Cody Bolton

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #23 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Simply pitching on a consistent basis represented a massive step forward for Bolton, who once ranked as one of Pittsburgh's top prospects but hadn't appeared in a game since 2019. A knee injury wiped out Bolton's 2021 season, and he also missed time with forearm and groin injuries in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Pittsburgh was cautious when deploying Bolton in 2022 given his history, using him in short outings or as an opener over 30 games with Triple-A Indianapolis.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolton worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning after the lost 2021 season. His fastball is still a tick below where it was prior to his layoff, but his four-seamer sat 92-94 mph and touched 96. He occasionally mixes in a two-seamer. His best pitch may now be a low-80s slider. Bolton worked to turn the pitch into more of a true sweeper with two-plane break, and it has some of the higher horizontal break and spin rates of any slider in Pittsburgh's system. He also features a firm upper-80s changeup. Bolton struggles with pitch efficiency, walking 12.4% of hitters in 2022. There's skepticism he can throw considerably more strikes because of his lengthy arm action.
  
  The Future: Given Bolton's durability and command concerns, a bullpen role seems likely. He should reach the majors at some point 2023, and could pitch his way into middle- to high-leverage relief situations in relatively short order.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #30 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A velocity bump helped Bolton rise to Double-A Altoona in 2019 and emerge as one of Pittsburgh’s top prospects. He hasn’t pitched in an official game since. Bolton missed all of 2021 after having knee surgery in May. Injuries have frequently stalled his development: He missed time with a forearm injury in 2018 and a groin strain in 2019.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolton’s pitch mix is aggressive. His fastball touches 97 mph and regularly sits 93-96. His two-seam fastball is a touch slower, but generates plenty of ground balls, and he added a cutterish slider in 2019 that flashed above-average. His lengthy arm path concerned evaluators in the past, but he was a solid strike-thrower at the lower levels. Bolton spent much of 2021 rehabbing at the Pirates’ complex in Florida, and the team is encouraged with the improvements he has made with his conditioning.
  
  The Future: Bolton needs to stay healthy to achieve his ceiling of a No. 4 starter, though the lost development and concerns with his delivery could ultimately push him to the bullpen.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #7 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Bolton in the sixth round in 2017 and signed him for an over-slot $300,000 bonus. He was shut down with forearm soreness after nine starts in 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he came back throwing harder with better control in 2019 and vaulted up to Double-A. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton has grown into his projectable frame and now sits 93-96 mph on a consistent basis, while touching 98. He has both a four-seamer and a two-seamer he keeps in the bottom part of the zone in the low 90s, forcing hitters to look for two different fastballs in two different parts of the zone. Bolton added a cutter in 2019 and has developed it into a potentially above-average pitch that pairs nicely with his two-seamer. His average changeup gives him a competitive offering against lefthanded hitters and gives him the third pitch needed to start. Bolton pounds the strike zone out of his low three-quarters arm slot and keeps his walks to a minimum.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton has the body, stuff and control to profile as a middle to back-of-the-rotation starter. If his development stalls, he has a fallback as a power reliever with his fastball/cutter combination.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #5 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates signed Bolton for $300,000 in the sixth round in 2017 and he has since emerged as one of their top pitching prospects thanks to rapid improvements with his velocity and control. He was shut down with forearm soreness at the end of 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. He stayed healthy in 2019 and reached Double-A Altoona while pitching with an innings limit.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton sits 93-96 mph and touches 97 with sink on his four-seam fastball. He has worked with his two-seam fastball more in the last year and keeps it down in the zone in the low 90s. Bolton added an above-average, hard cutter in 2019 to pair with his two-seamer and has worked on his average changeup to make it an effective complement to his four-seam fastball. Both secondary pitches need improvement to ensure he can remain in the rotation. He could also benefit from a slower pitch in the low 80s, because everything now is thrown hard. Bolton has had issues keeping the ball in the park, but his command should improve along with his secondary pitches.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton could move quickly through the system as a power reliever, but his starter upside will keep him in the rotation for now. He should return to Altoona to start 2020.
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #21 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Bolton dominated at Tracy High, going 24-6, 1.42 and 201 strikeouts against 65 walks in three years as a starter. The Pirates took him in the sixth round in 2017, and like most of their high school starters, he spent his first summer in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and his first spring in extended spring training. However, he performed so well there that the Pirates moved him past short-season ball and directly to low Class A West Virginia in late May.
  
