2019 MLB Season: Finding the Next Ryan Pressly
By Ryan Sanders
Our first reliever was a Rule 5 draft pick for the Los Angeles Angels by way of the Twins, who also didn’t realize what they had in Ryan Pressly.
Luke Bard only pitched 11 innings but looking at his arsenal, he very easily could be Pressly 2.0 in terms of raw spin rate, Bard’s fastball spin rate was second highest in the league thrown at an insane 2772 RPMs.
He ranked sixth in breaking ball spin rate at 2984 RPMs behind, you guessed it, Pressly. Bard could stand to mix in some more breaking balls, he only threw it 38% of the time compared to 56% for Pressly.
One negative is Bard’s fastball averages 92 MPH which gives him less room for error despite its ridiculous spin. When you look at the heat maps, you can see elements of Bard executing his plan. However, he currently throws too many pitches out of the zone. If he can make gains in pitch control, his results should start to match his ridiculous stuff.
Bard could be available at the 2019 MLB season trade deadline if the Angels aren’t competing for a playoff spot.