University of Hawaii pitcher Jeremy Wu-Yelland might be experiencing a Throw-Forward Thursday this week.

Wu-Yelland, who was a junior during the pandemic-abbreviated 2020 season, is eligible for the Major League Baseball Draft for first-year players. Although the draft is shortened to five rounds — down from recent 40-round events — Wu-Yelland is widely regarded as having a chance to be picked. The first round is on Wednesday, the next four rounds on Thursday. After that, teams may offer signing bonuses up to $20,000 each to undrafted players.

Wu-Yelland also will have the option of returning to UH for a second junior year. An NCAA ruling allows spring-sport players to retain this year’s class standing in 2021.

“If I get drafted, and it’s meant to be, I’m ready to make that jump,” Wu-Yelland said. “If things don’t go my way come draft day, I’ll explore my options, whether it’s going back to school or playing professional baseball. I’m ready for whatever the next step is.”

Pitchers Carter Loewen and Cade Smith, third baseman Dustin Demeter, shortstop Kole Kaler, and first baseman Alex Baeza are juniors who also might receive free-agent offers. But it is Wu-Yelland, a left-hander whose fastball touched 97 mph this past season, drawing the most interest.

“At this point, pretty much everyone has at least talked to me or reached out and said, ‘this is where we’re at,’ ” Wu-Yelland said. “As I get closer (to the draft), I’m starting to see which teams are looking a little more closely. I’m kind of unsure about everything right now. I’m trying to stay busy. It’s a wait-and-see mode at this point.”

Wu-Yelland has been training near his home in Spokane, Wash. “Gyms have started opening up back here,” Wu-Yelland said. “I’ve been throwing and stuff. Sometimes I can get a guy (to catch). Usually, it’s into a net. I’ve got a couple weights at home. I’ve been doing in-home workouts. I’m definitely staying in shape.”

Wu-Yelland, who is 6 feet 1 and 210 pounds, has maintained a rigorous workout schedule since enrolling at UH in August 2017. “To be honest, I thought I was working hard before I came to school,” Wu-Yelland said. “Just being around 35 guys wanting it just as bad I as I do, made me realize (as a freshman), ‘I don’t know what hard work is yet. I can do more.’ ”

While recruiting Wu-Yelland, the UH coaches noticed what they described as his “projectability,” despite his inconsistent accuracy.

“The old saying is, ‘you can’t hit the broad side of the barn,’ ” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “I don’t think he could hit the barn in high school. But everything was there. All the tools were there.”

Wu-Yelland’s development could be measured in his ERA: 6.14 in 2018, 4.86 in 2019, 0.69 this past season. In seven appearances, he averaged 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. His WHIP was 1.15. In four innings against second-ranked Vanderbilt, Wu-Yelland did not allow a run or walk while striking out six.

“Every year he got better,” Trapasso said. “He got better from high school to his freshman year. From freshman year to sophomore year, he made a huge jump. Sophomore year to junior year, he made another huge jump. What you’ve seen is improvement in large increments every year, his ability to make adjustments and work on things that will allow him to improve.”

Wu-Yelland said there was no aha! moment, not even while playing in the elite Cape Cod League in 2019. Excluding one bad inning, Wu-Yelland had a 1.49 ERA and averaged 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

“Just maturity in my whole development,” Wu-Yelland said. “Just really growing as much mentally as I have physically. The strength comes — arm strength and different things like that — but the mental side of it is just as important. There definitely wasn’t any breakthrough or turning point. It’s just been a long, slow and painful process.”