MLB Draft 2016: Profile of Dustin May, Dodgers' 3rd-round pick

Name: Dustin May

Selection: Third round, pick 101

School: Northwest HS

Top 200 Ranking: 109

What he’s good at right now:

May has risen up media boards after touch the mid 90’s and showing some feel for a plus breaking ball. May is tall and projectable, and according to MLB Pipeline, he was one of the better spin rate arms at the WWBAA Championships.

What he can be good at in the future:

May is tall and lean, with the chance to fill out and hold his plus velocity deep into starts. May flashes a plus breaking ball, a deep slider, but will need to find a consistent slot to keep the pitch from flattening out.

What does he need to work on:

Day’s mechanics aren’t consistent. His approach is arm heavy and he lands on a stiff front leg. I don’t mind the low ¾ slot, but May doesn’t repeat his slot consistently, which affects the sink on the fastball and the depth on his breaking ball. At 6’6 and under 200 lbs. May must also continue to add strength to his frame.

Carry tool:

May’s fastball that shows plus sink and run and velocity into the mid 90’s is his calling card. The slider could become plus as well, but consistently pitching effectively off his fastball will be key to moving up the ladder.

Biggest weakness:

Right now, just consistency, and that should come with work to clean up his mechanics. As a tall and lean pitcher, this is often the last piece to put in place, and the Dodgers can afford patience to develop him.

ETA:

Though he has plenty of present stuff, May will require extra time to develop. If he has a solid debut in the Arizona League, he might earn the chance to start 2017 in Great Lakes, though he may be delayed for warmer weather in Extended Spring. Expect a cautious level by level approach, with 2020 being the earliest he might reach the major leagues.

Realistic best case scenario:

May has the potential to become a top of the rotation guy or elite reliever just as much as he has the potential to flameout in the California League. This makes it tough to project a realistic best case, but you can envision a number three starter with strikeout stuff and the size to pitch deep into ball games and seasons with the same stuff.

Wrap:

I was hoping for a gamble on upside in round two, so I’m pleasantly surprised to see it come in round three with a player I had ranked roughly to this value. I only gave four 45 graded players a 60 grade for ceiling, with May being one of them. If everything clicks, he’ll exceed that, but May has a lot of developing to do before he can realize his potential. Though Texas Tech has become a competitive college club, May should be signable here and a worthy gamble after a run of collegiate selections.