Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PIT | RHP | 24 | 40 |
Grades Update: Jan 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CT | CB | SL | Ctr/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 50 | 50/45 |
Jan 2021 Report
Evaluator: Jason Kamlowsky
Age: 27 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2015 Round 6
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Long-limbed, prototypical body for a pitcher. High waisted with room to grow in his lower half. Room to add strength throughout his body. Tapered shoulders with long arms and defined forearms. Likely near his physical projection due to age. Has dealt with a forearm strain in the past.
Delivery & Mechanics: Repeatable, low effort delivery that suits his frame well. Throws with a high 3/4 arm slot. Starts on the third base side of the rubber. Modified windup and steps to the first base side with hands coming from his face down to his belt. Gets a little cross body action with his delivery giving him some moderate deception. Can rush through his balance point in the stretch. Athletic enough to make most plays off the mound.
Fastball: Has touched 99 with his fastball, though he sits between 92-95. Tough to project the velocity increasing much due to his age. Average spin rates in the 2200 rpm range but he does well to elevate his fastball to play off his sinker and slider. Primarily uses it against lefties, although he has struggled with his command at times. Grade: 50
Cutter: Sinker: 92-94 MPH and most effective pitch. Maintains arm speed. Good feel and can throw in all counts though he leans heavily on it to righties. Gets tremendous arm side run making it more of a chase pitch for lefties. Sets up nicely off the other secondaries. Most effective pitch should continue to make gains. Grade: 55
Curveball: 78-81 MPH and much more loopy than the slider. Absurd 2800 rpm spin rate. Will start in the middle of the plate and fall off the table to lefthanded hitters. Doesn't have the same feel as he does for the slider but will throw it in two-strike counts. More of a chase pitch than a strike offering making it fringe-average. Grade: 45
Slider: 86-89 MPH that with tremendous vertical drop. Has shown good feel. 2600 rpm spin rate creates two-plane break. Pounds the inner third to lefties and the outer third to righties and rarely deviates. Will likely be an above average offering. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Attacks the corners effectively, especially with his secondaries. Changes eye level with success. Secondaries are more control than command at times. Lack of a changeup will make it difficult for him to sustain success as a starter. Might be better in a relief role with his above average secondaries. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: Brubaker possesses the physical traits you want in a starter but the raw staff has yet to develop enough for him to be one. On most clubs, he would be a swingman or long reliever but he is in the mix to start because Pittsburgh lacks anything resembling quality depth at the major league level. He would benefit from a move to the bullpen, although that is unlikely in his current situation. Expectations should be tempered as he is already 27 and there isn't a lot of projection left.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Low Leverage Reliever
Risk: Low