  Scouting Report: In his first three South Atlantic League starts, Bolton pitched 15.1 scoreless innings, striking out 19 batters and walking just four. His fastball is a plus pitch. He can hit 95 mph with it and get swings and misses at both the top and the bottom of the zone. He can go up in the zone with ride and down in the zone with sink and armside run. He also has good command of a tight slider and a changeup up that sits in the low 80s.
  
  The Future: Bolton has made just nine starts in low Class A, so he likely will return there in 2019. He should reach high Class A Bradenton at some point.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #414 prospect in 2017 draft
  Bolton is in many ways the typical Northern California prep. He's academically oriented and is expected to make good on his Michigan commitment, and most scouts think his best days are definitely ahead of him. He's projectable at 6-foot-3, 183 pounds. He had a strong spring in terms of results, going 9-1, 1.24 with 88 strikeouts in 62 innings, but he doesn't quite dominate at this stage. He's flashed two pitches that should help him compete in the Big Ten early on, with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range that touches as high as 93-94, and a slider that flashes above-average. He's not considered signable.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Simply pitching on a consistent basis represented a massive step forward for Bolton, who once ranked as one of Pittsburgh's top prospects but hadn't appeared in a game since 2019. A knee injury wiped out Bolton's 2021 season, and he also missed time with forearm and groin injuries in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Pittsburgh was cautious when deploying Bolton in 2022 given his history, using him in short outings or as an opener over 30 games with Triple-A Indianapolis.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolton worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning after the lost 2021 season. His fastball is still a tick below where it was prior to his layoff, but his four-seamer sat 92-94 mph and touched 96. He occasionally mixes in a two-seamer. His best pitch may now be a low-80s slider. Bolton worked to turn the pitch into more of a true sweeper with two-plane break, and it has some of the higher horizontal break and spin rates of any slider in Pittsburgh's system. He also features a firm upper-80s changeup. Bolton struggles with pitch efficiency, walking 12.4% of hitters in 2022. There's skepticism he can throw considerably more strikes because of his lengthy arm action.
  
  The Future: Given Bolton's durability and command concerns, a bullpen role seems likely. He should reach the majors at some point 2023, and could pitch his way into middle- to high-leverage relief situations in relatively short order.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Simply pitching on a consistent basis represented a massive step forward for Bolton, who once ranked as one of Pittsburgh's top prospects but hadn't appeared in a game since 2019. A knee injury wiped out Bolton's 2021 season, and he also missed time with forearm and groin injuries in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Pittsburgh was cautious when deploying Bolton in 2022 given his history, using him in short outings or as an opener over 30 games with Triple-A Indianapolis.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolton worked hard in the offseason to improve his conditioning after the lost 2021 season. His fastball is still a tick below where it was prior to his layoff, but his four-seamer sat 92-94 mph and touched 96. He occasionally mixes in a two-seamer. His best pitch may now be a low-80s slider. Bolton worked to turn the pitch into more of a true sweeper with two-plane break, and it has some of the higher horizontal break and spin rates of any slider in Pittsburgh's system. He also features a firm upper-80s changeup. Bolton struggles with pitch efficiency, walking 12.4% of hitters in 2022. There's skepticism he can throw considerably more strikes because of his lengthy arm action.
  
  The Future: Given Bolton's durability and command concerns, a bullpen role seems likely. He should reach the majors at some point 2023, and could pitch his way into middle- to high-leverage relief situations in relatively short order.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A velocity bump helped Bolton rise to Double-A Altoona in 2019 and emerge as one of Pittsburgh’s top prospects. He hasn’t pitched in an official game since. Bolton missed all of 2021 after having knee surgery in May. Injuries have frequently stalled his development: He missed time with a forearm injury in 2018 and a groin strain in 2019.
  
  Scouting Report: Bolton’s pitch mix is aggressive. His fastball touches 97 mph and regularly sits 93-96. His two-seam fastball is a touch slower, but generates plenty of ground balls, and he added a cutterish slider in 2019 that flashed above-average. His lengthy arm path concerned evaluators in the past, but he was a solid strike-thrower at the lower levels. Bolton spent much of 2021 rehabbing at the Pirates’ complex in Florida, and the team is encouraged with the improvements he has made with his conditioning.
  
