One month after helping lead Magnolia West to its first state championship, James Ellwanger is likely to be selected early in the Major League Baseball draft this week.
The 6-foot-5 flamethrowing right-hander is ranked No. 107 in MLB.com’s 2023 prospect rankings. Ellwanger had a tremendous senior season for the Mustangs, going 11-1 with an 0.93 ERA, 141 strikeouts to 32 walks, and a .128 batting-average against in 83 innings.
Ellwanger is signed to play for Dallas Baptist University. But if he is drafted and the money and offer are attractive, he will seriously consider going pro.
The draft began Sunday and continues through Monday and Tuesday.
“It’s more on the money part of things,” Ellwanger said. “If the money’s right and they want to make that investment in me and put that effort forth to make me decide, that’ll be the case. If not, I’ll just head to DBU and tear it up there.”
If Ellwanger, who turned 19 years old two months ago, chooses to go the college route, he would be eligible for the draft again as a sophomore in 2025 when he turns 21. High school graduates are eligible for the draft. If they bypass, they are not eligible to be drafted until after their junior year of playing at a four-year university or they turn 21.
Ellwanger said it’s estimated he could go in the second round. The Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals are teams he has had conversations with and shown the most interest over the last week.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Ellwanger said. “There’s no downside to either decision. I’m going to have great development going pro or at Dallas Baptist. I’m super excited about both, to grow as a player and as a person.”
Ellwanger was sublime in the Class 5A state semifinal, striking out 17 and allowing one hit in 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball against Frisco Reedy.
Ellwanger boasts a fastball that tops out at 98 miles per hour. His slider hits in the low-80s. His changeup and curveball are promising.
Ellwanger said his game reached another level last season because of his attention to detail. His off-speed repertoire was polished. His slider emerged as a consistent pitch for strikes. His velocity jumped by about three miles per hour.
“I feel like I was able to handle certain situations better. Not getting flustered. Staying level-headed,” he said. “And, also, just being able to field my position better. Overall, I felt I had more consistency with off-speed, along with fastball command to the glove side. I shaped my slider and curveball differently, worked a bunch on that, getting a lot of depth to both of them, along with throwing a splitter and changeup here and there and flashing that.”
Ellwanger’s ceiling and potential are enticing. Throughout high school, Ellwanger played tennis and basketball as well.
In the fall, he picked up a racket. In the winter, he hooped. In the spring, he turned in his sneakers for cleats.
“I’ve never been burnt out with baseball itself, or had a full year to really develop and practice and work towards my skills and crafts on the pitching side of things,” Ellwanger said. “I think that’s intriguing to scouts, and, to me, it’s extremely exciting to think about what I have to offer and what I can bring to the table through even just one year of full baseball work. It’ll be interesting to see how much progress I make.”
Ellwanger said it didn’t take long for him to realize being drafted, and drafted early on at that, was a legitimate possibility.
Scouts flooded the stands at Cypress Falls High School for his season debut with Magnolia West on February 23. Ellwanger threw a no-hitter, struck out six and walked none in four innings of a 4-1 win.
“There were a bunch of people in the stands,” he said. “I never thought that would happen, coming back for my first game after playing basketball. I thought it might take a while for scouts to start coming out but it blew up kind of quick.”
From there, Ellwanger, and the Mustangs, cruised, and what was once thought to be a fantasy rapidly turned into reality.
“Growing up, even like junior high and freshman year of high school, I would’ve thought all of this would be crazy,” Ellwanger said. “I’d never thought I’d get this good. I just kept working and pushing myself to be better and remain coachable, and here we are.”
