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August 21, 2014

Eyewitness Accounts

August 21, 2014

by Tucker Blair

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Branden Kline
Dylan Baker
Jacob Lindgren
Reynaldo Lopez
Mason Williams
Tyler Austin
Gary Sanchez

Branden Kline


	Born: 09/29/1991 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 3"	Weight: 210

Athletic frame; chiseled body; probably maxed; high 3/4 arm slot; nearly over the top; excellent arm speed; slight stab; generates good drive; excellent extension; keeps body tall and compact; mechanics look weird but are fluid and seem to work for him; delivery is methodical and he needs to repeat everything for his arsenal to work; delivery times 1.41 - 1.56.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/08/2014
Affiliate	Frederick Keys (High A, Orioles)
Dates Seen	8/7/2014
OFP/Risk	55/Moderate
Realistic	50; Middle Reliever/7th Inning Arm
MLB ETA	2016
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	55	60	89-94	95	Explosive pitch; ability to extend and push pitch off good downward plane allows him to maximize the velocity; minimal horizontal movement; very straight at times but not flat; velocity fluctuates too much; not a stamina issue as he was pumping in the 94-95 velo band during the fifth inning; mostly sat in 92-93 velo band; lack of movement will likely hold back from being a true plus pitch; currently average command; move to bullpen would easily play up the FB and Kline can gas the pitch when necessary without losing any of the plane and explosion.
2S	50	50	87-88	89	Threw only a handful; decent arm-side run with some boring action; average pitch that is a good change-of-pace from his 4S and has enough movement to differentiate from his other offerings; likely phased out of his arsenal the further he moves up the system.
SL	45	50	81-83	83	Sweeping pitch; spin can be tight at times; not a ton of tilt; average command; ability to sweep for strike on outside corner; sometimes will grip too hard and drag arm into ground; looks odd out of high 3/4 arm slot and takes away some of the horizontal opportunity.
CH	45	50	80-83	84	CH has improved some since beginning of the season; slight parachute action; mild arm-side run; ball moves well out of hand; slightly too firm at times; pounds low and away against LHH; not afraid to throw against RHH but loses some of the deception; works well with his fastball but not a true difference maker; average command.

Kline has an explosive FB but lacks extreme movement on any of his arsenal. He has a methodical delivery that might turn off some due to the quirkiness of it. The high 3/4 to a long extension and drive looks odd, but it works for Kline and he has become much more consistent with his delivery since last season.

I like Kline's role as a reliever more than a starter, although I think he is one that you keep as a starter for as long as possible. The stuff is going to play out of the bullpen for certain, but keeping him in the rotation will allow refinement of his CH and SL. He's a low-risk bullpen option, but as a starter he has more risk simply due to the fact he will need to work on retaining velocity consistently throughout a game and refining the command and crispness of his arsenal. In the bullpen, Kline's FB/CH/SL combo will play up.

Dylan Baker


	Born: 04/06/1992 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 2"	Weight: 215

Thick bottom half; powerful legs; frame is mostly maxed; high effort delivery; slightly high 3/4 arm slot; terrific arm speed; rears back on delivery; very small stab; has trouble staying balanced; large amount of effort and moving parts at times; hips sometimes rotate too much; able to establish a good drive and extension; uses his bottom half well and is able to get the most out of his thick lower half; good plane; mechanics are better suited for a max-effort reliever but has the stamina and body to maintain this effort as a starter; slow to home; 1.41 - 1.61 delivery times.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/08/2014
Affiliate	Carolina Mudcats (High A, Indians)
Dates Seen	8/7/2014
OFP/Risk	55/Moderate
Realistic	50; Middle Reliever/7th Inning Arm
MLB ETA	2016
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	60	60	92-95	96	Explosive pitch with good life; comes off a great plane and really sneaks up on the hitter; lacks much horizontal movement; routinely pounds both sides of the plate; loves to attack hitters inside; average command currently; changes the hitter's eye level frequently; loses some of his plane in the higher velo band; probably sees a tick in velo from a move to the bullpen.
CB	55	60	82-84	86	11-5 to 10-6 offering; more vertical in my viewing at beginning of the year; can be viewed as more of a slurve; hard tilt; can have depth at times; sometimes will snap too sharp and will spin hard without much depth; currently fringe-average command; will throw against both LHH and RHH; not afraid to throw in any count; drags arm across body at times and will snap pitch into dirt; has some release point issues but was able to fix these as game went along; plus potential and will reach that with more consistent mechanics.
CH	30	35	83-86	87	Below-average offering; lacks feel; virtually no fade or parachute action; firm and looks like a FB; velo difference is not efficient; lacks command and left up in zone way too often; I do not envision much improvement here.

