MLB Draft 2017: Yankees select RHP Glenn Otto 152nd overall

With their fifth round pick the Yankees went back to the right-handed pitching well in the form of right-handed pitcher Glenn Otto from Rice University. Otto is their second college pitcher pick of the draft so far.

Otto experienced shoulder soreness at the beginning of this season at Rice, and his results have taken a hit as a result of that. He was able to avoid missing time, but the stats have definitely suffered. He pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 59.2 innings for the Owls this season. He struck out 12.2 batters per nine, but walked a fairly atrocious 4.37 batters per game.

The results were atypical for Otto, who allowed as many runs as a junior as he did in his previous two years combined. His .241 batting average against was 100 points higher than the same mark as a freshman. All that being said, maybe there is reason to hope he can be better than the numbers say he was this season.

Otto’s fastball hits 95 on the gun when he’s on, but it sits more in the lower 90s from time to time without the movement that keeps it from being deceptive. His curveball is above-average as a plus pitch for the next level. He ranks 181st in the Top 200, according to Baseball America.

Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo believe that the Yankees will try to make Otto a starter as a professional. They’ll need to help him develop a third pitch if that is going to happen. Hopefully the shoulder issues are something he can move past in order to get his numbers back to the level he was at in his first two seasons at Rice.