6 MLB Prospects Primed to Explode up the Rankings
By Ryan Schultz
Brent Honeywell, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays
Brent Honeywell is certainly an exciting pitching prospect to begin with, but there is increased intrigue because of his unique arsenal of pitches. He employs a very seldom-used screwball. Not only does he use the pitch, but it’s one of the best in his repertoire. The screwball gets grades between 50 and 60 on the 20-80 scale, which qualifies it as an above average to plus pitch. He combines that plus off-speed pitch with a plus fastball as well. That combination alone can be lethal, but he also has an above average curveball and a changeup.
Honeywell, like almost every top end pitching prospect right now, has trouble with command at times. The important thing to note is that he has athleticism, a strong build, and mechanics that can be easily refined. These things are all typically indicators that command should come at any time now. When it does come, Honeywell is poised for a breakout. That breakout may carry him to the top of prospect rankings, but it will also help him reach the big leagues.
There are other aspects of Honeywell’s game that do need some refinement as well. His curveball is almost never in the zone, which advanced hitters will pick up on quickly. A bigger concern than Honeywell missing the zone with his curveball is when he hits the zone with a below average changeup. Working on the changeup could be key to Honeywell’s success. He already has two above average off-speed offerings, but the changeup could provide a great counterpart to the fastball. The one problem he must get passed is that his changeup arm speed doesn’t match that of the fastball, making the pitch fail in terms of deception.
Honeywell is a really interesting prospect because he throws a pitch that many others don’t. He suffers the same issues that a good portion of pitching prospects face: lack of consistent command and a changeup that hasn’t developed yet. The good news for Honeywell is that those two skills can be easily honed in the coming season. That would allow him to catch the eye of scouts all across the league. It would certainly make the Rays happy as well, as he could provide a great addition to their rotation in the coming years.