VIDEO: This Overlay of Mississippi State Pitcher Ethan Small's Four Distinct Deliveries is Nuts
By Max Scoli
It's essential to use deception in today's game, and at the college level, even a slight hitch in your delivery can work wonders for a young hurler. Well...what about four different deliveries entirely? I introduce you to the chameleon of pitching: Mississippi State's Ethan Small.
Ethan Small, 4 Windups (quick pitch, regular, pause and long pause), Overlay. pic.twitter.com/SMD8RJx3dx
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 24, 2019
The Mississippi State left-hander's versatility is on full display in this GIF. As you can see, Small has four different windups in his arsenal, each with a devastating result, as opposing batters are kept hopelessly off-balance.
Ethan Small, Messing with Timing/Leg Hang. pic.twitter.com/P9WYMKmAtI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 24, 2019
Small's unique skillset led him to be selected in the 26th round of the 2018 MLB First Year Player Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks after a strong sophomore season. He ranked No. 17 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC in strikeouts (122) that season, recording the seventh highest single-season K total in Mississippi State history. He is even better this season, already striking out 150 batters in 2019.
Ethan Small has 150 strikeouts on the year. He's 25 away from breaking Eric Dubose's single-season record at MSU. Small has averaged 10 strikeouts per start......so make it Omaha and he ought to break the record.
— DAWGS' Baseball (@mwnbaseball) May 24, 2019
The young lefty's windup undoubtedly contributes to its success. In fact, you may recognize a similar windup from one of the best pitchers in baseball: three-time NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw and Ethan Small overlay. The resemblance is amazing!!! @E7hanS pic.twitter.com/35vsocmo0i
— 11Point7: The College Baseball Podcast ? (@11point7) May 18, 2019
It appears that Small has several of the tools needed to make a splash at the next level. He only continues to improve with time, so it should be interesting to see how his game evolves further over the course of his college career.