Kershaw has more natural ability than Skaggs, better arm strength and speed, more torque between his torso and hips. He stays closed for a longer period than Skaggs.

But you’re right, Skaggs is a solid guy in his own right. I’m not sure how likely it is he’ll reach his ceiling. That’s the things with these prospects, we look for projectable arms, but some guys develop and others don’t. But given his body type and his overall athleticism, Skaggs is a good bet to add velocity in the future. You also have to look at the organization that drafts Skaggs. LA has a pretty good reputation for developing pitching, so that’s a plus for Skaggs.

Another problem in evaluating high school pitchers is that the descriptions of a pitcher’s third pitch are extremely vague. The most I’ve heard about Skaggs’ change-up is that he didn’t have much of one at this time and that it was a developing pitch.