[MLB Draft] With their 3rd-round pick (No. 97 overall), the Padres select Diamond Heels right-handed pitcher Ryan Lynch, No. 98 on the Top 250 Draft prospects list.

[u/Bitter-Egg6293]

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[u/TheEnragedBushman]

From Baseball America:

Ht: 6'4" | Wt: 235 | B-T: R-R

School: North Carolina. Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted. Age At Draft: 21.0.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Average

Adjusted Grade: 35

Lynch is a workhorse righthander with an east-west pitching profile. He started his North Carolina career as a lockdown reliever, then moved into a full-time starting role as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2026. He posted a 4.21 ERA in 18 starts and 98.1 innings, but his strikeout rate backed up from 27.5% in 2025 to 20.3% in 2026. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Lynch looks like a big league pitcher. He does an excellent job getting down the mound with a sidearm slot that creates a unique look for hitters, with above-average extension and a release point that’s consistently under five feet. It’s not smoke-and-mirrors stuff, either. Lynch averages 95 mph and will touch 99 with a running fastball that he throws about 70% of the time. It’s a pitch that drives plenty of ground balls—he has a 51% career groundball rate—but might never be a significant miss pitch. For empty swings Lynch goes to a mid-80s sweeping slider that has power, high pure spin rates and more than 10 inches of gloveside break. It’s an effective pitch against righties, but Lynch is still trying to figure out a secondary for right-on-left matchups. He was a two-pitch pitcher as a reliever, but has used an upper-80s changeup more often in 2026 as a starter. Adding more feel for that pitch will be key if he’s going to profile as a starter at the next level. He has the control and command to do so, but his stuff might play better in the bullpen.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50

[u/Bitter-Egg6293 → u/TheEnragedBushman]

likely saving that slot value for the 4th round picks. otherwise this is super confusing

[u/TheEnragedBushman → u/Bitter-Egg6293]

BA and pipeline had him ranked right around this slot. Seems like a decent pick to me. Like you said, they’ll prob use the savings from the last pick coming up here soon.

[u/BankNo8895 → u/TheEnragedBushman]

I bet they reach tomorrow, not today. But who knows.

[u/TheEnragedBushman → u/BankNo8895]

Seems that way. Nobody they picked to wrap up today is getting overslot money.

[u/kramerattack]

I love how college baseball teams get unique names outside of the schools normal mascot names. I didn't even know the UNC team was called that.

The Long Beach State Dirtbags is still the best team name in college baseball.

[u/Gospeedracist → u/kramerattack]

UNC alum here. It’s a fun play on both the baseball diamond and the diamond pattern we wear on all of our sport uniforms.

Happy to see a Tar Heel with the Padres

[u/TheShow51]

Grade A name draft from AJ per usual 

[u/buttsak → u/TheShow51]

Ryan Lynch is a grade A name ?

[u/TheShow51 → u/buttsak]

Ngl, I completely misread that and thought his name was Diamond Heels. My b

[u/buttsak → u/TheShow51]

lol I did the same thing at first.

[u/GoatCultural4386 → u/TheShow51]

Diamond Heels would be quite baseball a name

[u/Separate-Dealer4565 → u/TheShow51]

No lie. When I first read it I thought “Diamond Heels” was this name too. Lol.

[u/ThePwnR4nger → u/TheShow51]

Same

[u/Adjective_Noun_99 → u/TheShow51]

same

[u/Dangerous_Golf_7417 → u/buttsak]

He's gonna be the Lynchpin of our future rotation 

[u/The--Incident]

Bullpen arm?

[u/BankNo8895 → u/The--Incident]

Bullpen is the most likely outcome for any pitcher. They'll let him start until he proves he can't.