Justin Steele - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 CHC LHP 21 40

Grades Update: Nov 2020
OFP Role FB SL CH Cmd/Cnt
40 40 55 55 40 45/40

Nov 2020 Report

Evaluator: Jake Kerns

Age: 25 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2014 Draft - Round 5
RuleV: On 40 man

Physical Description: Big and physical. Sturdy bottom half. Shows some emotion on the mound.

Delivery & Mechanics: 3/4 slot from the left side. Easy and repeatable motion. Gets a good extension.

Fastball: Mostly 92-95. Easy velocity; may play up in relief. Likes to elevate it and generates a lot of swing and miss when doing so. Throws it often and uses it when he needs a strike. Has some room to grow if he becomes more efficient with his spin rates. Grade: 55

Curveball: 76-80. Slow bender. Downer. Shows great shape. Grows confident with the pitch as the game goes on and particularly uses it to put away lefties. Locates it well to the outer half of the plate. Flashes plus. Grade: 55

Changeup: Shows feel but does not throw it often. Keeps the pitch down and displays a tendency to bury it in the dirt. Grade: 40

Control and Command: Control is ahead of command. Inconsistently hits his spots but is mostly around the zone. Fastball often misses up. Buries his secondaries when he misses. Command comes and goes depending on his confidence on the mound. Control: 45 | Command: 40

Overall: Flashes a starter's repertoire. When Steele is in a rhythm he looks like a starter, but he is 25 and yet to pitch above AA. He has already had Tommy John surgery and his inconsistency and lack of feel in 2019 may have been a remnant of it. Steele flashes two above-average or better pitches, which bodes well for a reliever floor. If he can regain his pre-TJ form and stay healthy, there's back-end potential. Gotten some reports of a newly developed slider while at the alternate site and instructs. Very high spin offering sitting around 2740-2950 RPM and has supposedly topped 3000 RPM. Definitely worth monitoring.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Low-Leverage Reliever
Risk: Moderate