Radnor Pitcher Is Gaining Major League Attention

Connor Walsh finds himself in a curious position these days.

The 6-1, 165-pound Radnor High School senior right-handed pitcher already has a baseball scholarship to Cincinnati. But he’s in an interesting spot where a growing number of Major League teams are looking at him, like the New York Mets, Florida Marlins, Chicago Cubs, and recently the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros.

Walsh is 2-2 this season, with 38 strikeouts and 13 walks, and an ERA of slightly over 2.00 a game. His numbers might not match what he did last year, when he threw a single-game school-record 19 strikeouts against Haverford, but everything else is better, like the command of his pitches, and his mental makeup.

“I was all about the stats last year; I’m a lot smarter this year,” Walsh admitted. “What I’ve learned over different situations is that stats aren’t everything. I have a lot greater command of my pitches. I’m able to get my pitch counts a lot lower this year. I’m still working on my off-speed command and my fastball command. But I believe it's a lot better, and that shows, because I’m not walking as many batters. I overthrew last year. I know how to pitch. Last year it's fair to say I was more of a thrower.”

And that’s caught the attention of a number of scouts who have attended the games Walsh pitches. He’s had strong games this season, like the one-hit, 11-strikeout performance against a good Penncrest team, and the 13-strikeout outing against Springfield.

“A [Major League] offer would have to be something that would outweigh a college education,” Walsh said. “A team would have to be interested enough that I would be better off going there than getting a college education. The way I’m looking at it, I’m going to be happy either way, and right now the lean is towards college.

"I’m hearing mixed things that I might be drafted, I might not be drafted. I have to focus on my season and keep focusing on cutting down my mistakes. I’ll worry about the other stuff when it comes. I’m not going to lie, it is nice though. It’s a nice confidence boost. It tells me that I have to work extra hard if I’m going to get any more attention.”

Radnor coach John McGillian also sees the marked difference between Walsh from this year to last season.

“High school kids with Connor’s talent and his situation are a minimal risk, and they usually go in the late-teens or low-20th (rounds) of the draft,” McGillian said. “The Mets are the frontrunners, they’ve shown the most interest. But it’s about potential, and that’s the biggest question. The scouts like the velocity of his fastball and the depth of his curveball, but if he grows another inch and he’ll add another 20 pounds, watch out. He’s only going to get better.”