Watch out Kenny Powers, there is a new less-than-fit pitching prospect trying to make it into the major league. Ben Ancheff is the round pitcher on the mound for NAIA's St. Thomas (Fla.) University. At 300 lbs., Ancheff does not look like your typical pitcher, but he displayed his skills during his team's championship game recently.
With all the attention of Ancheff going towards his figure, his skills as a pitcher sometimes get overlooked. Ancheff's coach at St. Thomas, Jorge Perez, tells Penn Live what it will take for Ancheff to make it to the big leagues:
"He'll need to prove himself more next year, and he'll need somebody to take a chance on him. That's the shot he has, is if a scout looks past his weight and notices he has the stuff and the athleticism, and looks at the kid's makeup. If that happens, he has a shot."
Ancheff seconds the thought of not judging a book by its cover. He understands his sudden popularity and tells People he hopes this exposure will showcase his stats on the mound and not just his stats on the scale:
"I know the reason I'm blowing up is because I'm such a big guy. I look like an offensive lineman out there pitching. But I hope people can see past my size and look at my athletic ability and my pitching skills. I just try to be a good person and I don't think anybody is perfect in the world. If people want to be negative that's on them, that's the way they want to live their lives. I don't really dwell into it too much."
Will scouts give Ancheff a fair shot as a major league pitcher? Can Ancheff's stats ever outweigh his looks? We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts below.
