.
Final Analysis
Coach Heller and his staff will have a tough job when it comes to picking a weekend rotation. The addition of Brody Brecht, a couple transfers and the return of Jack Dreyer, give the Hawkeyes good depth when it comes to starting pitching. The loss of Trenton Wallace and Drew Irvine is hard to replace, but overall I think the Hawkeye starters could be better next season.
The weekend rotation right now could be made up of Jack Dreyer, Adam Mazur and true freshman Brody Brecht. This would leave Cam Baumann, Connor Schultz and true freshman Marcus Morgan to switch off pitching during midweek contests. At this time, I feel like Duncan Davitt and Jared Simpson could be moved to the bullpen.