Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | RHP | 34 | 40 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 45 | 40 | 45 | 55 | 55/50 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 21 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 IFA
RuleV: 2023
Physical Description: Average build all around, thin and wiry, still has 20 pounds or so of maximum projection but might have trouble adding weight. Uses his six foot height to his advantage with an ungodly low average release height of five feet.
Delivery & Mechanics: Starts with a heavier side-step, lowers glove hands before giving way to a higher leg lift that closes off his frontside. He delivers from a low three quarters that's only accentuated by his drop and drive mechanics. His leg block is somewhat inefficient and his posture at foot strike isn't great. All that being said Choi does a good job of replicating his motion and staying inline with the plate.
Fastball: A clinic in feel over stuff to find effectiveness. Choi's fastball sits 89-92 mph on average and doesn't feature either tremendous vertical lift or horizontal run. It sits in the 2300 rpm range and shows moderate lift (14 IVB) and run (10 HMov), it does play up however due to his unicorn low release point. An average of five feet in height in the release coupled with the ability to land the pitch effectively in all four quadrants make it a fringe average pitch despite subpar velocity and movement. Grade: 45
Curveball: A slightly slower version of his slider with a little more side spin. The curveball sits in the low 70s with two-plane movement. He does land the pitch for strikes but it's less of a quality offering than the slider. He does show feel for the pitch with the ability to bury it when needed. It's a below average pitch due to movement and velocity but it's not unusable due to feel. Grade: 40
Slider: Slower velocity slider in the 77-79 mph range. Gyro spin pitch with little vertical of horizontal movement. It does pair well with his fastball and like all of his pitches he's adept at hitting spots and moving it around the zone. A pitch that's below average at the moment but plays up due to his feel for his arsenal. He could take a step forward with the pitch by lowering its efficiency and adding a few ticks of velocity in the coming years. For now it's a 45 that plays up due to feel. Grade: 45
Changeup: It's been classified as a splitter in some places because it kills lift and the above average run it gets (15 HMov). It was his best swing and miss offering in AZL play and at 81 mph shows an excellent velocity differential from his fastball. Shows good feel for the pitch and the ability to land it for strikes or bury it when needed. Grade: 55
Control and Command: If you've read any of the pitch descriptions up to this point you would know that Choi has a good feel for the entirety of his arsenal. Lands all of his pitches for strikes in any count. He really pounds the zone and rarely falls behind in counts. He overwhelmed AZL hitters with a mix of pitches and took advantage of the generous strike zones. Above average control and average command. Control: 55 | Command: 50
Overall: A control and command profile with feel for a four-pitch mix. He has unique characteristics in his low release and his ability to sequence at an advanced level. He has an out pitch in his changeup/splitter and the ability to set it up with a trio of pitches to get ahead in counts. How he progresses ultimately will depend on his command progressing to a plus level or his stuff ticking up a bit on his fastball and slider. At 91-94 mph with Choi's feel he could be a true starter long term. This is of the utmost importance as his stuff might not be typical of a pen arm.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter - Low Leverage Relief
Risk: Moderate
