Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | DET | LHP | 8 | 50 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | CH | Ctr/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 50/40 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: Chris Brown
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-5
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2016 Draft - Round CBA, ATL
RuleV: Eligible
Physical Description: Looks the part of a big-league pitcher. Listed at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and carries the weight well. He has broad shoulders, a well-defined chest, long legs, and the thick thighs and backside of a potential workhorse starter. Is a solid athlete who was also a draft prospect as a power-hitting first baseman. Has had shoulder and oblique injuries, and had Tommy John surgery in March of 2020.
Delivery & Mechanics: Wentz uses a simple, repeatable delivery. Holds hands at navel through rocker step, then brings glove to his neck and knee to his abdomen during his windup. Extends front leg toward left-handed batter's box before swinging it in line with the plate and firing the ball at foot strike. Small arm stab after hand break and high-3/4, almost over- the-top arm slot helps hide the ball and generate a steep downhill plane. Holds runners well. Gets the ball to the plate in about 1.35 from the stretch.
Fastball: Wentz's fastball was mostly 89-92 after joining the Tigers organization in 2019, occasionally touching 94, but he's been up to 96 in the past. The pitch shows above-average arm-side movement, while his high arm slot and above-average spin rate help him miss bats and generate fly balls up in the zone. Post-surgery velocity likely returns to the low-90s, but there's a small chance underlying arm issues caused his diminished velo, and the rehab process may help him return to his previous mid-90s heater. Grade: 50
Curveball: Sits in the mid-70s and shows 1-7 break but generally lacks depth. He can tighten it up into more of an upper-70s slurve that he back-foots to righties, but it's not clear if that's intentional. Pitch can be effective when he starts it in the zone and drops it into the dirt, but it tends to hang when he starts it up and tries to drop it into the zone. Grade: 50
Changeup: Wentz's best, most consistent offering. He maintains his arm speed well and the pitch arrives in the low-80s with good sink and fade. Consistently locates it low and away to right-handed hitters. Grade: 55
Control and Command: Wentz has traditionally shown average control with below-average command, though he pounded the strike zone in his short stint in Erie. Struggles to locate the fastball inside, but works the outer third well, and his misses tend to be up and away. Shows fringe- average control of his breaking ball but plus control of his change. Control: 50 | Command: 40
Overall: Without a true plus offering, Joey Wentz lacks a high ceiling, and his 2020 Tommy John surgery adds a bit more risk to the profile. But when he's healthy, Wentz's fastball plays up, his breaking ball flashes, and his changeup is consistently above-average. Combine that with an ideal frame, and solid athleticism and control, and he has a chance to be a decent #4 starter.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 or #5 SP
Risk: Moderate
