Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | SD | RHP | 21 | 40 |
Grades Update: Mar 2021
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | Cnt/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 50/45 |
Mar 2021 Report
Evaluator: Geoff Pontes
Age: 24 yr
Height: 5-11
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2014 IFA (WAS)
RuleV: Eligible
Physical Description: Short, stout build, below average conditioning. Bad body, but not out of the ordinary for a reliever. Suffered an elbow injury in August if 2019, underwent Tommy John Surgery in Fall 2019.
Delivery & Mechanics: Semi-windup; long arm action; high 3/4 slot; below average arm speed; high leg lift; average leg block will leak over front side. Repeats fairly well, moderate effort.
Fastball: 92-95 MPH, throws two variations, sinker and four-seam. Four-seam is a bad-flat fastball lacking life or much ride. Throws the four-seam mostly to right handers mixing in the two seam to lefties. The four-seam is hittable and his control over command profile leads to lots of missed spots that catch too much of the plate. Lacks the ride to play the X or the run to play the Y game. Fringe average fastball despite above average starter velocity. Grade: 45
Curveball: Average slow bender used early in the counts and as an offspeed pitch from his fastball-slider to left handed batters. Site 72-74 mph with late vertical drop that keeps hitters off balance. The pitch plays up due to his ability to sequence. Grade: 50
Slider: Above average slider that tunnels well off his fastball, with tight gyro spin. Little to no horizontal movement, mostly tight spin at 83-85 mph with late drop. Shows the ability to land the pitch anywhere in the zone. Generates a high amount of swings and misses and is his lead pitch. Will occasionally spike it for more devastating late life. Grade: 55
Control and Command: Average control with fringe average command. Executes a game plan in terms of his slider and curveball location mixing in his fastball. He throws consistent strikes with all three pitches and tends to stay around the zone with little trouble. Lacks command of his fastball and it lags behind the feel for his two breaking balls subsequently. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: After suffering an elbow injury not long after his major league debut, Avila has been on the shelf for over a year and a half and is around 18 months removed from Tommy John Surgery. He was a non roster invitee to spring training this year with an opportunity to see some time as a spot starter. Ultimately this is where his ultimate role lies. A spot starter/long relief type that can change eye levels with his slider and tunnel it off his fastball. There's a finesse element to Avila's plan of attack despite above average velocity. Classic swingman type.
OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Long Reliever
Risk: Low
