2014 MLB Draft: Highlights and Analysis of Top Pitching Prospects

The future of Major League Baseball will be in the spotlight on Thursday evening, as the 2014 First-Year Player Draft commences.

A bevy of talent is readily available for teams selecting in the draft's first round—most of which is on the mound.

Many promising pitchers figure to be selected very early this year, as one scouting director told Jim Callis of MLB.com, "There could be eight or nine pitchers taken in the top 10. How many can go in the top 15? Twelve? Thirteen? There are so many arms. This is a deeper pool of players than last year, especially with pitchers."

While we wait for these players to find homes in the big leagues, let's take a look at the most promising pitching prospects in this year's draft.

Brady Aiken

At just 17 years of age, Aiken has a monstrous fastball and a wide array of pitches.

The southpaw is capable of throwing upward of 98 mph and a curveball with some severe movement. Even more impressive is his control over these pitches.

Aiken is 6'3" and weighs 210 pounds on a frame that screams MLB ace.

He's consistently improving, and according to an interview with AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Aiken says he's also developing a cutter, "The goal is to just maintain my command and velocity, and hopefully I can work in a fourth pitch like that [cutter]."

Here's a great look at Aiken's delivery and control:

Baseball Tonight tweeted a great breakdown of Aiken's game:

Expect this phenom to become one of the league's most feared pitchers in the near future.

Carlos Rodon

Rodon has been an absolute workhorse for North Carolina State.

Through three years of collegiate experience, Rodon has been simply impressive. As a freshman, he recorded a 9-0 record and ERA of 1.57. In this sophomore season, his ERA jumped to 2.99, but he set a school record with 184 strikeouts. He's shown some great control this season, lowering his ERA to 2.01.

At 6'3" and 234 pounds, the southpaw has a fastball-slider combination that could do some damage in the big leagues immediately.

Here's a great look at his control during a 15-strikeout performance:

Take a closer look at Rodon's nasty slider, courtesy of a tweet from Baseball Tonight:

This lefty will continue to develop but has the potential to see a bullpen role immediately.

Tyler Kolek

If a franchise is looking for an enormous arm, Kolek is the answer.

With possibly the most vicious fastball in this year's draft, the righty is capable of touching 100 mph. That kind of arm simply doesn't come around often.

Kolek isn't a one-trick pony either. He has nice command over his 90-mph changeup, a mean slider and has a curveball in the range of 80 mph.

He's still a work in progress, but Kolek has the upside to become an ace in the big leagues.

During an interview with CSNHouston.com, via Alyson Footer of MLB.com, Shepherd head baseball coach Josh Jackson had this to say of Kolek:

"

Every game that he pitched in this year, I don't think there was one game that he didn't hit 100 miles per hour multiple times. He throws a slider some, but he relies on his curveball more. His changeup is actually really good. He throws his changeup 90 miles per hour, his curveball is usually 78 to 82—I think I've seen it up to 83, 84 before. So, fastball, curveball are his two main pitches, but his changeup I think is really going to be really good.

"

Take a look at Kolek in action:

JJ Cooper of Baseball America noted what Kolek is famous for entering the draft:

There shouldn't be many teams willing to pass up on that arm early in the first round.