Chris
Clarke

7-20-2018: Righty Chris Clarke was a key recruit for Southern California, but he has yet to put it all together for the Trojans, posting a 5.89 ERA as a freshman and a 6.09 ERA as a sophomore this spring. He’s had a good summer for Bethesda, going 4-0, 2.73 with a 25-5 K-BB mark in 26.1 IP. Clarke breezed through two clean, efficient innings against the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, carving up opposing hitters with a four-pitch arsenal. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound righty has a long, lean frame and a slingy three-quarters arm action, and he projects to add velocity to his 86-88 fastball as he matures. His best pitch was a short, late slider at 81 mph that he locates very well to both sides of the plate, projecting as an average to above-average offering as he adds arm strength. He has some feel for a low-80s changeup, though it was inconsistent in this short look, and he mixes in a sweeping curveball at 75 mph. Clarke is all about projection and pitchability; he’ll need to take a velocity jump to get far in pro ball, but the raw ingredients are there. (Aaron Fitt)