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| Born: 12/28/1994 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 4" | Weight: 207 |
| Mechanics |
| Athletic frame, lean muscle, loose movement, pretty physically mature, mild strength projection with more time removed from Tommy John; can rush and get imbalanced early; clean arm action, above-average arm speed to high three-quarters slot; fluid channeling energy downhill, consistent stride, clean from release through finish, low-effort delivery; reasonably quick first move, 1.31-1.46 home, pick-off move is controlled and quick, picks have some velo. |
| Evaluator | Wilson Karaman |
| Report Date | 05/28/2017 |
| Affiliate | Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (High A, Dodgers) |
| Dates Seen | 9/1/16, 4/18/17, 5/20/17 |
| OFP/Risk | 60/Moderate |
| Realistic | 55: No. 3/4 Starter |
| MLB ETA | 2018 |
| Video | Yes |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 55 | 60 | 92-95 | 96 | Above-average life, ball's got a second gear, beats barrels to the spot, good plane from arm slot, leverages height well to drive pitch to lower quadrants, pitch finishes down in the zone; average present command, delivery and athleticism to project above-average future; plus-plus ceiling if he can find another couple ticks, pitch will play to plus in a starting role. |
| SL | 55 | 60 | 88-90 | 90 | Moves like a cutter, can add depth to it, enough late horizontal movement to miss bats, beats left-handers above the zone, will back-door it to lefties; solid present command when elevating, still gets loose in the zone. |
| CB | 50 | 55 | 77-80 | 81 | Tight pitch with above-average depth, commands it well as a chaser, hard downer action, feel to finish it in the zone for early strikes, moderate swing-and-miss potential, difficult hook to lift. |
| Overall |
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White has the frame and clean, repeatable delivery of a durable mid-rotation with upside for a bit more if everything maxes out. His fastball can play in the zone and miss bats, while the hard slider keeps lefties honest in lieu of a changeup. His breaking ball flashes as an above-average third pitch. He has struggled at times to finish righties, and needs to develop better sequencing as well as find the outside corner with his fastball more consistently. But the mechanics, arsenal, and physicality all inspire confidence that he'll reach a valuable ceiling. |
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| Born: 04/04/1995 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 185 |
| Mechanics |
| Athlete on the mound, showed a calm demeanor; was emotional when warranted; ¾ delivery; hand stab; plus arm speed; min effort; no head whack; slight hitch in his delivery, doesn’t have smooth transitions; small leg kick; ends in a good fielding position, finishes well. |
| Evaluator | Greg Goldstein |
| Report Date | 06/02/2017 |
| Affiliate | New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA, Blue Jays) |
| Dates Seen | 5/31/17 |
| OFP/Risk | 60/Moderate |
| Realistic | 55; No. 3/4 Starter |
| MLB ETA | 2018 |
| Video | No |
| Pitch Type | Present Grade | Future Grade | Sitting Velocity | Peak Velocity | Report |
| FB | 70 | 70 | 95-97 | 100 | Electric heater; minimal effort in delivery; plus arm speed; held velocity; command faltered as he approached 100-pitch mark; lacks movement, still missed bats in this viewing. Athleticism should help command progress going forward. |
| CH | 50 | 55 | 80-82 | 83 | Primary complement to fastball; flashed tumble and fade; excellent velo separation; struggled to command, often in zone but loose within it; can attain swings and misses at present but lack of command makes it play down; above-average potential with command refinement. |
| CB | 45 | 50 | 78-79 | Sharp, 11/5 break; bad misses, missed up in the zone and got barreled; didn't repeat arm slot; potential average offering if he can locate down consistently. | |
| SL | 40 | 45 | 86-88 | 89 | Flashes tilt and late bite; missed inside frequently, hitters didn't chase; below-average offering. |
| Overall |
|
Greene flashed during this outing as his fastball produced quite a pop in the catcher's mitt. His control/command issues weren’t a huge factor in the start because of his plus-plus heater and his ability to fool hitters with his consistent arm speed. There is concern that Greene only has two usable pitches and would be most effective as a late-inning reliever. He would be a potential closer at the big-league level, however, I’m buying into him as a starting pitcher. His fastball makes up for his inconsistent offspeed command and his change has the potential to be above average, especially with the problems it would give hitters when it works off of his fastball. The curveball-slider combo is just good enough to keep hitters honest and I believe he has the potential to be a more than capable number three starter in a first division rotation. |
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| Born: 12/28/1994 (Age: 22) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 235 |
| Primary Position: 1B | |
| Secondary Position: DH | |
| Physical/Health |
| XL frame, wide butt, flabby body, frame for muscle but does not have it and likely will not get it, needs to watch weight. |
| Evaluator | Javier Barragan |
| Report Date | 06/02/2017 |
| Dates Seen | 5/30-6/2 |
| Affiliate | Daytona Tortugas (High A, Reds) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2019 | Moderate | 50 | 45; Platoon corner bat/low-end regular | No |
| Makeup |
|
Likes to play, personable, social, emotionally controlled, some ease to his game. |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 45 | High elbow, hips and front foot open for pull, short to ball tucking elbow in, average bat speed, weight centered at contact, barrel extension for power; has an idea of what pitchers are doing to him at the plate, has plate discipline, pulls shoulder open for power, there is some swing and miss up-and-in, especially with having pull and lift approach, better contact middle-in even with breaking balls, suspect contact away.
