Baseball Prospectus | | Eyewitness Scouting Report


	Lucas Giolito Born: 07/14/1994 (Age: 20)
	Bats: Right	Throws: Right
	Height: 6' 6"	Weight: 245

Excellent frame; huge build with muscled top half; sturdy bottom half; proportionate throughout frame; high 3/4th arm slot; still shows mild arm stab; great arm speed; long extension due to long arms; terrific plane; shows excellent drive and ability to stay tall; delivery is slow and deliberate in windup; velocity and stuff holds in stretch; delivery times 1.37-1.43 range; toes right side of rubber with finish pointed towards RHH box; slightly higher leg kick than last view; shows ability to stay balanced even with mild exertion in delivery; drifted less this outing; showed ability to stay more compact.

Evaluator	Tucker Blair
Report Date	07/19/2014
Affiliate	Hagerstown Suns (Low A, Nationals)
Dates Seen	7/19/2014
OFP	80
MLB ETA	2016
Video	No

Pitch Type	Future Grade	Sitting Velocity	Peak Velocity	Report
FB	75	91-96	97	Sat mostly 92-95; FB is explosive and looks faster than listed velocity; shows extreme arm-side run at 92-95 velo band; mild boring action; excellent plane plays up the velocity and movement from FB; changes the eye level of the hitter; RHH have hard time picking pitch up out of his hand due to plane and movement; command is average; flashed better command in first 4 innings; flew open a few times in 5th and 6th innings; this caused a few FB to sail up in zone but hitters could not make sufficient contact; overall, a near elite potential offering that could be a terrific offering at the highest level; did not see the consistent elite pitch that was displayed in first time seeing, but still a plus-plus offering for most of the outing; command could still improve and extra velocity could come with more stamina gained; trailed off in 6th inning.
CB	80	78-82	82	Elite offering; very tight spin; extreme depth; 11-5 with terrific movement and looks faster than the actual listed velocity; shows two-plane break; hitters had a difficult time recognizing the pitch out of hand; near perfection in terms of replicating arm speed and action relative to FB; shows ability to pound outside half of plate to both sides; extreme confidence in this pitch and will throw at any time; clearly his go-to pitch and will challenge hitters with it in consecutive pitches; command was better than last viewing; currently solid-average; does not need to throw this for a strike to have effectiveness; casted only one out of a dozen thrown; release point showed better this outing.
CH	55	81-83	84	Flashed solid-average; arm speed is replicated from FB; release points were an issue; was releasing too early and leaving up in zone; command is currently fringe; pitch has mild feel; becomes too firm at times and looks like a slower FB without much fade; clearly a work-in-progress but has the ability to become at least an average offering and help counter the FB/CB combo; works best in the 81-82 velo band.

In my second viewing of Giolito this season, he flashed generally the same arsenal and displayed another outing of the near elite FB/CB combo. The fastball did not quite reach the ceiling that was displayed in my first look, but it was still an excellent pitch capable of dominating at higher levels. The CB is a true elite offering, with only slight release point issues as the main concern. The CB is one of the best pitches in the minors and he shows extreme confidence in the offering.

His CH was thrown more in this outing, and it was clear he was working on this pitch throughout the entire outing. In certain cases, he went to the CH instead of the CB to finish off a batter. For progression as a pitcher, this was important for me to see. It is clear that the CB is going to play at the higher levels, but Giolito was able to flash the CH and show that this pitch can be effective when it is consistent. The CH needs more refinement, but the ability is there and slight improvements were noted from my last viewing.

Giolito is a competitor on the mound, and you can generally see the emotions on the rubber. He wants to be perfect out there, but he does not let it phase him when somethings does not go his way. I like his pitchability and competitiveness, and I think once the training wheels completely come off, he will fly through the minors. He still has not built up his stamina, but remember this is a pitcher coming off TJS and it is the latter half of the season now.

Overall, this is a potential front-line starter with a chance to be one of the better pitchers in the game. The risk is there, but the package is one of the best I have seen.