Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ARI | RHP | 10 | 50 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | SPL | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 45 | 55 | 50/45 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Robert James
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2015 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man
Physical Description: Great size, he's got a big frame and is growing into it nicely. Has a thick lower half and hips. The pitching coach at Hillsboro called him "El Caballo" (the Horse).
Delivery & Mechanics: Overhead arm angle. Gets good extension. His delivery is a bit violent but repeatable. He stands on the 3B side of the rubber but falls off dramatically to the 1B side. Big leg kick. Does a great job of staying closed through his delivery and consistently landing with his lead foot pointed directly at home plate. Has a habit of jerking the ball glove side and following through too much. Works quickly but will also mix in "quick pitches" to catch the hitter off guard.
Fastball: Great pitch, sits in the mid 90's. He usually lives around 93-96, and I've seen him touch 97 pretty regularly. Average spin rate but Frias gets average extension on the fastball. He also gets great plane on the fastball. Holds his velocity decently well, although it still plays down a tick as he gets closer to 100 pitches. He doesn't move the fastball around the zone well although he does keep it down, which leads to a ton of grounders and weak flairs. Hard to grade because the velocity dominated hitters in the low minors but against MLB hitters it will play down a touch (although still safely a plus pitch). Grade: 60
Curveball: His primary secondary, Frias maintains his arm speed well on his curveball. Has a great 12-6 shape. Plenty of vertical depth. Can throw it over the plate for a strike or bury it in the dirt. Occasionally, Frias will short arm it and it will not have the vertical break the good ones have. Not as consistent as it could be, although the pitch got much better as the year wore on. The curveball pairs well with the fastball and is a legit swing and miss pitch and weapon Grade: 60
Slider: When I first saw Frias early in the year, the slider was his primary secondary and it had a good tight, horizontal break and tilt and one plane break. However, as the year went on it faded into the periphery. With some work it could be an average pitch, but as of now, it's his third best secondary and is used pretty rarely Grade: 45
Splitter: Frias doesn't throw a traditional changeup, instead he throws a split/change. The split pairs off very well with the fastball since hitters are gearing up because of his velocity. Has nice late break and does a good job of burying it in the dirt. Pretty close to a plus pitch right now, I saw him snap off some phenomenal splits but it is not quite as consistent as it could be. Grade: 55
Control and Command: Right now, Frias' control is pretty good, he is usually around the zone and doesn't usually miss wildly (although he can pull the fastball glove side at points). However, the command still needs a fair amount of work. Although he is around the zone, he is used to overpowering hitters and needs to work on hitting his spots. Very much a "here it is- hit it" guy right now, which won't play in MLB. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: He's got four above average or better pitches. His absolute ceiling is probably mid-rotation starter, but more realistically he maxes out as a #4 SP. Worst case scenario he could be a hard-throwing, high leverage RP.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4-5 Backend Starter
Risk: Moderate
