One more article for now, from
http://www.mlbdepthcharts.com/2012/07/under-radar-nl-minor-league-pitching.htmlNathan Karns’ first action as a pro didn’t come until the 2011 season, due to an illness shortly after being drafted and then missing all of 2010 with a shoulder injury. When Karns finally took the hill in 2011 with the GCL Nationals, he absolutely dominated hitters. He allowed only two hits over 18.2 scoreless innings in five starts. This is Karns' first full season and the 24 year-old is making up for lost time.
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Karns has had the stigma of having command issues since being drafted. A lot of that stemmed from the two horrible seasons he spent at Texas Tech, where coaches tweaked his mechanics and had him throwing from a different arm slot. While pitching in the Texas Collegiate League the following summer, Karns seemed to quell those doubts about his command, earning him Baseball America’s top prospect honors out of the TCL. The 6-foot-5 right-hander does have a plus fastball that has the potential to top out in the mid-90's. He also displays a devastating slider and a good feel on his change-up, both pitches that will improve as he logs more innings. Karns has struggled with issuing walks (4.2 BB/9), but that can be overlooked with him only giving up 39 hits over 72.1 innings with just one home run.
