MLB Draft Prospect Profile: Kyson Witherspoon Has Top Starter Potential
This is one in a series of breakdowns of the top prospects available in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Oklahoma starter Kyson Witherspoon is far and away the best right-handed college pitcher available in this year’s draft.
The 20-year-old was named a Consensus First Team All American this past season with the Sooners after going 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 16 starts. Witherspoon totaled 95 innings, held opponents to a .208 batting average, walked 23 and struck out 124, the latter of which ranked sixth in the country.
Witherspoon, who is listed as 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, has a deep arsenal with multiple plus-pitches and solid control.
His best pitch is a power fastball that jumps out of his hand. Though the pitch sits in the mid 90s, it’s capable of creeping up towards triple digits. His slider generates plenty of whiffs and plays well off his cutter that has similar velocity. As if those three pitches weren’t enough, Witherspoon has an improved curveball with really good action that’s effective. He also has a changeup, which isn’t as advanced as his other pitches.
Though Witherspoon has an athletic and smooth delivery, he has an unorthodox arm action that works for him. He short-arms the ball as seen below:
Kyson Witherspoon (rhp, @OU_Baseball). Retired final 7 after rough 3rd. AVG FB of 96.8 (99th percentile) in '25
5IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 4K.
9-3, 2.45, 104 Ks, 19 BB.FB: 93-97 (t98) | 2335 | 4 s/m
SL: 85-89 | 2559 | 4 s/m
CUT: 88-91 | 2495 | 2 s/m
CB: 74-81 | 2597 | 1 s/m pic.twitter.com/zkZqnZOtOw— Burke Granger (@burkegranger) May 10, 2025
Witherspoon is not afraid to let his emotions show on the mound and is said to have the mental fortitude necessary for a starting pitcher.
Coincidently enough, this is our second-straight draft profile about a prospect who has a twin that is also a likely draft pick this year. Witherspoon’s brother, Malachi, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 12th round of the 2022 draft out of high school but did not sign. This year, Malachi, who is also a right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma, is considered the 121st-best prospect available.
On Wednesday, Pittsburgh Baseball Now highlighted high school infielder JoJo Parker, whose twin bother Jacob, is ranked No. 109 by Pipeline.
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