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Physical Description: Tall,
athletic pitcher's frame. Type of frame you look for in a
pitcher. High waist, long limbs. Minimal remaining projection.
Mechanics: Throws from a low three-quarters
arm slot. Utilizes a full wind up. Starts on the first base side
of the rubber. Long arm action including elbow climb in the back
and high leg kick. Cross-fire delivery is very tough on
right-handed hitters. Gets good extension to the plate. Very
quick arm. Unique delivery with a lot of effort, but it works
for him. Has worked on staying squarer to the plate with very
obvious improvements. Does struggle to repeat his delivery as he
works deeper into games.
Fastball: 93-95
mph. Tops out at 98 mph. In college, he worked almost
exclusively off a two-seam fastball regarded as among the best
in the 2017 draft. In 2018, the organization attempted to work
with Houck to instead rely primarily on a four-seam fastball,
based in part on Trackman data, but he struggled in the first
half of the year and returned midseason to primarily throwing
the two-seam while mixing in the four-seam more often. Two-seam
shows arm-side run and heavy sink down in the zone. Four-seam is
routinely in the 95-97 mph range, but the pitch is straight and
gets hit hard when in the zone. Below-average fastball command
profile. Potential above-average pitch. May add a cutter
eventually.
Slider: 82-85 mph. Has
returned to throwing the sweepy, frisbee-like 10-to-4 slider he
used in college and after being drafted. Tried out a spike
curveball grip during the first half of the 2018 season, but
because of his arm angle, the pitch wasn't a good fit. Has shown
great confidence in his slider, willing to throw it to both
right- and left-handed hitters. Can locate in and out of the
zone. Has bat-missing potential. Pitch is very tough on
right-handed hitters. Potential plus offering.
Splitter: 87-88 mph. Started throwing in 2020. Pitch
shows late, downward action and has missed bats when he buries
it down in the zone, although it has yet to be tested in true
game action. Has shown the ability to pull the string on it, but
is still inconsistent with his feel for the pitch. Development
of the pitch as an option to get out left-handed hitters will be
key to him reaching his ceiling.
Changeup:
86-88 mph. Scrapped the pitch in favor of the splitter in 2020.
Pitch was very inconsistent and he tinkered with the grip as a
professional. Switched to using a circle grip in 2019. Pitch
flashed drop and deceptive arm speed, but he had trouble turning
the pitch over and it often it was firm and straight. Was a
potential fringe-average offering with significant refinement.
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Career Notes: Drafted by
Toronto out of high school but did not sign. Pitched for Team
USA collegiate national team in 2015 and 2016. After signing,
inspired by his adopted sister (as well as his father and
stepfather, who were both adopted), created Tanner Houck's Pitch
for Adoption, an organization through which he donates money to
charitable causes for each strikeout. The Red Sox development
plan after drafting Houck included an overhaul of his arsenal
and mechanics in an effort to increase his chances of staying in
the rotation. Experimented with primarily throwing a four-seam
fastball in early 2018 that he now will mix in with the two-seam
and has changed grips on his breaking ball and changeup. Missed
last few weeks of 2018 season with chest/back/spine/ribcage
inflammation. Participated in 2018 Fall Instructional League.
Moved to the bullpen in July 2019 shortly before promotion to
Triple-A, and appeared primed for a potential MLB call-up down
the stretch if Boston had remained in the playoff race. Moved
back into the rotation in the Arizona Fall League and has
continued to pitch as a starter since. Pitched for Team USA in
the 2019 Premier12 Tournament. Pitched at the Alternate Training
Site for most of the 2020 season before making three outstanding
starts in the majors to close the year. At the ATS, focused
mainly on facing left-handed hitters, with the club stacking the
lineups he faced with left-handers. Became second Red Sox
pitcher, after Eduardo Rodriguez, to throw at least five innings
and allow one or fewer runs in his first three MLB starts. Began
the 2021 season as the organization's top spot starter. After
one start in Worcester to start the minor league season in May,
was placed on the IL with a sore flexor muscle. Injured a disc
on August 2, 2022 and missed the remainder of the season.
Underwent lumbar discectomy surgery in September 2022.
Summation:
Potential late-inning reliever, with a chance to develop into a
back-end starter if his splitter develops to complement his
slider and he refines his fastball command. Could also succeed
in a multi-inning relief role. Will likely struggle to turn over
a lineup of major league-quality hitters with his current pitch
mix and mechanics. Arm slot and fastball-slider combination make
him extremely difficult on right-handers, but his low arm slot
and lack of a third pitch give him trouble against lefties.
Splitter is a new addition to his arsenal, but it has shown
potential against left-handed hitters, which will be vital to
chances stick in the starting rotation. Has the size and
demeanor you look for in a pitcher; able to bear down when
necessary.
Links
Featured Video (8.2.17)
Scouting Scratch (8.4.17)
Scouting Scratch (9.14.17)
State of the System: Mid-Minors Pitchers (4.3.20)
Scouting Report Update (6.1.2020)
Video from Pawtucket (9.1.2020)
Scouting Report Update (9.11.2020) |
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