| |
Physical Description: Tall,
sturdy frame. Maxed out physically, no remaining projection.
Mechanics: Throws from a high
three-quarters arm slot. Upright delivery. Does not use a
wind-up. Falls off hard to the first base side. Medium leg kick.
Controlled delivery. Has consistently tinkered with his
mechanics, trying to find something that works for him. Has used
a much shorter arm path during the 2020 season.
Fastball: 92-94 mph. Has topped out at 98-99 mph in the
past. Velocity has been down during the 2020 season, only
topping out at 96 and averaging just below 94 mph, whereas he
topped out at 98 and averaged just under 95 in 2019. Pitch has
straightened out and lost horizontal movement as he has gotten
deeper into his career. When on, pitch has shown bat-missing
ability. Command is average at best. Potential above-average
pitch.
Curveball: 80-83 mph. Long, with
two-plane break. At its best, shows depth and he can bury it
down in the zone for swinging strikes. Throws with above-average
spin. Potential above-average pitch.
Changeup:
85-87 mph. Lacks separation from his fastball. On the firm side
with some drop. Doesn’t throw often and lacks confidence in the
pitch. Potential below-average offering.
|
|
Slider: 85-88 mph. Clear fourth pitch that he
has de-emphasized over the past couple years, particularly in
2020, instead throwing his curveball more.
Career
Notes: Former member of the Canadian Junior
National Team, playing in the 18U World Championships. Missed
most of his senior year of high school with a UCL injury that
does not appear to have required Tommy John surgery. Originally
drafted by the Nationals, who traded him to the Phillies for
Jonathan Papelbon in 2015. After the Red Sox acquired him from
the Phillies in 2020, he pitched at the Alternate Training Site
until making his final two starts of the year in Boston. Was
kept in the minors for long enough in 2020 to delay his
qualifying for arbitration and free agency by a year each.
Entered 2021 in the Boston rotation.
Summation:
Potential MLB swingman type. Has rotation upside if he can
develop his changeup and refine his mechanics, but has not shown
that ability yet in his major league career. Has the size you
look for in a starter and a very strong arm, but lacks
refinement on the mound. If he can put it all together, has the
chance to develop into a mid-rotation starter, but the odds of
that are slim. The Red Sox will look to tweak some things and
see if they can unlock his talent, because if they can, he has
serious upside. A high-risk, high-reward acquisition.
Links
- |
|
