The Orioles turned to a college pitcher with their first pick of the 2016 amateur draft, choosing right-hander Cody Sedlock out of the University of Illinois with the No. 27 overall selection.
The 20-year-old Sedlock, listed at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, spent two years as a reliever at Illinois before shifting into the rotation in 2015, his junior year. The conversion was an immediate success, as Sedlock notched a school-record 116 strikeouts in 2016 and was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year that season. His best pitch is a sinking fastball that hovers in the low to mid-90s, and he also throws a "a distinct slider in the 80s and power curve in the upper 70s, both solid offerings," according to SB Nation's Minor League Ball.
ESPN's Keith Law, who ranked Sedlock as the No. 18 prospect in the draft, praised Sedlock's stuff but questioned his ability to remain a starter, writing, "Sedlock shows three above-average pitches with a delivery that still has some scouts thinking he'll return to the bullpen."
