Riley Quick never had to choose between sports until he did. A four-star lineman with SEC offers and a power right arm that drew college coaches to his bullpens, Quick was the kind of high school athlete coaches dream about.
As a high school star in Alabama, he chose the mound over the trenches, betting on baseball over football. Now, after rebounding from Tommy John surgery and flashing big-league potential as a third-year pitcher this spring at Alabama, he’s poised to hear his name called in the first two rounds of July’s MLB draft.
“It’s been pretty cool, honestly,” said Quick on developing into a draft prospect. “I’ve worked pretty hard for it, and I’ve been through a lot to get to this point, so it’s pretty cool to see it all kind of payoff.”
Quick is a 6-foot-6, 240-pound right-hander known for his ability as a power pitcher with his pitch mix headlined by an above-average fastball and slider combination. He also throws a cutter and a changeup.
The righty leans on his two-seam fastball, which features horizontal movement and then throws a four-seamer up in the zone. His fastball sits in the mid-to-high-90s and touches 99 mph. His slider is his top off-speed pitch, exhibiting quality movement and generating consistent swings and misses.
“I’m aggressive out there and come at hitters with all of my stuff,” Quick said. “I also can dot you up if I need too. I just really know how to pitch.”
Quick saw limited action in his first two seasons at Alabama. As a freshman, he made 16 relief appearances, posting a 3.68 ERA over 22 innings. In his sophomore debut, he threw just three innings before suffering an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
This spring marked an important comeback season for Quick, and he delivered. The right-hander returned to the rotation and worked exclusively as a starter, compiling a 3.92 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 24 walks over 62 innings. It was a strong showing that reaffirmed his potential as a dependable starting pitcher.
“I want to work deeper into outings,” Quick said. “Just coming off TJ surgery, I never really found myself deep into the seventh or eighth inning. I’d like to build on that moving forward.”
Quick’s three years at Alabama didn’t unfold exactly as planned. A coaching change after his freshman season brought in Rob Vaughn, and Tommy John surgery sidelined him for his entire sophomore year. But despite the unexpected turns, Quick believes those experiences helped shape him into the pitcher and competitor he is today.
“My time here has been unbelievable,” Quick said. “I love this place more than anything. Coach Jason Jackson has been absolutely unbelievable through everything we’ve been through from freshman year to now. He’s a Bama guy through and through. Coach Vaughn and those guys came in, and they’re awesome, too. I would die for this place. I love it here. It’s awesome.”
Read more in-depth stories on top 2025 MLB draft prospects at Baseball Prospect Journal.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for 10 years. He has interviewed 580 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
