Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Simon Mercedes Born: 02/17/1992 (Age: 22)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 4"	Weight: 240

Big frame; thick body; some room for growth but will need to put on healthy weight; quick arm; higher 3/4th arm slot; average plane; delivery is stiff; lacks efficient drive and uses more upper body on delivery; opens up body; hips are not in unison often; front side really flies at times and it slows his drive towards home; mechanics are fixable but he displays multiple inconsistencies; release points are all over; quick to home; 1.31 - 1.40 delivery times.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	08/28/2014
Affiliate	Salem Red Sox (High A, Red Sox)
Dates Seen	8/26/2014
OFP	40
MLB ETA	2017
Video	No

Pitch Type	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	55	88-92	93	Decent offering; average plane; can become flat and straight; shows cut in 88-90 velo band; release points all over; trouble with consistently throwing for strikes; dragged his arm a few times and FB went into ground; command is below-average currently; move to bullpen could likely tick velo up.
CB	45	76-81	81	Inconsistent; 11-5 offering; shows mild depth but hangs too much; cast many; release points are very inconsistent; ball slips out of his hands and hangs; also will snap into dirt very early; has trouble finding balanced release point; below-average command; release point refinements will go a long way; could be a solid get-me-over pitch if can be refined.
CH	30	79-82	84	Poor pitch; replicates his arm speed at times but at the cost of slowing down his body; no fade on the pitch; very mild movement; looks like a FB; left routinely up in the zone; poor command; could slightly improve release points and work on keeping his body and arm speed present; likely does not improve enough to matter.

Mercedes has a big frame and looks like he should throw harder than 88-92 mph. His mechanics are not good currently, and he could use more push and drive to maximize his talent. The arm speed is solid, and I think he works best as a RP moving forward. This will allow him to maximize the FB and drop the CH. His CB is decent enough to help him as a secondary pitch in the pen.

Mercedes is a RP all the way for me, who will likely struggle to find a consistent home in the majors.