Khristian Curtis: Pro debut shows control will be key
Khristian Curtis struggled to throw strikes in his pro debut, but still flashed some interesting stuff.
The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis out of Arizona State in the 12th round of the 2023 draft.
Curtis dealt with multiple injuries during his college career, and even when he was healthy, he struggled to put up the numbers you’d like to see out of one of your draft picks.
Regardless, both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline had him rated in their Top 250, and it took an over-slot bonus to sign him, so there were plenty out there that thought there was more there than the numbers might present.
He pitched in the Spring Breakout game, replacing Thomas Harrington. He showed a fastball that could reach the mid-to-upper 90s but struggled to locate most of his pitches.
After being assigned to Bradenton to start the season, Curtis made his official professional debut on Sunday, throwing three shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
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