Auburn right-hander Casey Mize is one of a number of players in the broad mix to be the first overall pick in this year's MLB Rule 4 draft, and he has come out of the chute showing the stuff to justify that consideration. Mize had a good if imperfect start Friday night against Brigham Young, and Auburn coach Butch Thompson showed great restraint in pulling Mize before his pitch count got too high.

Mize showed five distinct pitches, including a fastball at 91-96 mph, a cutter, a slider, a splitter and a true changeup, three of which are clearly plus -- the fastball, cutter and the splitter. You don't see many amateurs who throw a splitter at all, because of the unproven belief that it can cause arm problems. (Mize did miss time last spring with forearm soreness, but it never morphed into elbow trouble.) Mize's splitter is one of the best pitches in the draft class this year, a 70-grade pitch when he hits it to go with 60s for the fastball and that cutter. He throws it at 88-91 mph and it is devastating against right-handed hitters.

He had less consistency with the mid-80s slider, although he threw some tight ones. A few backed up on him and the last hit he surrendered looked like it came on a slider he released early and left up. The changeup is new and could really help him by reducing his reliance on the splitter early in counts -- and if there really is a physical reason not to throw the splitter as much, the change gives him a way to reserve the splitter for times he needs a swing-and-miss.

Mize has a three-quarters arm slot and really drives the ball down into the zone. Between the fastball and splitter he could probably go entire games without giving up a fly ball on nights in which he has better command. In Friday's game, he missed a lot of locations with the fastball and that slider backed up on him a few times, and he was still able to punch out nine of 21 batters he faced, giving up just two hits, both in the sixth inning, with one walk and one hit batter. He has top-of-the-rotation stuff and a delivery that looks right for that role, with control there now but below-average command.

Auburn hasn't had a true first-rounder since Gabe Gross in 2001 and hasn't had a player taken in the top 10 since Frank Thomas gave it two straight top-10 picks in 1989 after Gregg Olson went fourth overall in 1988. (Also, remember when teams took pure relievers in the top 10?) Along with Chris Bootcheck, that gives it four first-round picks in the past 30 drafts, a hard-to-fathom number for an SEC school that has certainly produced its share of football talent. Mize seems certain to end the drought and could even top Olson as the highest-drafted Auburn player in the program's history if he stays healthy all spring and if teams are comfortable with his medicals.

• Georgia Tech's Joey Bart is the top college catcher in the draft class, which often guarantees you'll go in the first round. One scout told me that if Zack Collins, a bat-first catcher who needed work to stay at the position, could go 10th overall (in 2016), then Bart was clearly a first-rounder. Bart's best tool is his glove, as he has soft hands and holds pitches well when receiving them. He's agile behind the plate and blocks well. He has above-average arm strength but didn't show it at all in Saturday afternoon's game against Illinois-Chicago.

At the plate, Bart seemed willing to work deep into the count, but I didn't see a great hitting plan, and he got himself out a few times with weak contact where he'd be out in front of an off-speed pitch on the fourth or fifth pitch of the at-bat. He looks right now like a low-average hitter with mistake power who will catch well enough to sneak in as an everyday player and has a high floor because of the position.

• Tristin English is eligible as a redshirt sophomore and played first base for eight innings for the Yellow Jackets before jumping on the mound for the ninth. He was throwing 90-92 mph in the latter role along with an average curveball in the 75-77 range that he could throw for strikes. He leaves his front shoulder kind of open at release though and may have trouble getting to his glove side as a result.

At the plate, he shows a short swing that works when he doesn't over-rotate to try to get to power. It's a little concerning that he's the only Georgia Tech regular without a walk through 10 games, especially if he's going to play first rather than third (which he played some in high school). He missed 2017 due to Tommy John surgery and there may still be more velocity in there as he recovers, as well as the potential for him to play third base if he's drafted strictly as a hitter.