Jeren Kendall - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	LAD	OF	43	35

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
35	30	30	50	60	50	60

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 25 yr
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2017 Draft - Round 1
RuleV: Eligible

Physical Description: Fantastic natural athlete. Ideal athletic frame, not likely to add bulk but does not lack strength average size. Not overly physical, but a big league body.

Hit: Standing up pretty straight almost like an open stance. Holds his hands way up high. Little pre-pitch movement. No leg kick, small stride. He looks to be quick to the ball and he's got a good bat path but his swing is extremely stiff. He's got natural pop but he doesn't do a good job incorporating his lower half and it doesn't look like he uses his lower half or hips to generate any power. He also has poor plate coverage and doesn't stay on balls outside. It looks like he's just pulling everything with his arm and he hits a lot of medium fly balls to RF. I don't think I saw him hit the ball hard to the opposite field- if he hits it to the left side, it's usually a mishit or a chopper. He's got a good eye and is a patient hitter, he works counts and draws walks. However, he can be beaten up high with good velocity, so oftentimes pitcher's pound him away and then throw a high fastball by him to finish him off. Grade: 30

Power: He's got natural power, I saw him absolutely crush the ball occasionally. His average exit velocity isn't great because of all the mishits but he can hit the ball very hard when he squares it up. He looks to drive the ball in the air. He hit 19 HR in 412 PA last year (in a hitter's league but still) so the power is there but his problems with his hit tool are preventing the power from fully playing. Grade: 50

Field: He's a very good fielder. Natural CF, he gets great jumps and reads the ball well. He covers a lot of ground. Could definitely play a decent CF in MLB. Grade: 60

Arm: Average arm, with average accuracy. He plays CF so his arm isn't tested a lot. He hits the cutoff man and is accurate, teams aren't going to run wild on him or something. Grade: 50

Run: Plus runner, speed translates to impact on both sides of the ball. Instinctual baserunner and excellent base stealer. Speed for centerfield does a good job closing gaps. Grade: 60

Overall: Guys like this are always hard to grade because they do so many things well but none of it matters if they don't fix the thing that doesn't work well (which is almost always the hit tool). It's a familiar song- all the ingredients are here for an above-average regular but the hit tool is holding Kendall back. It's a power/speed profile with plus defense but it doesn't work if Kendall hits like this. Last year Kendall had a completely unplayable 35.7 K% (during the year he repeated High-A!). And I'm not sure what the answer is. He does a lot of good things in the box; he works counts and draws walks, the pop is there but he needs to completely rework his swing so that he can cover the outer half of the plate. He could probably survive as a dead pull hitter because everything else works but he's going to have to figure out a way to handle the outer half because pitchers are eating him alive out there.

OFP: 35
Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: High

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Cristian Santana - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	LAD	3B	31	40

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
40	40	40	50	50	60	40

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2014 IFA
RuleV: Eligible

Physical Description: Great size, broad-shouldered and strong. His physical projection looks about done but he's got plenty of size. Strong lower half. Not a great runner but he's a good athlete.

Hit: Enigmatic hitter, with a highly aggressive approach and energetic demeanor at the plate. Despite this it's toned way down from what it used to be- a close approximation of his old swing is one of those old Bugs Bunny cartoons. It's much quieter now but he still looks like he's absolutely killing the ball. And the swing works- the problem is it works too well, he absolutely refuses to walk. He had a 3% BB rate last year and frankly there are few to none successful hitters that walk that rarely. He also has an extremely high GB but his swing isn't geared for GB contact, it's a product of his aggressive nature and habit of contact on the wrong pitches. Grade: 40

Power: He's got power. The ball jumps off his bat and he can hit it way out to the opposite field. But again the power doesn't play as well as it should because he swings at everything which includes a lot of balls that it's basically impossible to drive. Improved pitch selection could go a long way to Santana unlocking his plus raw BP power. Grade: 50

Field: Santana mostly played third base with some first base thrown in as well. He's an adequate fielder with an average first step, lateral movement and infield actions. Not rangey, but certainly not a limited fielder. Grade: 50

Arm: Plus arm with the ability to make some highlight reel throws at times. Cannon arm with online carry and the ability to repeat his motion and land on his intended target, Santana's strongest skill. Grade: 60

Run: Below average runner, not a base clogger and can move at a fringe pace once underway. Base stealing isn't part of his game and he has just average range at third. Grade: 40

Overall: Like many prospects, the only thing holding Santana back from being an everyday player is his hit tool. However, with the vast majority of prospects, the problem is that they don't make enough contact- as mentioned previously, Santana has the opposite problem. He makes too MUCH contact. That may not seem like an issue but it is; Santana strikes out over 20% of the time and even though that's not a crazy amount by today's standards, if he maintains his 3% BB rate, he would probably have to hit around .400 on balls in play just to be an average regular. That's not going to happen. Santana is almost 24 and it's nearly impossible to imagine him changing his approach and suddenly developing patience. However, the other tools are good enough to where I'll project him as a platoon/utility guy even though he'll almost certainly max out as an org soldier.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Bench/Platoon
Risk: High

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Jacob Amaya - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	LAD	SS	21	45

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	50	45	50	50	50

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Draft - Round 11
RuleV: 2021

Physical Description: Medium build, classic middle infielder size. There doesn't seem to be much projection remaining. Compact strength, muscular but not bulky, body and build allow him to balance strength and athleticism.

