Crow was one of the top prospects available for this past year's draft. He went ninth overall to the Nationals, but did not sign, making him eligible for the draft once again next year. He has left Mizzou, and has decided to showcase his talents with the Fort Worth Cats of the independent American Association league next spring, an approach that his former Mizzou Tigers teammate Max Scherzer used two years ago to promote his abilities before signing with the Diamondbacks (before MLB instituted the August 15th signing date). Crow isn't a perfect pitching prospect. There are concerns about a "hook" in his delivery, in which there is a little extra and somewhat wasted movement with his delivery. His size is also in question, as he is generally listed at 6'2", and the delivery along with his smaller stature leads many to wonder if he can truly be a front-of-the-rotation starter, or if he would be better suited in relief. It's hard to argue with the results, as Crow had a great junior campaign in which he went 13-0 on his way to being named the Big 12's pitcher of the year. He was coming off of a very successful stint in the Cape Cod League the summer before, in which he led the league with a 0.67 ERA on his way to being named the league's top prospect. His fastball is his best pitch, and he does an excellent job commanding the entire strike zone with his heater which sits in the 91-96 range and can touch 98 on occasion. He does a good job keeping the ball down in the zone, and paints the corners like a seasoned veteran. His slider is also a plus pitch, and he also has a changeup, but hasn't thrown it as much, mostly because he hasn't needed it. His availability in next year's draft complements an already existing strength of powerful college pitchers.
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