The Diamondbacks used their first pick on the second day of the draft on yet another pitcher, selecting North Carolina high school lefty Liam Norris in the third round.
Norris, 18, has good stuff but has struggled to throw consistent and quality strikes. Though he has a fastball that has topped out at 96 mph along with two pitches that MLB.com’s scouting report grades as “at least plus offerings,” he reportedly issued 107 walks in 141 career innings at Green Hope High.
However, he did show improvement this year before the coronavirus brought an end to the high school season, and the Diamondbacks, who managed to see him four times this spring, apparently believe his performance was a harbinger of what is to come.