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Aaron Northcraft
Born: 05/28/1990 (Age: 24) |
| Bats: Right |
Throws: Right |
| Height: 6' 3" |
Weight: 229 |
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| Mechanics: Big body; low three-quarters arm slot; leg wrap feeds into drop and drive; arm drag; controlled motion; maintains posture throughout smooth delivery; clean ending to delivery allows him to field position effectively; doesn’t hide the ball well; average arm speed; average momentum; limited room for projection. |
| Brendan Gawlowski |
| 04/21/2015 |
| El Paso Chihuahuas (AAA, Padres) |
| 4/20/2015 |
| 40 |
| 2016 |
| No |
| Fastball |
40 |
87-88 |
92 |
Touched 91 and 92, but mostly sat around 88; features arm-side tail; can sink it; limited plane from low arm slot; can spot on both corners; likes to run it in on the hands of righty bats; command of the fastball deteriorated over course of the outing, particularly in a long fifth inning; not a bat miser; didn’t induce whiffs when elevated; pitches outside the zone stem from nibbling, not wildness. |
| Slider |
40 |
80-81 |
82 |
Comes in flat; limited vertical movement; break is long rather than sharp; can throw as a strike to both sides of the plate; can get righties to chase out of the zone; prefers to attack corners; could see velocity boost in shorter outings. |
| Change |
40 |
79-80 |
81 |
Third favorite pitch to operate with; predominantly vertical movement; pitch tumbles; early movement; didn’t throw strikes with change; not an impact weapon against lefties. |
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Northcraft has a feel for pitching and demonstrated an ability to attack a hitter’s weaknesses. He also generally locates his fastball well, but with minimal velocity and limited plane, he must be precise with his command to have success. The slider is flat and while he can spot it to both sides of the plate, it isn’t a bat-misser. The change tumbles early and isn’t an out pitch.
The right-hander doesn’t have an impact offering, but a switch to relief could help the slider play up a grade. If short work also helps him live at the upper end of his velocity range more often, he could have some success as a middle reliever.
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