Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PIT | RHP | 6 | 50 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Ctr/Com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 40 | 50/40 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jason Kamlowsky
Age: 20 yr
Height: 6'4
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2019 Round 1, ARI
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: One of the top prep pitchers in the 2019 draft. Already looks like a grown man on the mound. Strong, durable, and athletic build. Despite just turning 20, his lower half is already filling out and looks terrific. Thick through the hips and butt. Upper body still has some projection left but this is a really good-looking kid. Forearms are thick and is defined through the chest and core area. Looks bigger than 205 but at 6'4 he is starting to blossom physically.
Delivery & Mechanics: The delivery out of the windup requires some effort but is repeatable. The 3/4 slot arm action is loose and combined with a slight twist of the hips at the balance point, allows him to hide the ball well. Starts off-center on the rubber with hands at the chin in the windup. Slight rocker step towards the plate and gets to the balance point well. Appears to close himself off at the balance point which causes him to overcompensate on his front side. Arm acceleration is tremendous and explodes towards home plate. Out of the stretch he comes set with his front foot off-center from his back foot. Falls off to the first base side out of both the stretch and the windup. Can finish too high and will need to work on driving his front side down, especially when throwing his secondaries.
Fastball: Has a projectable four-seam fastball that was one of the best among prep arms in the 2019 draft class. Consistently sits in the lower-90s but has been clocked as high as 97. Will locate to either side of the plate but tends to work up in the zone. Doesn't generate much movement yet but has the raw athleticism to inspire confidence that it will come with his development. Command will wane at times and will need to work on locating lower in the zone with more consistency. Grade: 5550
Curveball: 74-77 MPH with traditional 12-6 shape. Has more loop than bite. Can finish a little upright and leave it hanging but when he puts his mechanics together this could be a demoralizing third pitch. Would like to see him throw it with a bit more velocity but the overall movement is already above average. Grade: 50
Slider: 80-82 with late glove side movement that has flashed plus. Gets good bite and some two-plane movement. Best compliments the fastball when thrown low in the zone. Propensity to throw it with two strikes against righties getting them to chase. Has already proven to be an out pitch and could develop into his best over time. Grade: 55
Changeup: 81-83 MPH developmental offering. Hasn't used it much and is still working on refining the arm action. Slows his arm down considerably when throwing it, letting hitters know it's coming. Could end up being a useful secondary pitch but lags far behind the curveball and slider at the moment. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Biggest area for improvement at the moment. Has tendency to throw instead of pitch. Like most young power arms, command comes and goes during games. Fastball command should improve quickly as he is able to throw to both sides of the plate now. Working lower in the zone should be an area of focus, although the combination of launch angle revolution and raw stuff will allow him to work to the top of the zone with success. Despite just turning 20, his poise and mound presence are already well developed and he carries himself like a professional Control: 50 | Command: 40
Overall: Malone's acquisition from the Diamondbacks as part of the Starling Marte deal signals a change in philosophy for the Pirates front office. They are now coveting power pitchers with swing and miss stuff as opposed to pitch-to-contact sinkerball pitchers, and Malone definitely fits that bill. He was one of the hardest throwing righties in the 2019 draft and he has already shown the ability to hold his velocity late in games. His physical stature and baseball acumen significantly raise his floor but it is the raw stuff that make his ceiling so tantalizing. If the command catches up to everything else, Malone could be a power pitcher who racks up big time strikeout numbers.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4-#5 SP or High Leverage Reliever
Risk: High
