Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CIN | LHP | 5 | 50 |
Grades Update: Nov 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | SL | CH | Ctr/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 60/50 |
Nov 2020 Report
Evaluator: James Chipman
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-6
Weight: 205 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 1
RuleV: 2022
Physical Description: Giant lanky 6' 6" 205 pound frame; long and lean; wiry build with fringe-average strength but solid athleticism and coordination. Square shoulders; average core and lower half strength; high waist; long levers. Quiet but confident and intimidating mound presence. Not physically maxed - plenty of room to continue to fill out and get stronger.
Delivery & Mechanics: 3/4 arm slot with a borderline high effort delivery. Long arm swing with inconsistencies in tempo and release point. Tighter more fluid mechanics from the stretch. Leg kick, hand break and good arm speed yield moderate deception. Long levers create extended release; unfortunately the arm angle limits the steep downhill plane his tall frame would naturally provide with a higher slot. Holds runners well; decent pickoff move.
Fastball: 91-94 t96; predominately low-90s; bumps mid-90s sporadically; holds velocity well deep into his outings. Movement is flat, with occasional modest arm- side life at upper velocity band; has some tailing action around 91-92; heavy sink when he pounds it in the lower third of the zone. Attacks all four quads; not afraid to climb the ladder or pitch inside. Above-average velocity; average command; lack of significant movement and modest deception saps overall grade a touch. Grade: 50
Slider: Sits 84-87 with late horizontal darting action and occasional tilt. Arm-slot wanders on occasion yielding less optimal slurvy depth and slightly reduced velocity. Effective as a chase pitch out of the zone, especially against same-sided batters. Shows confidence also utilizing the offering within the zone early in the count. Sits fringy to average; will flash slightly above-average. Enough occasional hard bite and late break to believe it reaches above-average with further pro instruction. Grade: 55
Changeup: Underutilized. Sits 86-88 and can get firm, lacking optimal velocity separation at times. Thrown with conviction; has feel; solid sinking action with moderate fade at its best. Slightly above-average equalizer especially against right-handed batters. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Confident strike thrower with plus control and average command. Advanced feel for pitching; attacks all four quads; shows confidence pitching backwards; sequencing can occasionally get fastball heavy; not afraid to attack inside or up in the zone. Lives in or around the zone; misses are predominately glove side. Control: 60 | Command: 50
Overall: Lodolo features a well rounded arsenal that's anchored by an above-average slider. His size, handedness, strike throwing ability and pitchability are strong enough attributes to potentially yield an inning eating stalwart. Overall there's mid-rotation upside with a solid backend of the rotation floor. The latter of the two being the more likely outcome unless he adds velocity or significant movement to his rather pedestrian fastball. A fairly advanced and polished product, Lodolo should move through the Reds system quickly and provide impact innings, regardless of the role he's given.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 / #5 Backend SP
Risk: Moderate