Hit: Amaya has a good hit tool. He has a slightly upright stance. His swing is pretty compact. Like many Dodger prospects, Amaya is very patient, he works the count and looks for pitches to drive. He's got good bat to ball skills and does a good job of utilizing his lower half. He hasn't hit for a high average but I think he looks better than his results. Grade: 50

Power: Amaya has some pop. I had watched his team play a lot but he wasn't really on my radar and I never intently focused on him but once I started rewatching for this report I was pleasantly surprised. In my head he was a light hitting middle infielder but on the rewatch he made a lot of good contact. Early last year he hit a LONG home run to the opposite field in West Michigan (which was supposedly win-aided but impressive nonetheless) and he made respectable contact. He doesn't have a lot of natural raw power but he makes the most of what he does have. I think he'll end up with slightly below average power but it wouldn't surprise me if he was able to tick up a bit. Grade: 45

Field: Amaya split time almost evenly between SS and 2B last year between low-A and high-A. He looked solid if unspectacular at SS and good at 2B. His hands and actions are good and he had no trouble turning the double play. He's really more of a 2B but he can play SS I think. Grade: 50

Arm: Average arm. His arm plays at either spot in the infield Grade: 50

Run: Average runner, I don't think he'll steal many bases but he's certainly not a liability on the basepaths. Grade: 50

Overall: I was pretty impressed with Amaya. It's a classic utility profile but he hit for a bit more pop than I originally expected. He'll most likely end up as a backup but I think there's a chance he can squeeze a bit more out of his tools and end up as a solid, second-division regular. Regardless, it's an MLB profile.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Bench/Utility
Risk: High

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Gerardo Carrillo - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	LAD	RHP	18	45

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	FB	CT	CB	SL	CH	Cnt/Cmd
45	40	55	45	55	40	50	55/50

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 5-10
Weight: 154 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2016 IFA
RuleV: On 40-man

Physical Description: Short, especially for a starting pitcher. Medium build and frame. Short but not slight. Solid lower half- decent ass. He's not big but he's super ripped, he's got a six-pack but he's a normal athlete. I don't think there's any significant projection left.

Delivery & Mechanics: Clean, simple delivery. Basic three quarters arm slot. Easy delivery. Great arm speed. Works from the middle of the rubber slightly on the first base side. Short leg kick. His delivery is very repeatable and he maintains it well during his starts. Has a habit of cutting short his follow through which leads to occasional WILD misses high and to the glove side.

Fastball: Good pitch with some natural bore and arm side run. Sits in the mid-90s topping out at about 97 during starts although he's been clocked higher in short stints (supposedly he hit 100 in the AFL). Average spin rate averaging in the 2300 rpm range but with moderate backspin. He maintained his velocity in the starts we observed, hitting 96 in the 7th inning vs. Inland Empire in August of 2019. He gets some good arm side run and sink and pounds the fastball in on right-handed hitters. There is no downward plane on the fastball but because of the movement is able to get a ton of ground balls. However, it's not a dynamic pitch on its own; it doesn't miss a ton of bats and Carrillo doesn't work up in the zone with it much although he will occasionally. Despite the velocity, it's not an overpowering pitch. Pounds the zone with strikes but mostly works arm-side with it. Grade: 55

Cutter: Used a lot vs. RHH and has a tight break but it's pretty firm. It doesn't have a huge break or much tilt. When the cutter was working he was able to throw it for strikes. I also saw him use it as a strikeout pitch. Grade: 45

Curveball: His most consistent secondary and probably the second most used pitch. Does not slow his arm down at all and it has a classic 12/6 shape. Can consistently throw it for strikes. Often works backwards and uses it to get ahead of hitters early in the count (starts a lot of guys off with it). It's a good pitch but he doesn't use it as a chase pitch and bury it in the zone much. Good control and command. Grade: 55

Slider: Not a very good pitch. Around 83 mph. Some starts he'd use this as his primary secondary. Pretty slurvy, doesn't have a good shape or a tight break. Buries it in the dirt vs. RHH but often jerks it into the ground glove-side. He threw a few with good tilt. Grade: 40

Changeup: Pretty good pitch. He snapped off a bunch of good ones with nice tumble and fade away from LHH. He definitely maintained his arm speed. Tough swing and miss pitch against LHB. About average flashing plus. Grade: 50

Control and Command: Carrillo has an easy, repeatable delivery, he can command his fastball and pounds the zone with it but oddly would have random bouts of wildness. But he wouldn't be wild as in he'd lose his delivery for a few innings, he would randomly be really wild with specific pitches. This resulted in a lot of HBP last year (a whopping 17 HBP in 86 IP last year!). It's hard to explain- it looked like he would cut his follow through short and just totally lose command of the ball high and to his glove side. But mostly he was around the zone. He commanded his fastball really well and really the only pitch he really struggled with was the slider. His deep arsenal however, allows him to sequence pretty well and he would often steal strikes early in the count with his curveball. So, ultimately, he had a lot of walks (51 in '19) and HBP last year (again, 17!) but I think it's a fluke and he'll have good command moving forward and since I'm writing the report I'm giving him a good grade. Control: 55 | Command: 50

