Write-up to follow! But for now…
And now, back to the regularly scheduled coverage, assuming no one crashes any further power poles on the outskirts of town. The Diamondbacks have selected a prep arm with the 31st pick in this year’s draft. This particular selection is something of a surprise. There are prep arms that are much higher rated, both in present stuff
and expected upside. Then, there is the abnormally high risk with taking high school arms – in any draft.
Blake Bryant, RHP, Citizens Christian Academy, GA
Age: 18
Bats/Throws: R/R
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 182 lbs
Commit: Clemson
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50
As one can see from just the basic scouting remarks, Bryant is one big unit (or, as this is AZ, one giant dude as we already have THE Big Unit). Standing 6’6”, Bryant cuts an imposing figure on the mound and gets great extension. Despite his size, he is not the extreme power pitcher he might look. Instead, Bryant relies on a solid four-pitch mix. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and his offspeed pitches have strong shape and movement, but will need significant work as he finishes filling out his impressive frame.
As last time: here are the reports from some outlets:
Baseball America
At 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, Bryant is a standout athlete with a lean and projectable pitcher’s frame. He has one of the cleaner arm actions and deliveries in the high school class, repeats his three-quarters slot consistently and tends to land in a balanced position. He has all the delivery checkpoints—steady head, low effort throughout and natural athleticism—of an above-average strike-thrower. Bryant also has a loud four-pitch mix to build on. He has been up to 96 mph and typically sits in the low 90s, with solid armside life. He did a nice job holding that velocity consistently while dominating Georgia competition this spring, and he has the arm speed and physical projection to imagine upper-90s velocity in the near future. Bryant pairs his fastball with two distinct breaking balls. He throws a slider in the low 80s and a curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s, both with above-average spin rates and the chance to reach above-average. Both have flashed plus enough to have confidence that he has multiple quality shapes. Bryant rounds out his arsenal with a mid-80s changeup that earns fringe-average or solid grades, and his feel to land the pitch is above-average. Bryant checks plenty of boxes as a projectable starter with midrotation upside and is committed to Clemson.
Fangraphs
Bryant is a Clemson commit with a power pitcher’s fastball/curveball combo, a very projectable frame, and a whippy (if fairly violent) delivery. His fastball has vertical ride that will help it play even if his arm strength continues to hang in the low 90s. Bryant’s curveball looks like his fastball out of hand until in falls off the table and below the strike zone. If he throws harder as he fills out, he’ll likely have two plus pitches at peak. His slider is curt and soft, and the first thing a pro team will do with Bryant is try to get him to throw that pitch harder than the 78-81 mph range it currently resides in. His changeup has bat-missing action at times, but Bryant has to alter his arm slot to throw it, and pro hitters are going to pick that up. He’s a likely top 50 pick and potential no. 4 starter.
MLB Pipeline
Bryant recorded one of the most dominant outings on the showcase circuit last summer, striking out all six batters he faced at East Coast Pro and concluding his day by catching likely early first-rounder Jacob Lombard looking at a 95-mph fastball. He sandwiched the performance by helping Citizen Christian Academy (Douglas, Ga.) win the Georgia Independent School Association Class A championship in both his junior and senior seasons, finishing his high school career with a two-hit, 12-strikeout shutout in the finals this June. He’s extremely projectable at 6-foot-6 and 182 pounds as well as the best pitcher in Clemson’s recruiting class.
His fastball already sits at 91-94 mph and tops out at 97 with ride and armside run, and Bryant should add more velocity as he gets stronger. He utilizes two different breaking balls, a sweeping low-80s slider with the potential to become a plus pitch and an upper-70s curveball. He also displays aptitude for a fading changeup, though it’s a bit firm in the mid-80s.
Bryant generates his solid arsenal with athleticism and arm speed. His stuff and control will fluctuate at times, which is typical of a lanky high schooler who’s still developing physically, but he generally throws strikes. He has the ingredients to become a mid-rotation starter.
Knee-jerk Thoughts
The Diamondbacks need to inject pitching into their system in the worst possible way. This is a step in the right direction. While Bryant does not possess the loud tools or the tantalizing upside of other pitchers in this draft, he does bring projectability. What’s more is, he also comes with precious few flags of any sort, which should help smooth his development in Arizona’s admittedly sketchy pitching development department. Bryant’s size and athleticism are going to pen some eyes if and when he lands at the Arizona Complex or in A-ball.
