Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SF | RHP | 15 | 45 |
Grades Update: Apr 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 55/50 |
Apr 2021 Report
Evaluator: Tyler Henninger
Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-11
Weight: 228 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 Round 2
RuleV: 2021
Physical Description: Tall, lanky body. High waisted with long, skinny legs. Loose, long arms. Good flexibility and coordination for size. Plenty of room to add weight and strength.
Delivery & Mechanics: Semi-windup, tall and fall. High 3/4 arm slot with average arm speed and low effort in the delivery. Smooth, clean arm action. Solid deception due to high leg kick and frame. Above-average extension. Creates solid downhill plane with frame and high arm slot. Fluid, minimal effort motions allow for mechanics to be repeated fairly well.
Fastball: Sits 92-94 mph. Can run it up to 96 mph. Good arm side tail and sink with steep downhill plane. Commands it well, pounds the bottom of the zone. Ability to throw to both sides of plate. Induces a lot of GBs. Plane and command allow for pitch to play higher than velocity. Grade: 55
Curveball: Sits 80-82 mph. Sharp, 1-7 break when on top with tight spin. Confident in pitch, not afraid to throw early in count. Good feel and control. Has swing and miss ability, frequent chases when buried. Tips pitch occasionally by slightly slowing arm speed. Has potential to be an out pitch, some development to go. Grade: 50
Changeup: Sits 86-87 mph. Downward break with some sinking action. Shows feel for pitch, needs to improve consistency. Creates good arm speed deception, tunnels well with FB. Needs to improve command, leaves over the plate too often. Showed improvement in '19. Has potentially to be an average offering with continued development. Grade: 45
Control and Command: Good pitchability, showed improved sequencing in '19. Surprising ability to control long limbs allows him to throw strikes on a consistent basis. Around the zone with all three offerings. Above-average command with FB. Relies on command to succeed, pitches get hit hard over the middle of the plate. Control: 55 | Command: 50
Overall: Hjelle's above-average body control and ability to maneuver his long limbs is rare for someone of his height. While most pitchers of his stature struggle to find a consistent release point leading to issues with command and control, Hjelle does not. He has above-average control and a feel for all three offerings. His fastball has a good downhill plane because of his frame allowing him to pound the bottom of the zone. He can throw it to both sides of the plate making it an above-average offering even though it sits in the 92-94 mph range. His curveball shows good potential, as it has some sharp bite when he gets on top of it. It has swing and miss ability and should get better with some more development time. The changeup has shown improvement and looks like it could eventually wind up an average offering. It has good downward break and pairs nicely with his fastball. Hjelle's frame has some room to continue to add strength which should continue to help bolster the fastball velocity. With more development time, his curveball and changeup should continue to get better and more consistent. Overall, Hjelle looks like at least a spot starter or solid reliever with the potential to become a backend starter if the off-speed continues to improve.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Backend SP #5 or High Leverage Reliever
Risk: Moderate
