Right-handed pitcher Jaden Hill from LSU found out that he needed Tommy John surgery, which will keep him from possibly regaining his form, which could have led to a potential top overall draft spot. The link above is from Baseball America and it has the details of the injury, while giving a comparison to show how this could affect his draft spot.
Hill had some people who thought he could be the top pick in the amateur draft in July going into the 2021 season. Most sources rated him as a top five pick. His stock took a bit of hit early on with an extremely poor showing against the non-conference team, but there were also questions surrounding his slider not looking as good as before, along with more recent questions about the life on his fastball. With the draft being pushed back until the All-Star break this year, that gave him five extra weeks to improve his stock, possibly showing why some people thought he was the top prospect at one point. That possibility was shrinking as we went along and got closer to the draft, but it completely disappeared with his injury, which will keep him out into the 2022 season, whether he signs or returns to school.
The Pirates don’t make their second overall pick until 37th overall. While his stock will definitely drop, it seems unlikely that Hill will be around for that selection.
