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Drew Vettleson - Switch Pitcher, Drafted by the Rays

In 2010, Vettleson was ranked as the top baseball player in Washington state.
Drew Vettleson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays out of high school and is playing outfield in the minors.

Drew G. Vettleson

Drew Vettleson
(Harrisburg Senators)
Born: 07/19/1991 (Age 22)
Hometown: Tracyton, Washington

High School: Central Kitsap High School, Washington (Class of 2010)
College: Oregon State University (signed letter of intent to play baseball)

MLB Draft: Selected No. 42 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2010 Major League Draft (signed for $845,000)
Minor League: 2012 Bowling Green Hot Rods, 2013 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Positions: OF, RHP/LHP
Height/Weight: 6' 1", 185 lb.
Bats: Left
Throws: Both, Switch pitcher in high school 
Plays OF right-handed in the minors




2010 Notes - prior to Vettleson signing with the Tampa Bay Rays

Drew Vettleson is an 18-year-old player from Central Kitsap HS in Washington State. He plays for the NW TIMBERJACKS 18U select team. Wears number 24 because Ken Griffey, Jr. is his alltime favorite player.

Glove: Uses two separate gloves for switch pitching.
Until recently, only custom made ambidextrous gloves were available costing over $400.
Drew Vettleson would take two baseball gloves with him out to the mound when he pitched for Central Kitsap High School in Washington. If he was pitching with his left arm, he tossed his left-handed glove to the back of the mound. Pitching as a righty, Vettleson would switch gloves and toss the other to the back of the mound. (source: mlb.com)
Dominant hand: Writes with his right hand

A natural lefty who evolved into a right-hander. Defensively, he plays right-handed, which gives him several options in the field. He is comfortable in center field where he fields right-handed.

Baseball Northwest listed Drew Vettleson as the top player in the state for the 2010 class. He threw two no-hitters and was named first-team All-State by the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association.

How he got started:

Drew's mom is left-handed and his dad is right-handed, and they both played slow-pitch softball. When he was younger, he would pick up either of their gloves and start throwing. So he naturally got experience with both arms at an early age. It kind of stuck with him, which is really cool.

Right-handed:

Drew throws a fastball, knuckle curve, and a circle changeup. His fastball from the right side is 90-93 MPH. The curve is in the low 80s and change in the high 70s. When Drew was younger, his dad did not want him to throw a regular curve ball until the arm was more developed, so he learned the knuckle curve. It worked well for Drew, so he has used it ever since. His aim is to get the change to dive away from lefties and into righties.

Left-handed:

On the left side, Drew throws the exact same pitches as right-handed. Sometimes he drops down more than three-quarters against left-handed batters. His fastball is about 83-85 MPH, while the change and knuckle curve are both 70-72 MPH.

Stats:

Drew Vettleson hit .415 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 2009. He was 4-2 with a 1.60 ERA on the mound, striking out 45 in 38 innings. Plus he threw two no-hitters!

Other sports:

Drew also plays basketball because it's a fun sport and popular in Western Washington where there is a lot of rain. Basketball keeps him in shape and helps work other muscles.

Scouts are so interested in Vettleson’s potential, they often came out to watch him play basketball — just to get a better sense of athleticism. (MaxPreps)


Major League Draft

Central Kitsap High School senior Drew Vettleson, who has committed to Oregon State University, was selected No. 42 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2010 Major League Draft.

Features pitching and hitting videos of Drew on the Timberjacks team.


Possessing both elite hitting skills as well as the ability to switch pitch, Drew Vettleson is the rare draft prospect that garners national attention for both flash and substance.

The Central Kitsap outfielder can pitch with both hands, but pro scouts are flocking to see what he can do with a bat.




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