Minor League Preview: Scouting the top pitchers for 2016

While a lot of attention is paid to the current starts of baseball with opening day approaching, the young guys in the minor leagues are also preparing for their seasons as they try to climb their way up to the show. The minor leagues is chalk full of pitching talent this year, with many prospects having the potential to be bonafide aces one day.

While some of these players may be well known, and some have seen time in the majors already, there is no denying that the upcoming crop of young pitchers certainly has the potential to be talked about for years to come. Whether it be their electric fastballs or devastating curves, there is a lot to look forward to this season.

So, without further ado, here are some quick scouting reports on some of the games most promising starting pitchers.

Next: 10-6

10-6

10. Carson Fulmer (Chicago White Sox)

Possibly the pitcher with the highest ceiling from last years draft. Fulmer has a very similar build to Chris Sale, but like the dominant lefty, Fulmer has stuff that is much bigger than his frame. The 8th overall pick possesses a fastball that sits in the mid-high 90’s. He needs a little work on his control, which is his main weakness, like many power pitchers. He has a sharp curveball that he throws to get strikeouts too.

9. Blake Snell (Tampa Bay Rays)

The Rays have been notorious for producing high quality pitching talent and Snell is in line talent-wise with many of the top pitchers that have come through Tampa Bay’s farm system. Snell has a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s as well as a slider that can get swing and misses at the next level. He still has a ways to go with commanding all of his offerings, but his smooth delivery and put away slider could find Snell at the top of the Rays rotation in the near future.

8. Steven Matz (New York Mets)

Steven Matz is just one of many great young starters for the Mets. However, Matz is a different kind of pitcher than the likes of Syndergaard, DeGrom and Harvey. While Matz has a good fastball that sits at 92-94, the strength of his game comes from his ability to use his off speed pitches to get hitters out. The 24 year-old lefty has a put away changeup and also throws a curveball that he can locate for strikes. His upside is a little bit more limited than the rest of the Mets young guns because of the lack of dominant stuff, but he has the potential to be really good in his own right.

7. Robert Stephenson (Cincinnati Reds)

Robert Stephenson is the typical high upside minor league pitcher. The 23 year-old right-hander has an electric fastball that he can throw in the upper 90’s. Even though his fastball decreased in velocity this past year, there is still a lot of jump to it. The problem that Stephenson has had to fight through is his lack of control. He can be wild in the zone at times, which leads to a lot of walks and hittable pitches. He has a good changeup and has the makings of a good curveball, but there is still a ways to go there.

6. Jose Berrios (Minnesota Twins)

Berries throws his fastball in the mid-90’s like many pitchers that are on this list. He also can throw his curveball for strikes and can get batters to swing at pitches at of the strike zone. He has produced very well at pretty much every minor league level and is one of the more consistent pitchers in the minor leagues. It would be real surprising if Berrios does not succeed at the major league level.

Next: 5. Jon Gray

4. Alex Reyes (St. Louis Cardinals)

Strengths

• Reyes has a very lively fastball that can reach triple digits on occasion, but normally sits in the mid-90’s
• Compliments his heater with a power curve that drops right off the table, which gets a lot of swings and misses
• Has had great success everywhere he’s been in the Cardinals farm system
• Does not have much unnecessary motion in his release
• Still young and growing into himself being only 21 years old

Weaknesses

• Suspended for 50 games because of marijuana use
• Like most power pitchers, Reyes needs to work on controlling all his pitches better, particularly his fastball
• Needs to work on his pitch selection

Verdict/Comparison

There is a lot to like about Alex Reyes because of his unique skill set and the amount of success he has had so far in his professional career. He still has a little fin tuning to do, but there is no reason why he should not develop into a frontline starting pitcher if he continues to grow at the rate that he has shown. As a pitcher, think of him along the lines of Chris Archer because of the amount of potential he has with a little control issues that he needs to work on.

Next: 3. Julio Urias

3. Julio Urias (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Strengths

• The feel for pitching that Urias has at such a young age is outstanding and to something that you don’t see a lot
• Still only 19 years old, Urias has great control over all of his pitches and has able to work the ball in and out of the zone as he chooses
• He has a very smooth and repeatable delivery that should do well for him in the future
• Urias has had incredible success in the minor leagues, allowing him to progress at a high rate through the Dodgers farm system

Weaknesses

• Has never pitched a full season in his career due to the Dodgers not risking injury
• His fastball, while good, is not elite by any sense
• Might not be much room for growth with how advanced he is
• Started to get a figured out a little towards the end of the 2015 season

Verdict/Comparison

Urias’ feel for the game is pretty much unparalleled when compared to other 19 year-old pitchers. The fact that he can control and use all of his pitches at this point in his career his very impressive. Urias should continue to dominant and make the major leagues very quickly. The only concern there is that he may have topped out because of his quick development, and while that may not matter, his stuff isn’t as good as some of the other pitchers on this list, which could be a little concerning. But more than likely, he’ll end up at the top of the Dodgers rotation for many years to come. He probably isn’t going to be the next Clayton Kershaw, but Urias has the same advanced feel that Kershaw had at a very young age as well.

Next: 2. Tyler Glasnow

2. Tyler Glasnow (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Strengths

• Has one of, if not the best fastball in the entire minor leagues and would have one of the best heaters in the MLB if called up
• Is able to use his fastball to get swings and misses and rack up a ton of strikeouts
• Has produced consistently throughout his career and has slingshot his way through the Pirates system
• Improved his secondary pitches drastically in recent years
• Has an imposing frame being 6’8”, which can throw a lot of hitters off while at the plate

Weaknesses

• Has struggled with inconsistent command at times
• His delivery can be a little awkward because of how tall he is
• While his off speed pitches are improving, they still have a little bit to go until he can be a top of the rotation starter

Verdict/Comparison

While putting Glasnow ahead of Urias may be a little different than what a lot of people think. Glasnow has all the makings of being a true ace and a top five pitcher in the game. His fastball is as good as anyones’s. Add onto this his height and it makes his fastball that much tougher to hit. His command and off speed pitches have been improving which is a good sign. If he can get to a place where he can be just above average in those areas, his sheer talent will make him untouchable a lot of the time, even at the next level. A good comparison for him would be Jose Fernandez because of his power stuff and larger frame.

Next: 1. Lucas Giolito

1. Lucas Giolito (Washington Nationals)

Strengths

• Has an electric fastball that sits at the upper 90s’s
• His curveball is very good possessing a lot of downward action that gets a ton of swing and misses in the dirt
• His changeup also looks to be a above average offering when it gets fully developed
• Is a very athletic and physical pitcher who likes to challenge hitters
• His command is very good for a power pitcher

Weaknesses

• Had Tommy John surgery before he was drafted which brings some concern
• Did not perform up to his capabilities in the Eastern League last season

Verdict/Comparison

Lucas Giolito is no doubt that top pitching prospect that the game has to offer. He has the stuff, command and attitude to be one of the best in the major leagues and he is still only 21 years old. He will ultimately have three plus pitches that he can control as well. Even though there is some injury history there, he has been able to make it through a couple of seasons in the minors without any problem. Giolito is a lot like Justin Verlander because of his plus fastball and 12-6 curveball in addition to his mentality to keep attacking hitters in all counts.

What do you think about these pitching prospects? Is there any other top pitching prospects that you’re high on? Let us know in the comment section below.