Jim Callis talks about Jared Shuster

MLB.com reporter Jim Callis give his opinion on the Braves selection of Jared Shuster as their first round pick

Jim Callis was great last week as one of the analysts on MLB Network for its coverage of the draft. We asked his opinion of Atlanta's selection of Wake Forest left-handed pitcher Jared Shuster with their first round pick, the 25th overall selection in the first round.

Before the pandemic, Shuster made four starts for the Demon Deacons. He was 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA, with 43 strikeouts and only four walks in 26.1 innings.

Shuster showed great improvement compared to his sophomore campaign, as he went 5-5 with a 6.49 ERA in 15 games (12 starts). He had 37 walks and 94 strikeouts in 68.0 innings. As a freshman, Shuster had a 7.41 ERA in 22 appearances (six starts) and had 21 walks and 32 strikeouts in 34.0 innings.

A native of New Bedford, Mass., Shuster is 6-3, 210 and graduated from Tabor Academy. He will turn 22 on August 3.

Shuster got better last summer in the Cape Cod League, improving his control and command. His fastball was in the 92-94 mph range and hit 97 mph. His best pitch is his changeup. Reports have Shuster needing to improve his curveball.

Baseball America ranked Shuster as the 43 best prospect in the draft, while MLB.com rated him as the 77 best prospect in the draft.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.