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If you had the expectation, like I did, that the Padres would be taking a lot of high schoolers and college juniors, then their 4th round selection is a bit of a surprise. The club took a college senior in SE Missouri St SP Joseph Lucchesi. This seems like a nice pick for a senior though. The Padres can save a bit of money due to leverage issues, but it doesn’t come being a low upside guy. This kid is a strikeout specialist, a least at the college level, and should be able to continue that as a pro.
I don’t have a good scouting report on Lucchesi, so all I can really say about him is he’s listed as a 6’4 220 lb southpaw hurler and most of the reports on him talk about his gaudy numbers (242 Ks in 188 IP) over the last two years. With those totals does come some worry about overuse, so we may see him move slowly this year and then quickly starting next season.