Luis De Avila

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #24 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 35/Medium
  
  Track Record: De Avila has put together back-to-back strong seasons for the Braves after being selected in the 2021 minor league Rule 5 draft. After spending all of 2022 with High-A Rome, De Avila spent the 2023 season primarily at Double-A Gwinnett, where he posted a 3.28 ERA in 123.1 innings with a 24% strikeout rate, 11.7% walk rate and 52.1% groundball rate that was good for 21st-best among minor league pitchers with at least 100 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: De Avila has a short and filled out frame and attacks hitters with a stiffer delivery that features a heavy crossfire landing. He throws a two-seam fastball that sits around 90 mph and has been up to 93, though it’s more of a ground ball pitch than a true bat-misser. De Avila was impacted by the baseball experiments in the Southern League, which could have been worse for sinker pitchers than riding four-seam arms, but he still managed to drive a strong ground ball rate. He throws a firm changeup in the mid-to-upper 80s that doesn’t have much velo separation from his fastball, and will also throw a breaking ball around 80-82 mph that varies in shape between a slider and curve. None of his secondaries are above-average offerings, but he locates them effectively.
  
  The Future: De Avila’s pitch mix and physical profile aren’t the most exciting, but he has outperformed his peripherals in back-to-back seasons and carries value as a depth starter or long-relief lefthander.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #20 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Originally signed by the Rockies out of Colombia for $250,000, De Avila has already played for three organizations before turning 22 or reaching Double-A. The Rockies released him following the 2019 season, and the Royals signed him about a month later. The Braves selected De Avila in the minor league phase of Rule 5 draft in 2021 based on solid-strike throwing for a 20-year-old.
  
  Scouting Report: Atlanta immediately converted De Avila to a starting role after he pitched in the bullpen for the Royals' Low-A affiliate in 2021. He posted a 3.49 ERA over 126.1 innings at High-A Rome--good for his best pro season in his age-21 season. De Avila is not a power-oriented pitcher. He throws a three-pitch mix that features a two-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. Some days he will throw his fastball around 93-94 mph, but others it will be more 90-91. Overall, he averaged 91 mph and peaked at 95 during the 2022 season. His curveball is around 80 mph and his changeup checks in around the mid 80s, though scouts describe both pitches as just fringy at the moment. His success has mostly come from the fact that he locates both his secondaries well and induced a lot of weak groundball contact with a 61% groundball rate.
  
  The Future: De Avila has a short and squatty frame without much physical projection left, so his upside is limited barring big steps forward with his curveball and changeup. Being lefthanded and young with feel for a three-pitch mix keeps him alive as an interesting depth starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 45. Changeup: 45. Control: 55.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Originally signed by the Rockies out of Colombia for $250,000, De Avila has already played for three organizations before turning 22 or reaching Double-A. The Rockies released him following the 2019 season, and the Royals signed him about a month later. The Braves selected De Avila in the minor league phase of Rule 5 draft in 2021 based on solid-strike throwing for a 20-year-old.
  
  Scouting Report: Atlanta immediately converted De Avila to a starting role after he pitched in the bullpen for the Royals' Low-A affiliate in 2021. He posted a 3.49 ERA over 126.1 innings at High-A Rome--good for his best pro season in his age-21 season. De Avila is not a power-oriented pitcher. He throws a three-pitch mix that features a two-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. Some days he will throw his fastball around 93-94 mph, but others it will be more 90-91. Overall, he averaged 91 mph and peaked at 95 during the 2022 season. His curveball is around 80 mph and his changeup checks in around the mid 80s, though scouts describe both pitches as just fringy at the moment. His success has mostly come from the fact that he locates both his secondaries well and induced a lot of weak groundball contact with a 61% groundball rate.
  
  The Future: De Avila has a short and squatty frame without much physical projection left, so his upside is limited barring big steps forward with his curveball and changeup. Being lefthanded and young with feel for a three-pitch mix keeps him alive as an interesting depth starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 45. Changeup: 45. Control: 55.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Originally signed by the Rockies out of Colombia for $250,000, De Avila has already played for three organizations before turning 22 or reaching Double-A. The Rockies released him following the 2019 season, and the Royals signed him about a month later. The Braves selected De Avila in the minor league phase of Rule 5 draft in 2021 based on solid-strike throwing for a 20-year-old.
  
  Scouting Report: Atlanta immediately converted De Avila to a starting role after he pitched in the bullpen for the Royals' Low-A affiliate in 2021. He posted a 3.49 ERA over 126.1 innings at High-A Rome--good for his best pro season in his age-21 season. De Avila is not a power-oriented pitcher. He throws a three-pitch mix that features a two-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. Some days he will throw his fastball around 93-94 mph, but others it will be more 90-91. Overall, he averaged 91 mph and peaked at 95 during the 2022 season. His curveball is around 80 mph and his changeup checks in around the mid 80s, though scouts describe both pitches as just fringy at the moment. His success has mostly come from the fact that he locates both his secondaries well and induced a lot of weak groundball contact with a 61% groundball rate.
  
  The Future: De Avila has a short and squatty frame without much physical projection left, so his upside is limited barring big steps forward with his curveball and changeup. Being lefthanded and young with feel for a three-pitch mix keeps him alive as an interesting depth starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 45. Changeup: 45. Control: 55.