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Physical Description: Sturdy,
athletic frame. Ideal pitcher’s build. Minimal remaining
projection.
Mechanics: Throws from a
three-quarters arm slot, starting on the first base side of the
rubber. Repeats delivery well. High leg kick which he tucks
behind during a slight trunk twist. Shorter stride with average
extension. Some effort in delivery. Drives hard off his back
side. Quick arm that comes across his body. Lands on-line to the
plate. Falls off hard to the first-base side.
Fastball: 94-97 mph. Tops out at 99 mph in-game. Hit
100 mph in winter workouts prior to the 2024 season and velocity
carried over in season. Plus life with the ability to miss bats
in all quadrants of the zone. Average command and control
profile. Needs to show he can hold velocity deeper into games as
he will often come out in the high 90s before settling in in the
mid 90s. Control is ahead of command and gives up a lot of hard
contact on his fastball for its velocity. Potential plus-plus
offering.
Slider: 90-93 mph. Shorter,
10-to-4 shape. Looks like a cutter at times. In some outings,
will show premium bat-missing ability, but in others will
struggle to snap it off. Shape varies, but at its best shows
depth and tilt. Potential plus offering.
Sweeper:
85-88 mph. Long, sweepy, horizontal shape. Added pitch in Spring
Training 2024. Inconsistent feel, but improved as 2024 went on.
Shows bat-missing ability and the ability to land in the zone.
Potential solid-average offering.
Splitter:
88-91 mph. Late dive down and out of the zone. Deceptive and
looks a lot like a fastball before falling off the table. Added
pitch in Spring Training 2024. Will show bat-missing potential
at its best, but is inconsistent. Throws primarily to
left-handed hitters. Potential average offering.
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Curveball: 77-81 mph. Fourth pitch, used
primarily as a change-of-pace offering. Seemed to scrap in favor
of a sweeper later in the 2024 season and did not throw in
outing scouted in Spring Training 2025.
Career
Notes: Did not play varsity baseball until senior year
of high school. Attended Eastern Oklahoma State College for two
years prior to transferring to Oklahoma. Really impressed in the
College World Series. Was drafted by the Royals in the 11th
round and signed for an over-slot bonus of $397,500. Made two
starts in High-A after a midseason promotion in 2023 before
suffering an oblique injury that ended his 2023 season. Acquired
from Kansas City in exchange for John Schreiber in February
2024. Named to 2024 Spring Breakout roster. Missed a month in
May/June 2024 with forearm tightness. Participated in the Red
Sox Rookie Development Program in January 2025. Named to 2025
Spring Breakout roster and got the start in the 2025 Futures at
Fenway South game.
Summation: Potential
swingman type capable of giving multiple innings either as a
starter or reliever. Ceiling of a quality mid-rotation starter
or closer. High-variance pitching prospect with a wide range of
outcomes even though he is in the high-minors already. Will show
four pitches that flash at least average, with his fastball
grading out very well analytically. Stuff ticked up heading into
the 2024 season and carried over into the season, but he
struggled at times to work deep into games. Needs to get more
efficient with his pitches and show the ability to hold
consistent stuff into the fifth and sixth innings. Exciting arm
with considerable upside if things click, but has substantial
bullpen risk.
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