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Born: Bellaire, Texas
Age: 18 (9/01/2000)
Height/Weight: 6’2”/165 lbs.
Position: RHP
Bats/Throws: R/R
School: St. Thomas High School (Houston, Texas)
A right-handed pitcher out of St. Thomas Catholic High School in Houston, Texas, Josh Wolf has experienced as much draft helium as anyone in the past year or two. On scouts’ radars, the right-hander began working with former professional hurler and current freelance pitching coach David Evans to increase his fastball velocity, increase his stamina, and improve his mechanics over the last few years, and the results have been tangible. Not only has he become a more viable pitching prospect, but he is considered one of the premier pitching prospects in Texas.
Pitching for the St. Thomas Eagles, Wolf posted a 1.06 ERA in 39.0 innings in his junior season last year, striking out 53 batters. This past season, his senior year, he posted a 1.52 ERA in 69.0, striking out 126. As good as he was in the regular season, he was absolutely dominant in the playoffs, throwing a no-hitter against Austin St. Dominic Savio High School in the TAPPS Division-I state playoff opener, and then throwing a two-hit shutout against Tomball Concordia Lutheran High School in the semi-finals.
At 6’2”, 165-pounds, Wolf has a tall, lean frame that suggests he may continue filling in. The right-hander throws from a low three-quarters arm slot with a loose, lightning quick arm. His mechanics are rough and may contain an injury red flags in the elbow lift behind his back, but he works through it quickly. Because of his rough mechanics, Wolf sometimes is unable to repeat his release point, leading to control issues or telegraphing his pitches.
Wolf’s fastball sits in the low-90s, topping out as high as 97 MPH with life this spring. He uses the entire strike zone with it, moving the ball around to throw off hitters’ eye levels. He complements his fastball with a full assortment of pitches. His slider sits in the high-70s and features two plane slice. His curveball sits in the high-70s-to-low-80s and features hard 12-6 break. He tunnels his slider and curveball well, making them play up especially well when batters cannot recognize them. His changeup sits in the low-80s, and while it is very much still a work in progress, Wolf is able to give the pitch enough fade and tumble to project fringe-average-to-average.
The right-hander has presence on the mound. He does not shy away from pitching inside and going after hitters. He attacks and pounds the zone.
Wolf has a commitment to Texas A&M.