This was my second time viewing Baker this season, and first time since he broke his ankle and missed nearly four months.

Baker has a lively FB and the CB has some promise. However, the CH is not effective at all currently and will likely hold him from becoming a consistent starter at higher levels. Baker has lost a ton of development time in the past year, but a team could accelerate his timeline and work him out of the bullpen. He has the arsenal to at least pitch the 7th in the bigs, with potential to pitch more impact innings down the road. The risk as a starter is high, as the CH and lost development time have really hindered his progression. As a reliever, he could move quickly through the system and could see the majors in the next year or two.

Jacob Lindgren


	Born: 03/12/1993 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Left
	Height: 5' 11"	Weight: 180

Small stature; sturdy lower half; maxed frame; excellent arm speed; 3/4 arm slot; quirky mechanics; methodical delivery that needs to hit on all cylinders for peak effectiveness; slight stab; mostly stiff upper half; mild drive; max effort as reliever; falls toward third base side; slight rock and pause in delivery; predominantly turns hips; causes timing issues; generates good plane on his pitches even with smaller stature; able to keep body balanced and in unison.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/17/2014
Affiliate	Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees)
Dates Seen	8/15/2014
OFP/Risk	55/Low
Realistic	55; Late-innings Reliever
MLB ETA	2015
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	55	60	90-92	92	Generates good plane; lively pitch; able to cut or work arm-side run; hitters have trouble timing his FB; excellent movement overall; LHH struggle mightily to pick up out of his hand; able to still hide pitch against RHH; command is currently average; will leave FB up in zone at times and does not have elite velocity to get away with this; drags his arm occassionally which causes a few to whip too far outside the zone; FB likely plays up to plus with slight refinement in command and rest after a long season pitching in college and minors.
SL	65	70	81-84	84	Extreme tilt; tight spin and two-plane break; snaps and moves quickly; ability to pound both sides of the plate; works against both LHH and RHH; hitters have hard time identifying and recognizing pitch out of hand; many late swings and buckled knees; release points wavered; released too early a few times; still showed tilt but lacked the extreme two-plane break; average command currently; will reach plus-plus offering with slight release point refinement.

Lindgren is ready for the majors right now. His FB/SL combo would play at the highest level right at this moment, and he has the potential to become a late-innings reliever.

There is minimal growth left, but he will work efficiently as a one or two inning reliever who can work his FB on both sides of the plate and then finish off hitters with the SL. Lindgren could be a dominant reliever next season, and will be effective against both LHH and RHH.

Reynaldo Lopez


	Born: 01/04/1994 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 0"	Weight: 185

Athletic build; projectable body; looks taller than listed height; very good frame; high 3/4 arm slot; elite arm speed; does not have a stab but rears back and has long rotation in delivery; loop in arm action; mildly stiff on front leg and not a huge extension; able to keep hips from torquing too much; stands on first base side of rubber; keeps body compact, on a straight line toward home; excellent plane and able to stay tall; fluid delivery; delivery times 1.43 - 1.56; majority of the velocity comes from elite arm speed and the long rotation on arm in delivery.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/19/2014
Affiliate	Hagerstown Suns (Low A, Nationals)
Dates Seen	8/19/2014
OFP/Risk	70/High
Realistic	60: No. 3 Starter
MLB ETA	2016
Video	No

