Sophomore pitcher Cole Wilcox was asked a simple, yet important question, during an interview prior to practice last week inside the Georgia dugout.
Was improving his fastball location his biggest offseason focus heading into the Bulldogs’ 2019 campaign?
“Absolutely,” Wilcox said. “Even if there were times my command was off, if I was still in the zone, there were chances to get outs. If I started outside the zone, there was no chance. That was a big focus midway through last year, and this off-season that’s been a big focus. I’m really trying to dial that in, because everything works off that pitch.”
Assuming he does, watch out.
Armed with a fastball that touches the upper 90s, and boasting a hard slider and ever-improving changeup, the 6-foot-5, 232-pound right-handed pitcher is draft-eligible as a sophomore due to his birthday. Wilcox has already been projected to join teammate Emerson Hancock as an early pick in the first round of June’s MLB Draft.
However, controlling those pitches will be needed for that to occur.
Although his overall numbers suggested otherwise (38 walks in 59.2 innings), Wilcox actually demonstrated much better control in conference play. In 35 innings against SEC hitters, Wilcox held league hitters to a .198 average with 18 walks and just 24 hits, striking out 41.
ESPN analyst David Schoenfield wrote last summer what Wilcox can expect.
"Yes, another SEC right-hander with a mid-90s fastball that touches 98. Wilcox was a first-round talent in the 2018 draft out of a Georgia high school, but made it clear he was headed to college,” Schoenfield said. “He pitched primarily in relief, so questions like stamina and control will have to be answered next spring, but he has top-10 stuff."
Georgia pitching coach Sean Kenny believes he’ll answer those questions just fine, noting that Wilcox’s command has continued to improve throughout preseason camp.
“It’s funny you ask that, because I just told him how much that improved in his bullpen. His in-out command of his fastball,” Kenny said. “I think this summer really helped him, because he was pitching in shorter stints, so I think he could throw his fastball more and just kind of learned the feel of it. In his defense, when you’ve got a fastball that’s as powerful as his and moves that much, it’s hard to command the glove side of the plate, away to a righty and into a lefty.”
However, it appears that is now the case.
For the second straight year, Wilcox spent the summer with USA’s Collegiate National Team, going 1-0 with an ERA of 2.57 in seven innings over the summer before Georgia coaches elected to rest him, along with Hancock, before ramping both up in January.
“When you’re getting 17-18 inches of movement on the fastball, that’s hard to command, but he’s done a nice job,” Kenny said.
Bulldog skipper Scott Stricklin said Wilcox and Hancock both have their best days ahead.
“Cole has actually lost a little bit of weight. He's just so big and physical, you know he's a guy that's going to carry 240 pounds. He just looks like a defensive end,” Stricklin said. “They’re both just so big and physical, but they're stronger, they're in better condition, and I think it just comes with maturity. You know, they still haven't hit their peak—that's the scary thing with guys like that. They're still five or six years away from hitting their peak, but they're both really talented kids.”
Opposing teams will see plenty of both throughout the year.
Barring a change, Hancock will be Georgia’s Friday night starter, followed by Wilcox on Saturday and lefty CJ Smith on Sunday.
Wilcox said the fact he’ll follow Hancock in the rotation should also be an advantage.
“We’re pretty similar in the way we want to attack hitters,” Wilcox said. “Being able to see him, chart the pitches, and pick his brain after the game, gives me a lot of inside of what I should throw here, and what I should throw there in certain counts. It’s definitely a huge benefit for me.”