Overall: With his small height and the way his fastball plays, Carrillo kind of looks like another Brusdar Graterol. Like Graterol, he's got velocity but does not miss bats with his fastball. Also, like Graterol he's a ground ball machine. However, although some might ticket Carrillo for the bullpen I think he'd actually work better as a starter. For one, right now, he doesn't have a pure "put away" pitch. His curveball is his best secondary but it's not really a "strikeout" pitch and his slider still needs work. Despite his atrocious K/BB rate this year and his insane HBP numbers I think he'll be able to command his pitches enough to fill in the back of a rotation. He could probably flirt with triple digits in short stints coming out of the pen but the fastball will never be a dominant pitch (at least not for strikeouts) so I don't think he'd be a high leverage arm. He'd be more valuable in the rotation and I think he will have the command and pitchability to stick.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter - Low Leverage Relief
Risk: Moderate

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Devin Mann - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	LAD	2B	17	45

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	50	55	45	50	45

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 Draft - Round 5
RuleV: 2021

Physical Description: Perfect height, he's big and strong. He looks like a ballplayer. Solid frame. Not much of an athlete but he's not stiff either. High waisted, lean build with wiry strength, no long term maintenance concerns, with some projection remaining.

Hit: Solid. He's balanced at the plate. His batting stance looks completely "normal" like what you'd see in a video game. He's got a good bat path and looks to drive the ball in the air. He can handle off speed stuff and works counts. Quick to the ball. Looks to have a good approach. I saw him drive the ball to all fields. He draws walks. Does a great job staying with balls on the outer half and driving them the other way. Uses his height and leverage to drive the ball hard in the air. Grade: 50

Power: It's above average raw power that plays average to a touch above in game. He had 19 home runs in 424 plate appearannces in the Cal League. Based on our observationns there were lots of long fly balls and high exit velocities. Tha data backs up the eye test. He hits the ball hard to all fields but the majority of his extra base hits will come to his pull-side. There's a slight leap of faith based on Cal League power production, but an above average power grade fits what we saw. Grade: 55

Field: Mann split almost evenly between 3B and 2B last year. He's not a great defender at either but he's average at 2B and slightly below at 3B. At 2B his range and arm are fine and his actions are good. His hands are fine and he's good at turning the double play. At 3B he's a little worse. He's not a great natural athlete and doesn't have the great reflexes needed to be a good defender at 3B. His arm is on the weaker side and although he makes accurate throws, playing him at 3B really stretched it. The Dodgers love versatility and Mann can play at 3B but fits much better at 2B. Grade: 45

Arm: Average arm at 2B slightly below for 3B. Covered a bit earlier but he doesn't have the really great arm needed for 3B. His throws are accurate. Grade: 50

Run: I didn't clock him and he doesn't run well but he's not extremely slow. Average runner, maybe slightly below as he ages. Grade: 45

Overall: Mann is underrated and he should be garnering more attention. If the season hadn't been cancelled he had the potential for a breakout season in 2020. At the moment there's enough upside in the bat to project a major leaguer, but his limited defensive profile puts extra pressure in his power to come to fruition. Due to this we're comfortable projecting a fringe everyday player/bench bat profile.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Platoon/Bench
Risk: Moderate

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Buddy Kennedy - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	ARI	3B	31	40

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
40	40	45	45	45	50	45

Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 5th
RuleV: 2022

Physical Description: Average height and medium build but he looks very block-y. He looks kind of like a catcher but he is tall, it's not that he's short, he just has that squat catcher's look. Thick lower half. His body is almost completely maxed out, although he'll probably get a bit thicker as he ages.

Hit: Odd batting stance. His body is closed off and pre-load he holds his hands up with bat resting on his shoulder at a 45 degree angle. He bounces the bat up and down on his shoulder as the pitch is coming. Also, his posture is very peculiar, he's standing almost completely straight up and sort of dives at the plate during the pitch. Very good bat speed. He's quick to the ball and his swing is not off-balanced but it does not look like he's getting the most out of his physical power. His approach is good, he works counts and draws plenty of walks. Does not have a ton of swing and miss Grade: 45

Power: Around average, really warning track power or doubles power. However, he can drive the ball to the opposite field. Feels like he could tap into his power more with a swing adjustment but as is its a tick below average. Grade: 45

Field: Kennedy has almost exclusively played 3B but last year saw a few rare starts at 2B. His defense is not great, he's actually a better athlete then he looks, and his reflexes are fine but he made a lot of errors last year. I think he actually looks better at 3B then his scouting report would indicate but even putting him as slightly below average is probably generous. Grade: 45

Arm: Strong and accurate, capable of making any routine throw as long as he sets his feet. Can make throws from behind the bag as well but lack of foot speed makes him a poor fit at anywhere but 3B in the future. Grade: 50

Run: Kennedy is not a great runner but again, he runs fine for a 3B. I did not clock him Grade: 45

Overall: Kennedy has been a very solid contributor for Arizona since he was selected in the draft. If he hit for more power, the profile would be a lot more attractive but as is there's no real carrying tool. Right now, Kennedy projects as bench bat, although I suppose there could be more if he tweaks his swing and finds more power.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Bench/Platoon
Risk: High