  The Future: Bolton needs to stay healthy to achieve his ceiling of a No. 4 starter, though the lost development and concerns with his delivery could ultimately push him to the bullpen.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Bolton in the sixth round in 2017 and signed him for an over-slot $300,000 bonus. He was shut down with forearm soreness after nine starts in 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he came back throwing harder with better control in 2019 and vaulted up to Double-A. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton has grown into his projectable frame and now sits 93-96 mph on a consistent basis, while touching 98. He has both a four-seamer and a two-seamer he keeps in the bottom part of the zone in the low 90s, forcing hitters to look for two different fastballs in two different parts of the zone. Bolton added a cutter in 2019 and has developed it into a potentially above-average pitch that pairs nicely with his two-seamer. His average changeup gives him a competitive offering against lefthanded hitters and gives him the third pitch needed to start. Bolton pounds the strike zone out of his low three-quarters arm slot and keeps his walks to a minimum.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton has the body, stuff and control to profile as a middle to back-of-the-rotation starter. If his development stalls, he has a fallback as a power reliever with his fastball/cutter combination.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Bolton in the sixth round in 2017 and signed him for an over-slot $300,000 bonus. He was shut down with forearm soreness after nine starts in 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he came back throwing harder with better control in 2019 and vaulted up to Double-A. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton has grown into his projectable frame and now sits 93-96 mph on a consistent basis, while touching 98. He has both a four-seamer and a two-seamer he keeps in the bottom part of the zone in the low 90s, forcing hitters to look for two different fastballs in two different parts of the zone. Bolton added a cutter in 2019 and has developed it into a potentially above-average pitch that pairs nicely with his two-seamer. His average changeup gives him a competitive offering against lefthanded hitters and gives him the third pitch needed to start. Bolton pounds the strike zone out of his low three-quarters arm slot and keeps his walks to a minimum.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton has the body, stuff and control to profile as a middle to back-of-the-rotation starter. If his development stalls, he has a fallback as a power reliever with his fastball/cutter combination.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 55.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates drafted Bolton in the sixth round in 2017 and signed him for an over-slot $300,000 bonus. He was shut down with forearm soreness after nine starts in 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection, but he came back throwing harder with better control in 2019 and vaulted up to Double-A. He spent 2020 at the alternate training site in Altoona, Pa.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton has grown into his projectable frame and now sits 93-96 mph on a consistent basis, while touching 98. He has both a four-seamer and a two-seamer he keeps in the bottom part of the zone in the low 90s, forcing hitters to look for two different fastballs in two different parts of the zone. Bolton added a cutter in 2019 and has developed it into a potentially above-average pitch that pairs nicely with his two-seamer. His average changeup gives him a competitive offering against lefthanded hitters and gives him the third pitch needed to start. Bolton pounds the strike zone out of his low three-quarters arm slot and keeps his walks to a minimum.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton has the body, stuff and control to profile as a middle to back-of-the-rotation starter. If his development stalls, he has a fallback as a power reliever with his fastball/cutter combination.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates signed Bolton for $300,000 in the sixth round in 2017 and he has since emerged as one of their top pitching prospects thanks to rapid improvements with his velocity and control. He was shut down with forearm soreness at the end of 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. He stayed healthy in 2019 and reached Double-A Altoona while pitching with an innings limit.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton sits 93-96 mph and touches 97 with sink on his four-seam fastball. He has worked with his two-seam fastball more in the last year and keeps it down in the zone in the low 90s. Bolton added an above-average, hard cutter in 2019 to pair with his two-seamer and has worked on his average changeup to make it an effective complement to his four-seam fastball. Both secondary pitches need improvement to ensure he can remain in the rotation. He could also benefit from a slower pitch in the low 80s, because everything now is thrown hard. Bolton has had issues keeping the ball in the park, but his command should improve along with his secondary pitches.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton could move quickly through the system as a power reliever, but his starter upside will keep him in the rotation for now. He should return to Altoona to start 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Pirates signed Bolton for $300,000 in the sixth round in 2017 and he has since emerged as one of their top pitching prospects thanks to rapid improvements with his velocity and control. He was shut down with forearm soreness at the end of 2018 and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. He stayed healthy in 2019 and reached Double-A Altoona while pitching with an innings limit.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Bolton sits 93-96 mph and touches 97 with sink on his four-seam fastball. He has worked with his two-seam fastball more in the last year and keeps it down in the zone in the low 90s. Bolton added an above-average, hard cutter in 2019 to pair with his two-seamer and has worked on his average changeup to make it an effective complement to his four-seam fastball. Both secondary pitches need improvement to ensure he can remain in the rotation. He could also benefit from a slower pitch in the low 80s, because everything now is thrown hard. Bolton has had issues keeping the ball in the park, but his command should improve along with his secondary pitches.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bolton could move quickly through the system as a power reliever, but his starter upside will keep him in the rotation for now. He should return to Altoona to start 2020.