Professional

Jesus Luzardo

Player Summary:

Delivery: Athletic, balanced, linear, fluid, and smooth delivery that he repeats consistently. Hides ball well on backside behind his head and ball comes out of his hand easy and with lots of deception keeping same arm speed. Will slide-step/quick-pitch with no runners on base and maintaining same velo and command. Despite smaller size, stays on top of his pitches well allowing for avg plane. Pitches from 1B side of the rubber.

Stuff:
FB – In Spring Training outing on March 5, 2019 range was 93-98, sat 96 in 1st inning, 95 in 2nd inning and 94 in 3rd inning (last inning of work). Has heavy sink and late arm side run at times. Occasionally flat in the zone due to shorter size and slot, but has enough velo and deception that he can get away with making mistake. Velo up from last year (June 2018) where he sat between 92-94 but was able to go 95-96 whenever he needed. Maintained 92 last year in both starts into 5th inning. Overall, FB is deceptively quick and plays up due to delivery and how he compliments other pitches with it. Likes to elevate FB to RHH and LHH when ahead for strikeout. Gets plenty of swings and misses with it. Last year he showed advanced ability to start in on RHH and run it back over the inside corner for a strike. Really easy velo, if he gets behind in the count he can still groove 92 with ease.

Slider – it’s really a power slurve to LHH when ahead and also to RHH when ahead. Showed better velo with it than last year. He adds and subtracts with it, going as low as 82 and as high as 87. The slurve is really tough on LHH and has a tight rotation with sharp late break out of the zone at times while other times he will front-door a LHH throwing it with a bigger bend and a bit slower, dropping it in the zone for a strike. Overall it’s deceptive with big shape and late 2-plane movement. Last year it was really tough on LHH, buckling their knees frequently. He’ll go backdoor to RHH for fun with it. Consistent shape, in zone, just not always consistent to spots yet. Big big shape going in on RHH when ahead, moving from outside corner to their back foot.

Change-up – his best off-speed pitch right now – falls off the table with 2-plane fading action and really sells it with same arm speed as FB, yet it’s in the 85-87 mph range. Getting both RHH and LHH to swing and miss in and out of the zone with it. Plus movement, command, and deception making it a future elite offering.

How he pitches: Pounds zone with advanced feel to pitch for age/level. Works very quick with great tempo and calm demeanor. Makes hitters very uncomfortable in box. Pitches in vs. RHH well. Too many weapons to choose from – uses any 3 of his pitches as an out-pitch to either RHH or LHH. Gets better as game goes on because batters got later and later on FB 2nd time through because they don’t know what’s coming (June 2018).

Profile: Future Ace with elite poise and competitiveness and 3-pitch elite mix along with 7 command at peak. Had TJ in 2016, so durability could be a concern and he’s on the shorter side so his plane is only average, at best, but otherwise this is the perfect pitcher for the top of a rotation at peak.

One Line Summary:
Future Ace w/ elite mix/command/deception. Compare to Johan Santana.


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Brendan McKay

Player Summary:

Delivery: Simple, slow developing, methodical delivery with sudden quick arm as he delivers, giving him some deception. Slots drops down at times, might be on purpose. Short stride, stays closed well and linear to plate with efficient transfer of energy. Pitches from 3B side of the rubber.

Stuff:
FB – mostly lateral movement, if it moves. A lot are straight. Sitting 93-94 in 1st inning of work, sitting 92 in 2nd inning and 91 in 3rd inning of work and onward.

Cutter – can be flat at times, some look more like a SL, and have a bit more depth. Better to LHH. Mostly played fringy but it’s projectable. At lower velo it has 2-plane movement and will be plus.

CB – tight 3/4 break, some a bit more downward action than across. Good velo but not enough separation with cutter. Inconsistent shape.

CH – didn’t throw many, not enough to grade out. 84-86, too close to FB at times.

How he pitches: Tough angle vs. LHH, even though he’s on 3B side of the rubber. Not maintaining velo well. Uses either CB or Cutter when ahead to RHH and LHH. Projectable command and pitchability. Pitched in long relief for first outing at this level but normally a starter.

Profile: Doesn’t have anything slower to change batters timing much. Didn’t see enough CH to project either. Upside as Abv avg ML starter and floor as Middle-Reliever. He will pitch in big leagues realistically as a solid-avg ML starter, Role 4 for most of his career as long as he stays healthy. Stuff might even work better for bullpen where FB would really play up.