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Humberto Mejia - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	ARI	RHP	28	40

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	FB	CB	SL	CH	Cnt/Cmd
40	40	50	55	40	45	55/50

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-4
Weight: 235 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2013 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man

Physical Description: Mejia is a big boy. He's got ideal height for a SP but his body isn't great, he's a bit heavy and will probably need to lose some weight as he ages into his mid to late 20's. Does not look to have any physical projection left, he's in his "man" body now

Delivery & Mechanics: Traditional 3/4 arm slot. Nice, easy delivery. Moderate leg kick. Mejia starts his delivery nice and easy and then whips his arm through as he delivers the pitch. The arm speed is very good. Mejia can repeat his delivery but he is not particularly athletic.

Fastball: Average pitch. Averaged 92.8 during his big league debut, touching 95. Perceived velocity a bit higher due to good extension. It’s a traditional four-seamer and he moves it around the zone. Pitch has minimal run, and he works it well up in the zone. Will also throw it down in the zone and has enough confidence to work it on both sides of the plate. Grade: 50

Curveball: Pitch averaged 78.7 in 2020. Pleasing 12-to-6 break. Maintains arm speed very well. Tight break, lacks traditional depth normally associated with big 12-to-6 breakers. Will land it in the zone for a strike in any situation. Grade: 55

Slider: His fourth best pitch. Throws it in the mid-80's, usually around 84mph. Does not have good tilt or movement. More of a tight one plane break. It's a pretty flat pitch as of now, although he uses it as more than a "show me" offering. Needs to either be tightened up or dropped entirely. Grade: 40

Changeup: Mejia's changeup is decent but is not quite there. He throws it around 85-86 so even with his lack of fastball velocity there's decent velo separation between the two. He maintains his arm speed well but the pitch does not have the really sharp tumble and fade that's needed. Grade: 45

Control and Command: For someone without great athleticism, Mejia's control and command are better than expected. Although he had a high BB rate in his short MLB audition this year (11 IP) he didn't walk many hitters in the minors at all. I'm probably a half grade too high on each but I think it's above average control and average command. Control: 55 | Command: 50

Overall: So, Mejia is someone I came across in the low minors in 2019 and was really a deep sleeper. I saw him in low-A last year and was very excited because all the tools were there for a mid-rotation SP, however, the problem was that Mejia was already 22 and further along in his physical development than a traditional IFA prospect at that level. Due to his age, Miami added him to the 40-man before last season and he made three starts in the shortened season this year despite topping out in High-A in 2019. If Mejia were not so far along in his physical development he'd be one of the top prospects in the system but at this point, with no more velocity on the way, he is what he is. With some small improvements Mejia can become a backend SP but and I think that will in fact, happen, however, there's a chance he's more of an up and down spot starter. It's an MLB profile.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter/Long Relief
Risk: Low

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Blaze Alexander - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	ARI	SS	27	40

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
40	40	40	55	50	70	50

Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 11th
RuleV: 2022

Physical Description: Good size, he looks taller than his listed height and has a great frame. Still room to add muscle. Good natural athlete that should maintain his baseline fitness long term.

Hit: Closed stance, he is crouched down a bit. Pre-load keeps his hands high, with his bat resting on his shoulders at a 45 degree angle. He bounces the bat up and down on his shoulder waiting for the pitch. During the delivery he gets into position and kind of bounces up and down on his heels as the pitch comes. Alexander had made some slight changes to his swing during the year, I saw him in July and he did not have much of a leg kick but by the end of year he did this odd thing where he would start his swing early and have his front foot hanging in the air waiting for the pitch. This really did not seem to work for him. Alexander was tardy on lots of fastballs and had an extremely difficult time adjusting to breaking stuff. Often times he would almost flail at chase pitches. His bat path is good and he does a good job of generating power with his hips and his lower half but he needs to find a timing mechanism that works for him. He draws walks and actually has a decent eye- he doesn't strike out nearly as much as you'd think, but he does not make great swing decisions. All the ingredients are here but he needs some tweaks Grade: 40

Power: The raw power is definitely there, but the ball doesn't quite fly off his bat. Coming in, I had heard that Alexander had lots of raw power and from that standpoint it was a bit of a disappointment. Once you factor in the problems with the hit tool the power plays down to average but theoretically, if he makes MLB that means his hit tool will have progressed to the point where he should have above average power, at least for a SS Grade: 55

Field: Alexander is a great athlete and has the instincts and range to stick at SS at the MLB level. He's not a plus defender and unfortunately his arm is so strong he can throw it away at times. Still, he should be more than fine at SS Grade: 50

Arm: The arm is fantastic. Alexander has a STRONG, mostly accurate arm. His arm is so strong that if his bat stalls it in the minors he'll almost certainly be moved to the mound. Grade: 70

Run: Alexander is a good athlete and runs well Grade: 50

Overall: Alexander is basically the quintessential "boom or bust" guy- a talented high school player a team gives an over the slot bonus to late in the draft. If the hit tool approaches average he's at worst a low end starter up the middle and with potential for more. Also, he may gain a tick of power as his body matures and the org makes adjustments. Guys like this are hard to grade since the profile is so dependent on the hit tool working out and right now that's at least a full grade below average. Still, Alexander is an interesting prospect with the potential to be an above average regular at an up the middle position.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below Average Player - Bench/Platoon
Risk: High

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Pavin Smith - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	ARI	1B/OF	17	45

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	55	50	45	50	45

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 25 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2017 1st
RuleV: On 40-Man

Physical Description: Tall, solid frame. He actually is a bit leaner now than when he was drafted. He's never been a great athlete but has been moving much better. Average build, he's done physically developing.

