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Physical Description:
Left-hander with a medium frame. Not much projection remaining.
Looks listed height and weight.
Mechanics:
Throws from a three-quarters arm slot. Atypical delivery with
effort, but it works for him and he repeats it well. Starts
angled toward the first base dugout on the middle of the mound,
hands by his face, before sliding toward third base during
wind-up. Swings arm behind with a medium leg kick before coming
forward with above-average extension. Short arm action with a
hook behind. Hides the ball well before delivery. Will spin and
recoil on follow through.
Fastball:
92-94 mph, tops out at 96 mph. Potential above-average command
profile. Ability to miss bats is dependent on command, as it is
not an overpowering pitch. Designed to elicit weak contact
primarily, but has shown the ability to dial it up at times.
Velocity has ticked up a half grade since he returned from Tommy
John surgery. Seems to have scrapped his sinker as well
post-surgery. Potential average offering.
Slider: 84-88 mph. Short, two-plane break. Solid feel,
able to land in the zone or bury for strikes. Tough pitch for
left-handed hitters to read; starts right at their body before
breaking across the plate. Potential average offering.
Curveball: 74-79 mph. Throws both a vertical
curveball and sweeper. Able to get on top of and bury vertical
curveball down. Pitch has depth and tight rotation when he snaps
it off. Has been inconsistent in some outings during his rehab,
but has flashed bat missing ability. Sweeper is a newer pitch to
his arsenal but is also flashing potential. Potential
above-average offering.
Split-Change:
79-82 mph. Has rarely thrown during rehab outings scouted in
2025. Prior to his injury, showed advanced feel and confidence
in pitch. Will throw in any count to hitters on both sides, but
more effective against right-handed hitters. Throws with the
same arm speed as his fastball. Pitch drops off the table late.
Really can pull the string on it and elicit lots of swinging
strikes. Command can be spotty at times and will leave up in the
zone on occasion. Potential above-average offering, but grade is
fluid given he did not use it as much in rehab outings. |
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Career Notes: Not drafted out of high school,
but was recruited by several top Division I colleges in
California. Played for Brewster in the Cape Cod League in 2018,
struggling with control issues. Had a fairly impressive junior
season at San Diego despite walking more than 6 batters per 9
innings. Pitching crosschecker Chris Mears strongly advocated
for the Red Sox to select Murphy in the 2019 Draft. Cut down on
walks dramatically after signing, reportedly due to minor
mechanical tweaks. Participated in the Fall Instructional League
in 2019 and 2020. Posted extreme splits in 2021, dominating
left-handed hitters (.401 OPS, 0 HR) but getting hit very hard
by right-handers (.914 OPS, 21 HR), but this did not carry
forward, at least to that extreme. Participated in the Fall
Performance Program in 2021. Participated in 2022 Winter
Warm-Up. Added to the 40-man roster in November 2022 to protect
him from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Participated in 2023
Rookie Development Program. Placed on the 60-day injured list to
begin the 2024 season with a left UCL sprain. Had Tommy John
Surgery on April 10, 2024. Began a rehab assignment in late May
2025 and was activated on June 28, 2025.
Summation: Potential middle reliever. Ceiling of a
multi-inning reliever or quality second lefty in a bullpen.
Moved to the bullpen prior to his surgery and will stick there
long-term. Stuff has been inconsistent since he returned, but
both breaking balls have flashed bat-missing ability and
fastball has looked better the more he has thrown it. Has had
success against left-handed hitters, which gives him a floor at
least of an up-and-down lefty specialist. Arsenal is still
evolving as he seems to have scrapped his changeup and moved
from a slurvy slider and cutter to a sweeper and gyro slider.
Works hard, strong makeup.
Links
State of the System: Low Minors Pitchers (4.2.2020)
Scouting Report Update (8.12.2020)
Scout Chatter (11.30.2020)
Countdown to Spring Training (3.7.2023)
Notes from the Field (5.1.2023) |
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