Pitch Type	Present Grade	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	70	80	94-98	99	Elite velocity; explosive offering capable of reaching upper velo bands on a consistent basis; easy velo; heavy fastball off a terrific plane; shows arm-side run as well; FB has extreme life and hitters have difficult time barreling; command is very projectable; able to spot his pitches; keeps ball low and was attacking hitters low all night; could be plus command in future; command wavered in final two innings when he started to tire; held velocity in stretch at 94-97 velo band; touched 97 in sixth; needs to work on attacking glove side with FB; could be one of the most electric FB from a SP in the game.
CB	50	60	76-80	82	11-5 offering; inconsistent currently; flashes shape and depth at its best; tight spin with good rotation through its trajectory; arm speed is consistent with FB; cast a couple; release points are slightly inconsistent but looks to still be learning feel for the pitch; best in the 76-78 velo band; could be a plus offering when he is able to throw more consistently; command is currently fringe.
CH	40	50	84-86	87	Able to replicate FB arm speed; pitch has feel; too firm right now but displays mild fading action; able to work low in zone and only hung one in the middle of the plate out of a dozen; command is currently below average; release points seem to waver; repetition and refinement of CH are well in reach and could be an average pitch with more consistency.

Lopez signed with the Nationals for $17K and looks to be a steal. His FB is one of the best pitches in the minors. He is able to command the pitch currently, and shows pitchability at such a young age without much experience. His ability to keep the FB low and induce groundballs and weak contact is exceptional. One sequence on the night was a 98 mph FB, 86 mph CH, 98 mph FB, 82 CB for a K.

Lopez is a high risk prospect due to just reaching the Low-A level and the CB and CH still need more refinement until he is able to handle higher levels. The FB is a truly great pitch and will soar him through the minors if he can improve the secondary offerings even mildly. This is one of the best arms I have seen all year.

Mason Williams


	Born: 08/21/1991 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Left	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 1"	Weight: 180
	Primary Position: CF
	Secondary Position: RF

Frame is on the skinny side but not wiry; muscular and athletic; likely a maxed frame.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/18/2014
Dates Seen	8/15/2014 - 8/17/2014
Affiliate	Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2016	High	30	20; Org. Player	No

Not impressed with makeup; does not look interested; looks defeated before he steps on the field; does not hustle; looks apathetic out there; no urgency for anything.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	20	Lost at the plate; has no plan at all; approach is poor; constantly behind in counts; swinging at pitches outside the zone and getting tied up on pitches grooved in the middle of the plate; swing is all over the place; loopy swing; too much noise in back shoulder and wrists; drops his back shoulder often; getting under the ball at times and not driving the pitch; plus bat speed; feet are messy; shuffling too much and unbalanced; collapses entire backside and weight shifts to front foot; really struggles to make consistent contact even in batting practice; overwhelmed at Double-A; struggles with break; struggles with high velocity; cannot identify sufficient break.
Power	30	Minimal power; does not barrel the ball enough to have impact power; average raw power but will never see it play in game; swing is not conducive for power; quick bat but too much noise to drive the ball.
Baserunning/Speed	55	4.19 home-to-first; good agility; decent second gear but not great; he likely has plus speed but I did not see it due to lack of hustle.
Glove	60	One viewing in each from CF and RF; displayed quick bursts and agility from both positions; routes were mediocre; looked uncomfortable playing RF and botched a running play toward the corner; much better the next night in CF; good first jump; looks to struggle on balls hit directly at him; overall is plus in OF due to athleticism and good agility; covers a lot of ground; able to make up for most of his judgment mistakes.
Arm	40	Not much on his throws; fringe-average arm strength; throws can become lofted and lack burst; does not set his feet at times and struggles with accuracy.