Hit: Closed stance, standing almost straight up. Pre-load the hands are slightly above the shoulders with the bat resting on the shoulders almost parallel to the ground. No leg kick, instead he twists his foot and gets his toe down as the bat comes through the zone. Stays on the ball very well and tries to spray line drives to all fields. When Smith is shifted to pull in the IF, he will often try to go up the middle and beat the shift. Controls the strike zone and walks nearly as much as he strikes out. When he was drafted he made a ton of weak groundball contact to the pull side but has tweaked his swing and now hits the ball in the air much more. As part of his swing adjustment he improved his bat path and now his swing takes a much better path through the zone that allows him to drive the ball in the air. For as good as his approach is, the numbers have never really caught up as he hasn't hit for a great batting average yet. Grade: 55

Power: Smith doesn't generate nearly as much power as a 6'2" first base prospect should. Also, since his approach focuses on using the whole field power isn't a big part of his game. However, his exit velos are average and I've seen him hit the ball hard His power is almost entirely to the pull field. Until now, his power has been slightly below average but I think it will hit a tick higher as he hits his stride. Grade: 50

Field: Smith went from a below average defender at 1B to a guy who can play in the OF corners. He's not a great athlete and will never be a plus defender but should be right around average in the corners and at 1B Grade: 45

Arm: Smith has an overall average arm which was more than good enough for first. Now that he’s playing the outfield more the arm plays better in left. More than enough for left field but would be stretched in right. Grade: 50

Run: Much like the arm, if we graded Smith as a first baseman his below average speed is a non-issue, but as an outfielder he’s going to have limited range due to his below average foot speed. He gets out of the box well but is a below average runner underway. Smart enough baserunner to nab the occasional bag, but stolen bases aren’t a big part of his game. Grade: 45

Overall: Smith was the second of four nontraditional, "hit over power" 1B who were drafted in the first round of the 2017 draft (behind Brendan McKay- who's primarily a SP- but ahead of Evan White and Nick Pratto). A curious pick at the time, Smith immediately underwhelmed as not only did he not hit for much power but he didn't hit for average either. However, starting in the second half of 2018, Smith started to turn things around and now lifts the ball much more than he had. Arizona also improved his value by getting him work in the OF corners where the bar isn't as high for his bat. There's still no real carrying tool here, so he's probably a bench bat but if he can tap into his power a bit more he can be an low-end regular in LF. Regardless, it's an MLB profile and he'll have a long career as no worse than a lefty bench bat

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below Avg. Player - Bench/Platoon
Risk: Low

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Luis Frias - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	ARI	RHP	10	50

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	FB	CB	SL	SPL	Cnt/Cmd
50	50	60	60	45	55	50/45

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2015 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man

Physical Description: Great size, he's got a big frame and is growing into it nicely. Has a thick lower half and hips. The pitching coach at Hillsboro called him "El Caballo" (the Horse).

Delivery & Mechanics: Overhead arm angle. Gets good extension. His delivery is a bit violent but repeatable. He stands on the 3B side of the rubber but falls off dramatically to the 1B side. Big leg kick. Does a great job of staying closed through his delivery and consistently landing with his lead foot pointed directly at home plate. Has a habit of jerking the ball glove side and following through too much. Works quickly but will also mix in "quick pitches" to catch the hitter off guard.

Fastball: Great pitch, sits in the mid 90's. He usually lives around 93-96, and I've seen him touch 97 pretty regularly. Average spin rate but Frias gets average extension on the fastball. He also gets great plane on the fastball. Holds his velocity decently well, although it still plays down a tick as he gets closer to 100 pitches. He doesn't move the fastball around the zone well although he does keep it down, which leads to a ton of grounders and weak flairs. Hard to grade because the velocity dominated hitters in the low minors but against MLB hitters it will play down a touch (although still safely a plus pitch). Grade: 60

Curveball: His primary secondary, Frias maintains his arm speed well on his curveball. Has a great 12-6 shape. Plenty of vertical depth. Can throw it over the plate for a strike or bury it in the dirt. Occasionally, Frias will short arm it and it will not have the vertical break the good ones have. Not as consistent as it could be, although the pitch got much better as the year wore on. The curveball pairs well with the fastball and is a legit swing and miss pitch and weapon Grade: 60

Slider: When I first saw Frias early in the year, the slider was his primary secondary and it had a good tight, horizontal break and tilt and one plane break. However, as the year went on it faded into the periphery. With some work it could be an average pitch, but as of now, it's his third best secondary and is used pretty rarely Grade: 45

Splitter: Frias doesn't throw a traditional changeup, instead he throws a split/change. The split pairs off very well with the fastball since hitters are gearing up because of his velocity. Has nice late break and does a good job of burying it in the dirt. Pretty close to a plus pitch right now, I saw him snap off some phenomenal splits but it is not quite as consistent as it could be. Grade: 55

Control and Command: Right now, Frias' control is pretty good, he is usually around the zone and doesn't usually miss wildly (although he can pull the fastball glove side at points). However, the command still needs a fair amount of work. Although he is around the zone, he is used to overpowering hitters and needs to work on hitting his spots. Very much a "here it is- hit it" guy right now, which won't play in MLB. Control: 50 | Command: 45

Overall: He's got four above average or better pitches. His absolute ceiling is probably mid-rotation starter, but more realistically he maxes out as a #4 SP. Worst case scenario he could be a hard-throwing, high leverage RP.

OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4-5 Backend Starter
Risk: Moderate

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Blake Rutherford - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	CHW	OF	9	45

Grades Update: Dec 2020

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	45	50	55	50	50

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Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2016 Round 1
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster

Physical Description: Tall, average frame. Still a little room left on his frame but is almost in his "man" body. Prototypical OF body.

Hit: Upright, open stance. Pre-load has his hands just below eye level. Moderate leg kick but actually does a good job staying on breaking stuff and hanging in vs. LHP. Utilizes his lower half. Good bat path. Approach-wise, Rutherford tries to slice line drive contact all over the field. However, Rutherford will pick his spots and try to turn pitches low in the zone and pull them out. There was a tale of two halves in 2019, Rutherford looked terrible in the first and great in the second. I'll split the difference Grade: 45

Power: Rutherford hit only 7HR in over 430AB in 2019 but he does have at least average raw power. I saw him hit a couple of towering balls to the pull field (one out, and one just foul) at the end of the year. So the raw power is there, it's just a question of whether he taps into it. I think he will somewhat since his swing path is decent and the only thing really holding him up is his approach Grade: 50

Field: Rutherford was drafted as a CF but it was presumed he would move to RF once his body filled out. I was actually pretty impressed with his defense, he reads the ball well and gets good jumps. He split time in both corners last year and should be more than proficient in either as well as serving as an emergency option in CF. Grade: 55

Arm: Rutherford's arm is strong enough for RF if not a particular strength. He helps the arm play up by getting into great position to throw. Grade: 50

Run: Although he's not a threat to steal bases he runs the bases well and should be average even as he ages. Grade: 50

Overall: Rutherford was well-known in prospect circles and was in consideration for the top overall pick in '16 (he went 18th overall to NYY). Now with CHW, he's been somewhat of a disappointment, I had watched him a bunch last year and in my memory he was not much of a prospect. However, a funny thing happened on the re-watch, Rutherford was a much better hitter than I remembered. He still slices the ball but was making much better contact as the year progressed and was able to turn on pitches on the inner half. The power doesn't play nearly enough to be an everyday guy in a corner but he should be able to make MLB as a 4th OF platoon type.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench or Platoon
Risk: Moderate

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Matt Gorski - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	PIT	OF	33	40

Grades Update: Jan 2021

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	30	40	55	50	60

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Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2019 Round 2
RuleV: 2022

Physical Description: Ideal size for a ballplayer, Gorski "looks" like a baseball player, he's big and strong and athletic. He's basically exactly what teams look for physically. Great athlete.

Hit: He has the slightly-open stance that a lot of Pirates prospects have. Pre-load keeps his hands at about shoulder level with his bat at a 45 degree angle. No real leg kick. All of that is good the problem is when the swing starts. He's spread out which would be fine but he's not generating any power with his lower half or hips. His bat path is almost completely flat. So ultimately he's not putting himself in a position to hit the ball hard or drive it in the air. Gorski has natural power, he draws walks and does not strike out too much so his approach is fine. I saw him hit the ball hard a few times but he needs a swing overhaul if he's going to have an MLB career. Grade: 30

Power: Gorski has the natural power that his frame portends. But his swing locks it away. Theoretically if he changes his swing he should hit for power but right now it's well below average. Grade: 40

Field: Gorski is a great athlete and he played all three outfield spots. He'll eventually end up in a corner as he fills out with age but right now he can play center. Grade: 55

Arm: I barely saw him throw but his arm seemed average. It looked sufficient to play in right field Grade: 50

Run: Plus runner. He might slow down as he fills out. Grade: 60

Overall: Gorski has the ideal size and athleticism that teams look for but he needs an entire swing overhaul right now. If that happens it looks like he could be an above average regular at an OF spot but that's a pretty big ask. For now he's a 4th OF.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench/Platoon
Risk: High

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Braxton Ashcraft - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	PIT	RHP	32	40

Grades Update: Jan 2021

OFP	Role	FB	CB	SL	CH	Ctr/Cmd
40	40	40	40	45	45	50/40

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Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 21 yr
Height: 6-5
Weight: 195 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2018 Round 2
RuleV: 2022

Physical Description: Ideal size for a starting pitcher. He's thin now but has plenty of room on his frame to add muscle. My research (googling) tells me that he was a two-sport star in high school and you can see it, he's tall and projectable and is a great athlete. He's also got longish curly hair which is always fun.