Barrel Control 40/45 |
| Power | 60 | Displays in-game pull power easily, does not have to hit the ball cleanly to hit out, pull and lift approach, moderate power to center, not much power to opposite field. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 20 | Not a baseclogger now but projects to be one, capable runner, better underway. Home to First 4.44, 4.40, 4.51. |
| Glove | 55 | Fields what he gets to, good jumps for a guy without athletic motions, sets feet, good glove. |
| Arm | 55 | On target, can set and throw to second easily, clean arm action, average arm speed. |
| Overall |
|
Not the sexiest baseball player, Gavin LaValley's best tool is his power. He has an idea at the plate and can pick up pitches, but his current approach compromises him on pitches away. He also manages first with relative ease, and can impress with some plays. What kills LaValley's game is his speed. Not atrocious yet, it certainly not what you want to see in a 22-year-old. LaValley possesses playable major-league power, but his hit and speed tool relegate him to a second-division regular. |
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| Born: 04/02/1997 (Age: 20) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 3" | Weight: 220 |
| Primary Position: 3B | |
| Secondary Position: | |
| Physical/Health |
| XL Frame, thick, wide frame, decent fill throughout body with more muscle to fill out upper body, well-proportioned body with a little more length in leg, baseball butt. |
| Evaluator | Javier Barragan |
| Report Date | 06/05/2017 |
| Dates Seen | 5/1,5/3-5/4,5/19-5/21,6/5 |
| Affiliate | Florida Fire Frogs (High A, Braves) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| 2019 | High | 60 | 50; Second-Division Starter | No |
| Makeup |
|
Focused, prepared, comes to play, gets along well with his teammate, controlled emotions, confident, baseball player. |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 50 | Front hip leaks, long to the ball, good bat speed, weight off of backfoot at contact, good extension through contact; lift approach, loose hands, swing can get long due to poor weight shift and bat wrap leading to swings and misses in zone, though has an idea of how pitchers are attacking him, has a feel for barrel; with improved weight balance and more plate appearances against advanced stuff, hit tool will improve. |
| Power | 70 | EZ power to the gaps, high and far, easy power, more power to come with improved load, weight balance, pitch recognition and leverage. Plays down in-game due to present balance issue. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 40 | Moves adequately for size, slow acceleration, alert, mildly aggressive on base paths, can take extra bag. Will slow as he fills out. 4.33 down the line. |
| Glove | 60 | Athletic for size, loose actions, moves well spatially, good reactions off bat, smooth fielder, good glove control, makes all plays, focused, prepared on every pitch. |
| Arm | 60 | More than enough at third, can make throw from deep third, straight carry usually on bag, can make from different arm and fielding angles, clean arm action with some length, threw in low 90s off the mound in high school, has shown enough arm strength with easy effort but there seems to be more there. |
| Overall |
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One of the more exciting players in the FSLl, Austin Riley stands out. He has size and smooth actions. He plays an athletic third base, handling many challenging plays ahead, behind, and to his side. There is present game power, and visible raw power to right-center field. His hit tool is below average because of leakage and weight balance but with further instruction and repetition, the 20-year-old's hit tool will improve. Riley has the defense and power combo to be an Atlanta favorite, all contingent on his weight balance at the plate. There's a significant gap between where Riley is now where he could be, hence the high risk factor. Still, I believe he has the aptitude and ability to make those adjustments and justify his ceiling. |
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| Born: 08/04/1993 (Age: 23) | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 1" | Weight: 180 |
| Primary Position: SS | |
| Secondary Position: 2B | |
| Physical/Health |
| Skinny, but with an athletic frame, not much muscle, don’t project him to gain anymore strength.
Mechanics: Little noise with minimal load; loose hands and body throughout the swing; has minimal leverage in his swing path and is fully balanced throughout. |
| Evaluator | Greg Goldstein |
| Report Date | 06/07/2017 |
| Dates Seen | 6/2/2017-6/4/2017 |
| Affiliate | Altoona Curve (AA, Pirates) |
| MLB ETA | Risk Factor | OFP | Realistic Role | Video |
| Late 2017 | Low | 55 | 50; Second-Division Starter | No |
| Makeup |
|
He's a ballplayer that doesn't complain and is relaxed when on the field. Won't make any manager sweat with problems from what I can see. |
| Tool | Future Grade | Report |
| Hit | 60 | Plus barrel control; lacks leverage, line-drive approach; consistent quality contact; above-average bat speed; hands allow him to get to inside offerings or wait on pitches away; willing to hit it where it's pitched. |
| Power | 30 | Well-below-average; line-drive focus; lacks leverage and weight transfer for over-the-fence power; will have to use the gaps. |
| Baserunning/Speed | 55 | Solid-average runner; smooth movements on base paths. |
| Glove | 55 | Makes plays to both sides; range is adequate for the position; good body control and sense of timing; quick transfer. |
| Arm | 50 | Throws lack exceptional velo or carry; limits range as he can get to balls deep in hole but lacks the arm to make the throw; can stick at short at the highest level but would be more function at second. |
| Overall |
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Newman is a hitter’s hitter. He looks incredibly comfortable at the plate and will frustrate pitchers because he can barrel up pitches that hit the corners. His athletic swing in combination with his advanced hitting approach makes for a plus hitter that will do most of his damage in the yard. The lack of power limits his potential some, but he can be a competent shortstop, even though his arm plays much better at second base. He’s a safe prospect that can be an above-average major league regular, especially if he shifts positions. |
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"XL frame, wide butt, flabby body, frame for muscle but does not have it and likely will not get it, needs to watch weight."