RHP Alex Webb
RHP Alex Webb
Hometown: Surrey, BC
B-T: R-R.
Ht: 6’ 3”, Wt: 230.
School: University of British Columbia.
Previous teams: White Rock Titans.
Coaches: Chris Pritchett, Terry McKaig, Russ Smithson.
Drafted: San Diego Padres 2015 (36th round).
2016 senior season: Wins over Lewis-Clark State, Olivet Nazerne, Corban (two), Idaho, Simpson, Cal State LA, Northwest Nazarene and Thompson Rivers ... 1.38, 10-1 in 15 starts ... 15 walks, 115 strikeouts in 104 1/3 innings ... Holding opponents to a .154 average ... Beat Lewis Clark 12-1 (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7), Idaho 2-0 (9 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 13 Ks), Corban 2-0 (9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 Ks).
Baseball America Scouting Report: Webb, a senior, had a better year than fellow Thunderbird Curtis Taylor, who was expected to be drafted higher. The British Columbia righty posted a 1.34 ERA and a 115-15 strikeout-walk ratio against light NAIA competition. Big and durable at 6-foot-3, 228 pounds, Webb will be drafted thanks to his ability to throw a lot of strikes with a 90-92 mph fastball, which tends to flatten out. He throws both a curveball and a changeup. He commands both of them, but neither are a swing-and-miss offering.
Perfect Game Scouting Report _ 326. Alex Webb, rhp, British Columbia
R-R, 6-3/228, Surrey, British Columbia
Previously Drafted: Padres ’15 (36)
Webb has a sturdy, innings-eater type of frame and build, and he’s been able to both absorb innings and pitch at a high level the last two seasons at British Columbia. The senior righty was selected late in last year’s draft after a breakout spring which saw him strike out better than a batter per inning. This season he has put up even better numbers (111 strikeouts in 99.1 innings) and stymied opposing hitters (just 53 hits allowed). Webb operates with a low-90s fastball and is able to command the heater to all four quadrants of the strike zone.
2015 junior season: In summer ball with Kelowna Falcons of West Coast League as a closer was 2-2 with three saves in 12 games, which included one start, walking 10 and string out 30 in 27 2/3 innings ... As a UBC starter 10-3 with a 2.15 ERA in 15 games making 13 starts, walking 22, striking out 97 in 88 innings. Held opposing hitters to a .215 average. Recorded wins over Oregon Tech (twice), Concordia-Portland (twice), Thompson Rivers, Redlands, Simpson, Idaho, Corban and Northwestern Ohio.
2014 sophomore season: 2-4, 4.81 ERA in 17 games (one start) walking 10, striking out 27 in 39 1/3 innings.
2013 freshmen season: 3-2, 6.30 ERA in 13 games, walking 15 fanning 18 in 30 innings.
Honors _ 2016: Earned 2nd team NAIA All-American ... Won CoSIDA Academic All-American Team, earned CoSIDA Player of the Year and NAIA Academic All-American Player of the Year with 3.75 GPA in Electrical Engineering ... NAIA West Pitcher of the Year, Cascade Conference First Team ... Pre-season Pitcher of the Year honors by Baseball America; 2015 _ NAIA West Group Pitcher of the Year, Capital Academic All-America College Division Team (cumulative GPA of 3.64). Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian College First Team in 2015.
Scouting Report _ Perfect Game, West Coast League: “Webb, who was the ace the University of British Columbia staff last spring, switched roles with teammate Curtis Taylor this summer for Kelowna as Webb moved to the back end of the bullpen. He was dominant this spring and again very good this summer, pitching to an ERA of 2.60 with 30 strikeouts in just over 27 innings. Webb, who goes 6-foot-2 and 200-pounds, lacks the projection of Taylor but his fastball did work into the low-90s this summer.”
What they are saying: “Webb is the better pitcher right now. (Teammate) Curtis Taylor has the higher upside. Coaches like Webb as UBC’s No. 1 pitcher right because he will win, the scouts like Taylor because of upside. Webb is likely 89-92 MPH.”
On other lists: 326th on Perfect Game's top 500 combined list ... Third on Baseball America’s top 15 NAIA prospect list entering season ... 20th on Perfect Game’s top NAIA prospects ... 54th on Perfect Game’s top 100 college seniors ... Pitching for Kelowna Falcons, ranked 14th on Perfect Games’s top 30 prospects from the West Coast Summer League.
C.J. Pentland: Noble numbers for Webb, Taylor
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