Delivery & Mechanics: High 3/4 arm slot. Doesn't look to get much extension. He's got a huge leg kick. Ashcraft is super athletic and his delivery *should* be repeatable but it isn't- he's kind of all over the place. He over-rotates a fair amount and ends up jerking his breaking stuff glove side. Physically the tools are there but it's just not working.

Fastball: Disappointing. He lives around 88-91 although I've seen others say he's topped out at 93. It's just not a dynamic pitch. He's tall but as noted he doesn't get much extension and the spin rate is around average. Doesn't really get any run or sink on it. He does not command it well enough to move it around the zone. The pitch does not miss bats. I'm sure the Bucs were hoping that Ashcraft would grow into more velocity but it hasn't happened yet. When he gets ahead you can see Ashcraft trying to overthrow the fastball at the top of the zone but he still usually tops out at 90mph and he just misses his spot. Grade: 40

Curveball: I think I've seen him throw a couple curveballs during his starts. He uses this rarely and it has an 11-6 break Grade: 40

Slider: His primary secondary. He throws it around 82-86. When he snaps off good ones it has some nice tilt and a two plane break. Mostly it's got a one-plane break. He commands it pretty well. The pitch looks okay but it's not a dominant pitch by any stretch. He doesn't get a ton of swings and misses with it. Grade: 45

Changeup: Ashcraft can snap off good ones occasionally that have some tumble and fade. He throws it around 84-86. For the most part he doesn't do a good job of slowing his arm down so it's just kind of flat. Grade: 45

Control and Command: Ashcraft actually has decent control but his command isn't very good yet. He's athletic and should be able to repeat his delivery consistently but ultimately his stuff just isn't very good which causes him to overthrow at points Control: 50 | Command: 40

Overall: Ashcraft is one of the legion of athletic high school starters that the Pirates have taken with their second pick in recent years. You can absolutely see what the Pirates like about him- he's got the ideal size for a starting pitcher and is a great athlete, however, the problem is that he doesn't have a single good pitch. Not one. He's young so there's still time for him to grow into some more velocity and finetune his breaking stuff but honestly, there's nothing really here.

OFP: 40
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Low Leverage Reliever
Risk: High

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Cal Mitchell - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	PIT	OF	21	45

Grades Update: Jan 2021

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	45	55	50	45	45

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Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/R
Acquired: 2017 Round 2
RuleV: 2021

Physical Description: Average height, he's billed at 6 feet but actually looks a couple inches taller. He's thin now but looks like he can add a fair amount of muscle to his current frame. Looks like a prototypical RF.

Physical Description: Average height, he's billed at 6 feet but actually looks a couple inches taller. He's thin now but looks like he can add a fair amount of muscle to his current frame. Looks like a prototypical RF.

Power: Right now Mitchell has above average raw power but really should grow into more as he develops and fills in. His 15 HR in 493 PA (.155 ISO) in an extreme pitcher's league last year. He's got a compact swing and definitely doesn't sell out for power. When he barrels it up he can hit it way out but every HR that I saw last year was hit to the pull field. His exit velos are average, he's not creating elite power but assuming continued development he should grow into at least above average power and probably even plus at maturity Grade: 55

Field: Mitchell is a good athlete and looks fine in RF. He won't be a plus defender there but should not be a liability either. Grade: 50

Arm: I did not see Mitchell throw very much and he had 10 assists last year but his arm looked slightly below average in the few looks I got. His throws are accurate but they don't have a ton of velocity or carry to them. Grade: 45

Run: Mitchell is a decent athlete but is not a base stealing threat and will probably be a slightly below average runner at maturity Grade: 45

Overall: Mitchell was one of the approximately million Pirates second round picks who was drafted out of high school. However, unlike most of the other high school draftees he is not a pitcher. Mitchell has all the tools to be a proto-typical power hitting RF. However, I am not convinced he will get there. It is really unfortunate that there was no 2020 MiLB season (get used to reading that) as this was an important year in Mitchell's development. Gun to my head I think he falls short of his ceiling and ends up as a bench bat/4th OF.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench/Utility
Risk: Moderate

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Rodolfo Castro - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	PIT	2B	20	45

Grades Update: Jan 2021

OFP	Role	Hit	Power	Field	Arm	Run
45	40	45	50	60	50	50

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Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-0
Weight: 200 lbs
Hits/Throws: S/R
Acquired: 2015 IFA
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster

Physical Description: Average height. Medium build, solid lower half. Above average athlete. He "looks" great on the field even though he isn't an elite athlete. Looks very excited to hit and in the field.

