Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | LAD | RHP | 19 | 45 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | CH | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 40 | 45/40 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 20 yr
Height: 6-6
Weight: 182 lbs
Hits/Throws: S/R
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 2C
RuleV: 2022
Physical Description: Projectable, tall, and lean, Lewis' build is a great foundation for future positive gains. He's thin, but broad-shouldered and wiry strong. A labrum tear during Lewis' senior HS season saw the righthander shut down leading up to and following the draft. He was able to recover from the injury fully without going under the knife.
Delivery & Mechanics: Sped up side step to higher leg lift, slows down between contracting and takes a long, slow, and deliberate stride toward home. It's a short fast arm with a higher vertical release point, averaging around 6-feet-6 inches at the point of release. It's by no means a fluid motion and can be broken into parts, sped up contraction, slow stride, fast short arm action. It's a unique look and it's reasonable to assume his unusual operation gives hitters a different look.
Fastball: The best pitch in Lewis' arsenal, sits 92-94 mph bumping 96-97 mph at peak. It's a low spin offering (2200 rpm raw) but an efficient pitch with average to slightly above vertical and horizontal movement. With an average vMov of 16 inches it's likely the Dodgers alter the axis and search for ways to bump his vertical lift. Due to his higher release point, height and horizontal run, it's an effective pitch when located in the lower quadrants. This gives Lewis an opportunity to develop true four quadrant command of his four-seam. It's an average pitch at present but a strong foundation for future gains. Grade: 50
Curveball: From a movement perspective Lewis' curveball is pretty vanilla. It averages 76-78 mph with below average raw spin in the 2400 rpm range, it's a lower efficiency pitch and therefore generates very little vertical drop (-8.4 IVB) or horizontal break (-6.5 HMov). Despite this the pitch plays up due to his advanced feel. He can land it all over the zone and pairs it with a release that bookends the fastball (1:15 tilt to 7:16 cb tilt). It's below average on paper but plays average due to his advanced feel for the pitch. Grade: 50
Changeup: Clear third offering at the moment, wasn't needed as much during his prep career. Good separation at an average velocity of 81-84 mph with a similar release point to his fastball. He does a good job of killing lift on the pitch, but it doesn't do much from a run or tumble standpoint. The jury is still very much out on Lewis' offspeed until we see some pro exposure. Grade: 40
Control and Command: It's hard to pinpoint where Lewis control and command profile are at overall, having not seen public competitive play in over 18 months. Prior to the shutdown it was average command, showing feel for landing his curveball to both sides of the plate and moving his fastball around the zone. That said, we're talking high school strike zones and Texas high school hitters. We're comfortable enough with Lewis' strike throwing to place a fringe average grade on control and below average grade on command with room for growth. Control: 45 | Command: 40
Overall: A true projection profile with a lot to like physically. It's a somewhat underwhelming three pitch mix due to a pair of unimpressive secondaries. His fastball velocity and command are strong, and his movement profile though solid is a work in progress. He has shown flashes of feel for the strike zone and the ability to command his secondaries, further examples of this against professional competition in 2021 could bump his overall C&C profile. The unseen hand in all this is the Dodgers player development and their ability to get the most out of top talent. For now Lewis projects as a spot starter/long relief profile with upside for more.
OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter - Low Leverage Relief
Risk: Extreme