One Line Summary: High Floor w/ makings of abv avg ML LHS

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Fernando Tatis Jr

Makeup:
Hustles. Doesn’t play entitled despite the talent. Looks like he’s having fun. Calm but very focused demeanor. Plays with advanced maturity for age.

Player Summary:
Offense: Handsy, smooth, athletic, line drive swing with consistent hard contact to all fields. Stays on the ball really long through zone with excellent bat speed, pitch recognition and bat to ball skills. Consistently barrels and has really good feel for bat in zone. Knows the strike zone and what to swing at. Really good load and keeps hands back well on off-speed and really quick wrists and trigger allows him to sit on pitches no matter the count. Maintains excellent leverage during swing, allowing him to tap into borderline 7 raw power to LFC/Straight-away that projects to be top of the scale at peak. Aggressive takes and never looks overmatched, no matter the stuff. Really comfortable in the box. Shows ability to make adjustments from pitch to pitch and AB to AB. Rarely chases or expands the zone but his ability to hit almost everything means he sometimes gets himself out when he’s not totally locked in. Able to drive mistakes out of park with consistency. Shows no fear against all pitchers and pitch types. No glaring holes in swing or approach.

Running: Always hustling down the line out of the box with long, athletic, and powerful strides. Really shows borderline elite speed going 1st to 3rd. Aggressive turns and aggressive on bases stealing bases at ease. Plus-plus reads on ball into OF and knows when to take extra bases. Amazing going 1st to 3rd on short 1B to LF in front of him. Excellent base runner, efficient cuts on corners. Body type make cause him to slow down a tad at peak to just above average speed.

Defense: Only saw time at SS during coverage. Has some good reads off bat and helps him to get most plays but he’s not shifty with footwork and he’s high-waisted making it difficult to get low and through some balls there that a natural SS makes. Consistent low throws and very inaccurate with inconsistent release not in synch with footwork. Routine grounders proved to be difficult due to throwing mechanics. Struggles to catch ball at times when he’s moving through it and height makes it difficult for him to gobble it up and throw with one motion, he usually has to set his feet and then he’s not in rhthym to throw cleanly. Lacks feel for throwing or flipping, everything is hard and his grip is tight. As he comes through ball his feet move too quick and really not in synch with arm/release. Tracks pop-ups really well and he’s aggressive to ball, showing solid hands that will allow him to be abv avg at 3B at peak – not a natrual SS.

Profile: 5-tool, special player with advanced instincts in all aspects, especially on offense and base-running. Only downside is he does not look natural at SS and even though he’s got the hands, arm and athleticism to play there, he doesn’t move through ball and throw well and would really benefit from a move to 3B. You can drop him in the big leagues today and he’ll figure out a way to produce value but since he’s only 19, a bit more seasoning in AA/AAA will help but he’s already too advancd for AA level.

One-Line Summary:
Future All-Star 3B w/ well abv avg combo of off/def/run

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Sixto Sanchez

Delivery:
Athletic, balanced, fluid and compact delivery that’s mostly repeatable. Stays on top well but have very little natural plane. Sometimes he changes slot between his FB and off-speed accounting for some lack of deception.

Stuff:
FB – Sitting 99 from windup in first inning of start, 97-98 from stretch and then sat 96 in innings 2-4. Hit 100 a few times. Late run, good life but throwing too many down the middle. Tends to be up and straight in the zone at times.

SL – true, sharp, late break. Sometimes he telegraphs and gets on the side of.

CH – cuts across it at times but has solid sink when he stays on top and it’s deceptive. Throws to RHH effectively. Got better throughout his outing the more he threw it but not getting LHH to swing and miss/chase consistently – he does get weak grounders from them though. Inconsistent movement but it’s avg now with good sepration with FB when he throws it right.

How he pitches:
Relies on velo and movement, lacks deception and plane. More of a strike throwing guy than command guy right now, but delivery and youth project for better command.

Profile:
This guy has the stuff right now to compete in the big leagues but he’s only 19 and he would benefit from moving up to 2A first and refining his command and off-speed. At peak he’s a top of the rotation starter and only things keeping him from Role 8 is the command doesn’t projet to be elite and lack of plane (when he leaves the FB up). Mature frame – so not going to project for more velo. He’s got a similar profile to Pedro Martinez, a bit thicker now than Pedro was at this age and also from a higher slot with less deception but it’s still reminiscent of him. Future All-Star starter.

One-Line Summary:
Fut.All-Star: Electric arm, athletic deliv, elite stuff

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