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Astros projected to capitalize on premium college arm who slipped down the board

Astros projected to capitalize on premium college arm who slipped down the board originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Houston Astros are fighting to put to bed their poor season last year, where they missed the postseason. And so far, while they're under .500, they're only two games behind the Seattle Mariners, who lead the American League West.

So while the team looks to cut the deficit in the division, the front office is gearing up for the MLB Draft. Here, they have been given the No. 17 pick, a spot they haven't picked from since they took UNC RHP J.B. Bukauskas in 2017.

Over the years, the front office has been all over the place. They've taken a string of college players and a string of high school players in the first round, so there's no telling how they could be leaning this year.

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Astros projected to capitalize on premium college arm who slipped down the board

The Astros do have a depleted farm system when it comes to arms. So, that could be an area they decide to draft. Luckily for them, there are a ton of good arms this year that should be available when Houston hits the clock.

Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter's latest mock has the Astros grabbing a college arm who has fallen down the ranks, and that is University of Florida RHP Liam Peterson.

"The Astros pitching pipeline has run dry, but they are well-positioned to select from the second tier of college arms. Peterson entered the spring as one of the top arms in the class after tallying 96 strikeouts in 69.1 innings as a sophomore. He did not take the step forward many were expecting, but he still has some of the best pure stuff in the class, and he continued to miss plenty of bats with 111 strikeouts in 84.1 innings this spring."

Peterson has flashed 99 mph on the mound and has a slider that may have been overused in college, as scouts believe his out-pitch is his curveball.

He throws from a high three-quarters slot, which can be tricky for opposing batters to pick up. Peterson has fallen a bit this spring, but he's still got the stuff to go in the first round, especially for a team needing arms in the minors.