Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | OAK | LHP | 1 | 55 |
Grades Update: Feb 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | 60 | 70 | 45 | 60 | 50 | 50/45 |
Feb 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jake Boes
Age: 26 yr
Height: 6-7
Weight: 248 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2016 Round 1
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Tall, intimidating frame at physical projection. Every bit of listed vitals. Sloping shoulders, long arms; thick, strong core. Workhorse lower-half with strong, sturdy thighs and legs. Feet fit for NBA; overall build like a 90's power forward. Played quarterback for his high school football team. Injury history includes Tommy John surgery in April, 2018 and shoulder debridement (cleanup) in September, 2020.
Delivery & Mechanics: Standard lefty 3/4 slot with moderate effort. Stretch-exclusive with plus arm speed; arm path appears to begin hooking back before quickly clawing near the ear. Generates impressive extension and deception from tall, strong frame. Works as far to the first base side of the rubber as possible. Repeats delivery well, although sometimes the arm lags too far behind the body. Finishes on a locked front knee. Surprising athleticism for his size.
Fastball: 95-98 t100 with nasty run in on right-handed batters; heavy usage that is thrown with conviction to any hitter in any count. Movement and velocity generate consistent swings and misses in and out of the zone against lefties and righties both. Inconsistent command; misses trend mostly high or glove side. Overall, a double-plus offering with no development necessary for the pitch to reach projection. Grade: 70
Curveball: Show-me offering at 81-83; modest, 1/7 movement and underutilized within the pitch mix; best when he lives around the bottom of the zone with it. Average potential but needs to be thrown more to realize its ceiling. Grade: 45
Slider: 87-90 with sweeping, late run. Moves it around all four quadrants of the zone; cutter action in the upper third. Lacks the depth necessary to make it a legitimate out pitch, especially in the upper-velocity band, but generates enough horizontal movement to generate swings and misses to warrant a plus grade. Grade: 60
Changeup: Straight change in the same velocity band as the slider; maintains arm speed; compliments fastball well; pitch lacks fade, but has the makings of an average pitch long-term. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Average control and fringy command; fills the zone with all pitches but inconsistent with hitting the glove; the quality of his stuff mitigates most of the misses; sequencing is predictable and fastball-heavy. Walk totals should allow him to start long-term. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: The key for Puk is to stay healthy; he has the stuff and control to stick in the rotation, but multiple arm issues, including TJS and a shoulder debridement, may force him into a relief role. Even as a reliever, though, Puk's high-octane fastball and plus slider should propel him to a high leverage relief role in a bullpen long-term.
OFP: 55
Role: 60 - #3 SP
Risk: High
