Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAA | RHP | 6 | 45 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CT | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 45 | 55 | 40 | 50/40 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jake Boes
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2016 Draft, Round 4
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Medium build; fit and trim with sloping shoulders, long, lanky arms; high waist with long legs. Modest projection remaining throughout; likely to settle in around 200 lbs. Injury history includes a stress reaction of the back in 2018 and a stress fracture of the lower spine in 2019.
Mechanics: Fires from a high 3/4 arm slot with high effort; hand break, arm action, and subtle head whack yield moderate deception. Works primarily from the first base side of the rubber, quick motion with a high leg kick. Repeats delivery well; needs work at holding runners from the stretch.
Fastball: 94-96; four-seamer and sinker in the same velocity band. Four seam features arm side, riding life in the zone with inconsistent command; tends to miss high arm side. Sinker features tailing, darting life in the zone; induces weak contact consistently and shows average command. Overall, a plus offering with little projection necessary to reach its potential. Grade: 60
Cutter: 88-90 t91 with run in on opposite-sided batters; compliments the fastball well; hitters struggle to square it up. Most effective in the upper third; movement overlaps slider on occasion. Swings and misses rare but contact is limited. Overall an average offering at the highest levels. Grade: 50
Curveball: 81-84; flashes plus but sits fringe-average. Tight rotation, 11/5 action with inconsistent command; tends to bounce it at times; lacks teeth necessary to generate consistent swings and misses. Self-awareness evident in usage with the offering; mixes in for a called strike early in counts or thrown to freeze hitters after a fastball-heavy sequence. Grade: 45
Slider: 86-88 with sharp bite running out of the zone. Primary secondary offering; consistently generates swings and misses from same-sided batters. Command is inconsistent; misses tend to be horizontal. Most effective to the outer third of same-sided batters. Shape lacks bite at times, but overall an above-average offering. Grade: 55
Changeup: 88-90; struggles to command and generate swings and misses; same velocity band as cutter and slider may be hindering overall effectiveness; squeezes on occasion, burying the pitch in the dirt. Lacks conviction and purpose, overall a below-average offering. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Average control with below average command; sinker/slider combination is sequenced effectively with cutter mixed in. Four-seamer, curve, and change lag, but fills the zone enough to potentially stick in a rotation long-term. Control: 50 | Command: 40
Overall: Two separate back injuries have forced Rodriguez into a true wildcard scenario; when healthy, he has three average-or-better offerings to help navigate a lineup. Assuming health, a back-end starter role is likely. But due to the durability concerns and the rigors that come with a 162-game schedule, a long relief or spot-starter role becomes most likely long-term.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Long Reliever
Risk: High
