Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ATL | RHP | 13 | 45 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 60 | 40 | 45/40 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Anthony Franco
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2020 Draft, Round 5
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: Listed at 6'2", 220 pounds. Very physical; thick, muscular upper half. No physical projection remaining. Below-average athlete.
Delivery & Mechanics: High-effort delivery with some stiffness throughout. Seemed to shorten arm action a bit from 2019 to 2020, enabling him to be more on time. Has some head movement at release. Exaggerated dip of front shoulder leads to high 3/4 arm slot but allows hitters to pick up the ball early, decreasing deception.
Fastball: 90-93 MPH. Fastball has heavy downhill plane with some sink and arm-side action. Plays down a bit because of subpar in-zone command. Grade: 45
Curveball: 78-82 MPH. Works in a more vertical breaking ball as he faces the opposing lineup multiple times. Curve flashes good bite but can blend with his slider at times. Typically average although it flashes above. Grade: 50
Slider: 84-86 MPH. Best pitch in his arsenal. Has two-plane tilt with plus bite and tight spin. Generates plenty of whiffs. Grade: 60
Changeup: 85-87 MPH. Infrequently utilized fourth pitch; occasionally mixes it in against left-handers. Has some feel for creating arm-side run but is generally too firm. Not great feel for locating. Grade: 40
Control and Command: Control-over-command pitcher; throws fastball for strikes but misses his spots within the zone. Breaking balls are typically close enough to the zone to generate chases. Walk rate was down over four starts during his draft season; seemingly shortened arm action could explain that improvement, but he'll need to prove he can sustain strike-throwing gains over a longer term. Control: 45 | Command: 40
Overall: Elder projects as a middle reliever. He seemingly cleaned up his delivery and made some strides with his command during his junior season at Texas. Even so, he's not a great athlete and probably won't ever have particularly good in-zone command. His low-90's velo and plus slider fit comfortably in the middle innings mix if his fringe command and/or below-average changeup eventually push him to the bullpen.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Long Reliever
Risk: Moderate