Williams showed nothing in my viewing. His bat was extremely inconsistent and he failed to produce the same swing throughout an entire series. The defense is not going to carry him through the minors.

The most concerning part about Williams' game was the effort. I did not get the impression that he cared, and it often felt like he had already lost or failed before he stepped up to bat. The makeup issues are real, and he might be feeling the stress of a disastrous season. Williams is a project at this point, and one that will likely never be finished. There are too many gaps and inconsistencies in his game for him to provide any value at the highest level.

Tyler Austin


	Born: 09/06/1991 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 1"	Weight: 220
	Primary Position: RF
	Secondary Position: LF

Does not look listed height; thick thighs and a power bottom; muscular and in shape.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/18/2014
Dates Seen	8/15/2014 - 8/17/2014
Affiliate	Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	Moderate	50	45; Second Division Starter	No

Hustled the entire series; otherwise, just looked like one of the guys.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	50	Quick hands; quiet swing that is a straight path through zone; short stroke; minimal noise in swing; tick above-average bat speed; ability to pull hands in or extend and go opposite; decent bat control; uses entire field and does not overexert his swings; keeps feet balanced with mildly small load; average pitch recognition; will get tied up with plus offerings but can still fight them off; not an impact bat but the hit tool will play at any position.
Power	45	Slight lift in swing; quick hands and above-average bat speed allow for power to play; barrels a lot of pitches but does not have a true power swing; torques hips at moderate level; average raw power.
Baserunning/Speed	50	More quick than fast; average runner in all phases of game; instincts help play up speed; 8.04 to second on a double because of perfect baserunning and hustle.
Glove	50	Good instincts but lacks pure athleticism to provide plus defense; routes are fine; understands that he is not a speed demon and shifts his routes in moderation; not going to stand out but can be an average glove on the corner; footwork was impressive.
Arm	55	Solid-average arm strength; able to make hard throws on a line to 2B and cutoff man; balls fades and dies mildly on throws to home but is still able to make them with enough strength; accurate throws; gunned a guy out at the plate from moderate distance in RF.

Austin had a terrific series, making hard contact and displaying instincts all over the diamond. His swing is going to play at any level, although it is not an impact bat. As a corner outfielder, Austin is a fringe starter or second-division mold. He does not have the impact tools to become more of an asset.

Austin will be in the majors soon, but he will need to consistently hit to provide any impact as a second-division starter.

Gary Sanchez


	Born: 12/02/1992 (Age: 21)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 3"	Weight: 235
	Primary Position: C
	Secondary Position: 1B

Stocky build; thicker body that looks like a catcher mold; slight room left to grow into frame; does not need that growth and could actually slim down some to provide more athleticism.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/18/2014
Dates Seen	8/15/2014 - 8/17/2014
Affiliate	Trenton Thunder (AA, Yankees)

MLB ETA	Risk Factor	OFP	Realistic Role	Video
2015	High	50	40; C/1B/Bench Role	No

Looks lazy out there; no hustle; knows he is slow and almost plays the game this way; does not look like a high-energy player.

Tool	Future Grade	Report
Hit	40	Inconsistent swing; plus bat speed; quick wrists; able to control the bat head efficiently but will not always put the ball in play; swing can become too handsy; sometimes fails to use his bottom half; generates efficient hip torque but swings can become lazy at times; very slight hitch at times; great extension and able to cover a lot of the zone; loves to push the ball to the right-center gap; ability to drive ball to all parts of the field; will get under the ball at times and backspin a popup; average pitch recognition; can handle high-end velocity but will cheat sometimes.
Power	60	Easy plus raw power; power is a big part of his game; hits the ball hard when he makes contact; slight lift in swing; plus bat speed and quick wrists; body is built for power and has the hip torque to hit balls hard.
Baserunning/Speed	20	Lacks any form of speed; home to first times are consistently over 4.6 seconds; poor second gear.
Glove	40	Defense has improved since my viewing last season; feet are still slow and he lacks the necessary movement to block pitches; really struggles to block pitches in the dirt; footwork is still largest issue; does show ability to bounce out in front of home plate and set himself for a throw to first or second; no feel for pitch framing; lacks the fluidity in his wrists and hands to catch; he can hold his own behind the dish but will not be an asset; sluggish movement added to below-average receiving skills hinder his defensive value.
Arm	70	Did not record a pop time in game; 1.97 on a warmup; displays an excellent arm in game; terrific arm strength; laser throws; able to throw with force and made two bullet throws to first on bunts; plus-plus tool that will help him behind the plate and might play up the defense.

