Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BAL | RHP | 42 | 35 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SPL | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 30 | 45 | 40 | 50 | 50/40 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Eric Garfield
Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-5
Weight: 280 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 22
RuleV: 2022
Physical Description: Large, workhorse frame. Thick, wide legs. Wide chest/midsection. Tall. Large limbed with strong hands. Country big and country strong. Lower body momentum factors 'heavily' into delivery. Athletic for size. Foot speed, lateral movement, flexibility adequate. Balance will surprise you. Very big and can move a little bit. Can field his position fairly well.
Delivery & Mechanics: Clean and consistent delivery that features forceful hip turn/leg thrust after a short leg kick to initiate. Can generate lots of torque due to combo of height/downward plane/big legs. Starts windup straight legged and upright, elbows in an inverted triangle that meet at his glove under his chin. Quick leg kick/swing in the windup but much tighter step and turn in the stretch. Follow through is slow and rhythmic for all the power behind it, this seems to make the mph just a hair faster off the fingers. Hand position exposed to hitters a bit too long post-glove separation. Ends up balanced, in fielding posture.
Fastball: Consistent 89-91; tops out at 93. Late life gaining heavy heater. Can maintain velocity through 15 outs; loses velo soon after. Has more rise than run and spin rates adequate. Gets quality extension with arm and fingers/hands fully pronated. Arm-side rise is the pitch's best feature but it's located well across the plate and kept out of the center. His most featured pitch. Grade: 45
Curveball: A small 12-5 shape breaker that spins much more than it changes planes. Can be flat. Doesn't seem to get the dexterity and finish on it like his other pitches. Doesn't get wild, but doesn't fool many hitters and bend legs. Needs seasoning/depth/success. Grade: 40
Splitter: When on can really get some strong tumble and late life. Utilizes digit strength/wrist action to spin somewhat violently. Can baffle hitters. Potential out pitch. Arm action and hand positioning dissimilar to FB. Needs more confidence but it's there to be developed. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Good spot-hitting skills and consistency. Doesn't center-cut many offerings. Shows guile by avoiding bad counts, finishing when he's ahead, a good sign for future development here. Intelligent situational pitcher. Needs experience. Control: 50 | Command: 40
Overall: Lyons was picked extremely late after a college career that featured success without a defined role. That continued in orange and black and Lyons both started and came out of the bullpen 7 times. One start (5IP) he was part of a combined no-hitter. There are some positives despite the lack of a lengthy menu. His size and ability to use his lower half is what has already begun to work for him. Think Brad Penny/John Broxton as far as momentum. The organization has quickly helped him shed some bad weight and changed both his exercise and diet drastically so he looks a bit different but kept his legs, which is key. He can last anywhere from 30-80 pitches so that's something to mold too. Working on breaking ball depth and consistency is key and if he breaks through it will be because hitters will have to key on another pitch or plane.
OFP: 35
Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: Moderate
