Wanting to be great has never been an issue for Asa Lacy, and he’s more than willing to put in the requisite work to be great. In fact, Texas A&M coach Rob Childress says that’s what makes the lefthander special.
“He’s a sponge and wants to be great, and I think the biggest attribute Asa has is when his feet hit the floor every day, he wants to be the very best at his craft. To me, that’s what separates him from so many,” he said.
But after his freshman season, it was clear that if Lacy was truly going to be great, he needed a breaking ball. So he went to Alaska to find one.
To be fair, he had a breaking ball. Two of them, in fact. But neither his curveball nor slider was going to cut it if he wanted to be a quality weekend starter in the Southeastern Conference. At the time, he wasn’t throwing either of them with conviction.
Lacy was coming off what anyone would consider a successful campaign. He had a 2.75 ERA in 39.1 innings for Texas A&M, mostly in relief. He struck out 48 and held opponents to a .200 batting average. Still, he needed a more diverse repertoire.
“As a freshman, (he) really was a two-pitch guy,” Childress said. “(A) fastball/ changeup guy. He didn’t spin it exceptionally well. He was in between a curveball and a slider.”
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Denne historien er fra May/June 2020-utgaven av Baseball America.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wood Has Towering Upside- Nationals rookie James Wood also stands 6-foot-7 and also has game-changing power.
Aaron Judge and Oneil Cruz are 6-foot7 sluggers who stand out for their power in this year’s MLB Best Tools voting. Wood spent half of this season with Triple-A Rochester before making his MLB debut on July 1. While he was in the International League, he captured managers’ attention. Wood unanimously won Best Power Prospect and also claimed Most Exciting Player in a survey of league skippers. Wood hit .353/.463/.595 with 10 home runs in 52 games for Rochester. His .242 isolated slugging was the best for a player 21 or younger at Triple-A this season.
ROAD BLOCK?
Scholarship expansion puts mid-majors at a major disadvantage on the road to Omaha
ROYALS REVIVAL
A revamped and rejuvenated farm system has Kansas City ready to rebound
SUMMER STANDOUTS
The top prospects in summer college leagues are poised to impact the 2025 draft
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Last year’s Florida Complex League prospect crop has been beset by lengthy injuries to many of its top players, including Yankees pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange, Mets infielder Marco Vargas and Red Sox catcher Johanfran Garcia.
IN WITH THE NEW
The 2024 draft is in the books. The trade deadline is history.
WALCOTT BLASTS OFF
It took some time for Rangers shortstop Sebastian Walcott to find his footing at High-A Hickory.
A RECORD NIGHT FOR COLLEGIANS
Four key takeaways from the 2024 draft
K.C.MASTERPIECE
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. wins games for the Royals with his bat, glove, speed and baseball IQ. He might be the most tooled-up player in the game.
HOW THE MAJORS HAVE CHANGED FOR YOUNG PLAYERS
When negotiating the 2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the MLB Players Association prioritized the earning power of young major league players, especially young stars.