Sanchez is an intriguing player with a hit-first style. His bat will likely work at C, but the defense is not at the level needed to stick defensively at the highest level. He is not reliable behind the plate currently, although there have been slight improvements in his horizontal movement since my last viewing in 2013.

The bat may play at 1B, but it takes away his best value as a prospect - the arm. Sanchez is still a high-risk player even with significant time at the Double-A level. His defensive game is not ready for the majors and could significantly alter his value as a prospect. With fringe defense at C, he is a bat-first prospect who will need to crush the ball to stick as a consistent starter as a 1B/DH hybrid who can play C in a pinch. I think he is closer to the realistic role than the OFP.

Tucker Blair is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @TuckerBlairON
Click here to see Tucker's other articles. You can contact Tucker by clicking here

11 comments have been left for this article.

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carlbrownson

(59095)

I don't think that's what power bottom means

Aug 21, 2014 04:33 AM

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rating: 1

Tanana Republic

(57839)

I'd rather top out myself.

Aug 21, 2014 06:00 AM

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rating: 0

Bellin Detances

(71724)

I'd never heard of Lopez before this week, when CJ Wittmann mentioned him in a chat. How did he stay completely off the radar until now?

Aug 21, 2014 07:25 AM

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rating: 1

Tucker Blair

BP staff

(80223)

He is an interesting story. Here is what I am aware of in terms of his background:

- Signed for 17K
- Spent first year or two signed tweaking his delivery.
- Sent to short season in 2013 but was shut down due to injury
- Has gradually gained velocity in the past year or two.
- He was sitting 88-91 when signed

There was not much time for him to really jump on the radar. He's really fun to watch. One of the best arms I have seen all year.

Aug 21, 2014 08:10 AM

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Bellin Detances

(71724)

Very interesting, indeed. So he was an under-the-radar signing who has figured things out and is just now about to make a name for himself. I may have to jump on him in my deep dynasty before anyone else finds out about him. This is why I subscribe to BP! Thanks!

Aug 21, 2014 08:34 AM

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rating: 1

sldetckl16

(76591)

Amen - looks like I have a reason to continue to go to Hagerstown next year once Giolito departs. Let the man-crush begin.

Aug 21, 2014 18:43 PM

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rating: 0

R.A.Wagman

(32721)

Why are his K%'s not higher?

Aug 21, 2014 18:44 PM

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Tucker Blair

BP staff

(80223)

So many factors involved with something like this.
He is in development. I saw him blow by the FB with ease, but just alone it does not get him through a MLB lineup. He is working on the CB/CH. Both pitches are clearly behind the FB (and always will be).

He could strike out every other hitter at Low-A with his FB, but that does not help him grow into a starter in the majors.

Aug 21, 2014 19:11 PM

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LanceR

(67443)

Kline's role/ceiling isn't surprising because that's what it was when he was drafted. Still not too satisfied with taking him in the second round, 65th overall, in 2012.

Aug 21, 2014 18:58 PM

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Bridgemaniac

(69819)

I have no problem landing a solid reliever with the 65th pick

Aug 22, 2014 09:39 AM

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JFerko15

(78159)

OFP ?

Aug 25, 2014 22:31 PM

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