Hit: Slightly open stance. Pre-load keeps his hands high, above eye level and his bat over his shoulder pointing down at a 45 degree angle. During the delivery he gets into position with a moderate leg kick. Castro has a good bat path and some feel for the barrel. As mentioned, he "looks" like a hitter and is up there to take cuts. Castro had better splits against LHP but should be able to continue as a switch hitter. Although his walk rate is low (usually around 7%) he is not a complete free swinger, he will draw a walk. Has average exit velos but can hit the ball hard. He hits a lot of choppers and mishits but as far as I can tell his swing is not geared for groundball contact. If anything, it looks like it's geared for line drives in the air. In '19 Castro tore up low-A but then struggled in 57 games in High-A but after watching him he looks like he should have hit better. Honestly, it seems like he just doesn't go up to the plate with much of a plan. He's not totally lost or anything and he doesn't get sequenced to death but he's got the tools to be a good hitter, you'd like to see him go up there looking for something specific to drive. Grade: 45

Power: Castro has some natural raw power. His raw power is probably a tick above average and in game it plays to about average. He absolutely crushed the ball in low-A (14HR in 246 PA) but even when he was struggling at High-A he had a respectable 5HR in 215 PA in an extreme pitcher's league. I think he will basically have average power at the MLB level with the chance for a tick more. . His average exit velocity isn't great because of all the mishits but he can hit the ball very hard when he squares it up. He looks to drive the ball in the air. He hit 19 HR in 412 PA last year (in a hitter's league but still) so the power is there but his problems with his hit tool are preventing the power from fully playing. Grade: 50

Field: Castro played all over the IF seeing significant time at SS, 2B and 3B. He's a good athlete but not a great one and really doesn't have the reflexes for 3B or the range for 2B. However, he should be fine as an everyday player at 2B and can backup at the other two positions as well. He won't be a liability. If they want to make him a super sub they could even try him in the OF corners Grade: 60

Arm: Castro has an average arm that should play fine at 2B. Grade: 50

Run: He rarely stole bases (in fact, I can't remember even seeing him attempt to steal) however, he ran well on the bases. Will probably settle in around average over time. Grade: 50

Overall: Castro was signed for $150,000 in international free agency (a modest amount) and has been a pleasant surprise, really breaking out in 2019. Although he struggled upon promotion to High-A he was added to the 40-man roster recently. Assuming his hit tool takes a moderate step forward, Castro has all the tools to be an average everyday regular at 2B. If not, he can profile as a bat-first utility infielder who can sub around the IF and has pop.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Below-Average Player: Bench/Utility
Risk: Moderate

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Steven Jennings - Scouting Report

Rank History

Year	Team	Position	Team Rank	OFP
2021	PIT	RHP	18	45

Grades Update: Jan 2021

OFP	Role	FB	CB	SL	CH	Ctr/Cmd
45	40	45	55	45	45	55/50

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Jan 2021 Report

Evaluator: Robert James

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Round 2
RuleV: 2021

Physical Description: Good size for a starting pitcher. He's got a medium build. He's thin and has some room on his frame to grow. Might put on some more muscle.

Delivery & Mechanics: High 3/4 arm slot. Gets about average extension, maybe a bit below. His delivery is clean though and is easily repeatable. He has a high leg kick but it actually looks a little bit shorter than when he was drafted.

Fastball: Malone's acquisition from the Diamondbacks as part of the Starling Marte deal signals a change in philosophy for the Pirates front office. They are now coveting power pitchers with swing and miss stuff as opposed to pitch-to-contact sinkerball pitchers, and Malone definitely fits that bill. He was one of the hardest throwing righties in the 2019 draft and he has already shown the ability to hold his velocity late in games. His physical stature and baseball acumen significantly raise his floor but it is the raw stuff that make his ceiling so tantalizing. If the command catches up to everything else, Malone could be a power pitcher who racks up big time strikeout numbers. Grade: 45

Curveball: Although Jennings may use his slider more, his curveball is his best secondary. He throws it around 77-80 and it has a good 12-6 break. Does not appear to slow his arm down at all to throw it. Jennings can throw the pitch in any count. He throws it for strikes and it is a not a pure swing and miss pitch, however, he can get swings and misses in the zone with it. Jennings commands the pitch very well.. Does not slow his arm down at all and it has a classic 12/6 shape. Can consistently throw it for strikes. Often works backwards and uses it to get ahead of hitters early in the count (starts a lot of guys off with it). It's a good pitch but he doesn't use it as a chase pitch and bury it in the zone much. Good control and command Grade: 55

Slider: In some starts this was his main secondary, however, it's not as consistent as the curveball. Around 83 mph. Has almost two types, sometimes it would have more of a tight one-plane break with a little help and other times it would be slurvier. He can throw it in the zone but mostly uses it as a chase pitch, burying it low and away to RHH. He would really pull it glove side too often, however Grade: 45

Changeup: I only saw a few changeups but they seemed to have good tumble and fade. Seemed to maintain arm speed. Grade: 45

Control and Command: Jennings' control and command are good. Although Jennings would struggle at times to command his breaking balls he was almost always around the zone. Jennings throws a ton of breaking balls and for the most part was able to keep hitters off balance by throwing them for strikes Control: 55 | Command: 50

Overall: For the past few years the Pirates have taken a high school right-handed starting pitcher with their second pick in the draft, Jennings is one of those picks. Normally, the Pirates like to select a big, projectable righty who has a good fastball and the beginnings of a breaking ball with the idea being that they will develop them into a power starting pitcher. Jennings sort of fits the mold and sort of doesn't. Although he's not huge, he was projectable when he was drafted, however the velocity never came. If Jennings lived around 96mph, he'd be a great prospect but right now the ceiling is more of a back end type but even that assumes he gains some more velocity. Because of his pitchability, his grade will move up a notch but Jennings is pretty close to becoming an org guy.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Long Reliever or Spot Starter
Risk: Moderate

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