Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | STL | LHP | 6 | 50 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Ctl/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 40 | 50 | 50/45 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: Wyatt Kleinberg
Age: 23 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215 lbs
Hits/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2019 Draft - Round 1
RuleV: 2022
Physical Description: At 6'2' 215, Thompson is pretty filled out -- in a solid position physically to succeed. All around athletic build with a strong lower half. Upper body has filled out more since his time with Kentucky. The plus athleticism and strong lower half helps him sink down in delivery. Solid mobility in shoulders, hips and groin muscles. Has a long injury history, particularly during his amateur days.
Delivery & Mechanics: Thompson has a very interesting delivery coming from the left side. He has a relatively quick leg kick that reaches about belt high at its apex. Delays his back leg sink until midway through his extension, which allows him to get very low upon plant. His plus leg strength and hip mobility help him keep the release height down; post plant (he plants very closed off, which could limit hip torque ie excess velocity), Thompson rotates his lower half well, and the plus scap retraction helps generate more force as his arm comes forward. High 3/4 slot with a very balanced follow through that helps him field the position well.
Fastball: Thompson's four seam fastball looks solid yet is nothing fantastic. Typically sitting in the low 90s, it has the ability to get up into the 96+ range. While its spin rate is subpar (2155 rpm), it still manages to get around average induced vertical break (16.5''). Despite the lack of elite traits, his unique look makes the fastball particularly effective against left handed hitters -- the 11:02 slot does help contribute to the eight inches of run on the pitch. He spots the heater well, and maintains the velocity deep into outings. Grade: 50
Curveball: Thompson's curve is the best pitch he has both on tape, and when looking at his data. The low to mid 70s velocity (avg of 74.2 mph) is a good change of pace for him, and the plus depth on the pitch shows signs of playing elite (-20.4" ivb). The plus to elite bender showcases tight break thanks to its 3090 average spin, and helps make the curve is his best counter to right handed hitters. The nature of his horizontal approach angle limit's the slider's effectiveness against righties (most dangerous against left handed hitters), so the fact that this pitch can play elite is a major player in how Thompson projects overall. The addition of a few mphs could see this pitch play as high as a 70. Grade: 60
Slider: The slider, despite having really poor traits can still be a plus pitch if optimized, and used almost exclusively against left handed bats. At an average of 83.2 mph, it is not the fastest of slider offerings -- the lack of spin on it (2005 avg rpm) also sees it struggle to play plus in any regard. Its ability to kill lift is nothing special, though the 3.2 inches of horizontal break do allow it to do some damage. He spots the pitch pretty well, and thanks to his wide horizontal approach angle, the pitch can surprise left handed hitters. At its best, the pitch's tilt would probably be shifted even further horizontally (2:20 now has more room to shift) in order to prioritize hmov. This would make it a greater weapon against lefties -- the low spin and subpar vertical break means that it must be used situationally or against lefties only anyway. Grade: 40
Changeup: Thompson's changeup has the potential to be an average to plus pitch at the big league level. The eight mph drop off in velocity from the fastball is more than adequate, and the low spin nature of the pitch suggests that it should have elite vertical break potential. While he does manage to get ten inches of induced vertical break on the change, a further horizontal shift of the pitch's tilt could result in a plus overall offering (the 14 inches of run are already adequate if he adds more vertical break) He has very good command of the pitch, and the solid feel could make it play plus at the big league level. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Thompson is a solid strike thrower, though he does have a tendency to lose his slider and change at times in the feel department. Overall average control over the four pitch mix. Spots the fastball and curve (his two best and most consistent options) very well, though he can lose his change and slider more regularly. While his misses on the changeup are not as detrimental, the slider can be a serious issue for him; hanging the pitch at the next level very rarely results in anything other than a run up on the scoreboard for the other team. Control: 50 | Command: 45
Overall: The lack of an elite primary offering does not help Thompson, though his ability to spot it makes up for its deficiencies. The curve plays plus to elite against both righties and lefties, and should be considered the better of his two breaking ball offerings. Changeup is overall average to plus, and the slider is really only a weapon against left handed hitters. He has a long injury history which raises concerns for me while evaluating him as a starter. If he cant stay healthy, he could become a solid high leverage reliever with a playable four pitch mix.
OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4-#5 Backend SP
Risk: High
