Darius Vines

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #5 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Vines for $130,000 in the seventh round of the 2019 draft after he transferred from junior college and established himself as one of the best pitchers in the Western Athletic Conference with Cal State Bakersfield. Vines impressed with his feel for secondary stuff in 2021 and continued to perform while testing himself against upper-minors competition in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines isn't a hard-thrower, but he has excellent feel for a pitch mix that previously included four different options and is now down to three. The Braves had Vines remove a curveball from his arsenal in 2022 to focus on his fastball, changeup and slider. He pitches off a 90-92 mph fastball that touches 94 with above-average carry, but his go-to secondary is a low-80s changeup that has developed into the best such pitch in the system. While Vines' curveball was his bread-and-butter offering as an amateur, he didn't throw it much for strikes in pro ball. The opposite is true of his changeup. He has exceptional command of the pitch and threw it for strikes more than 70% of the time in 2022, with excellent whiff rates, chase rates and analytical and traditional scouting grades.. Vines' changeup is at least a plus offering, and some scouts have put 70-grade evaluations on the pitch. He also throws a slider in the low-to-mid 80s with solid spin that should be an average breaking ball. Vines has consistently been a good strike-thrower as a pro and his exceptional feel to land his changeup indicates above-average or better control moving forward.
  
  The Future: Scouts previously wondered if Vines had the sort of stuff to miss upper-level bats. He proved he could in 2022. He profiles as a back-end starter given his command of three pitches.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 Slider: 50 Changeup: 65 Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #16 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Vines was drafted twice (by the Astros out of high school and Cubs out of junior college) before the Braves eventually signed him as a seventh rounder in 2019. After struggling in rookie ball, Vines took a step forward in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines was older than his competition to start the year, and overwhelmed hitters with an ability to land his quality secondary offerings for strikes. His fastball averages 92 mph and has touched 95-96, but is average at best. He shines with secondary stuff and took a big step forward with a low-80s changeup that looks like an above-average offering. Vines has excellent feel to spin the ball and throws both a low-80s slider and a downer, mid-70s curveball with plenty of depth that was his calling card as an amateur. He has feel for both offerings, but went to the slider more frequently in 2021 and lands it in the zone consistently. Vines was a high school quarterback and is a good athlete who has shown strong ability to throw strikes with his entire arsenal.
  
  The Future: How Vines’ stuff plays against hitters in the upper minors will add more clarity to his future role, but for now he seems like a depth arm who could be a back-end starter or pitch in the pen.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #418 prospect in 2019 draft
  The Astros drafted Vines in the 32nd round in 2016 out of high school and the Cubs drafted him in the 27th round out of Oxnard (Calif.) JC in 2017. After a stint Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, he transferred to Cal State Bakersfield this year and ranked among the Western Athletic Conference leaders in strikeouts most of the season. Vines is athletic, competitive and has a four-pitch mix fronted by a big league-ready curveball. It's a true, downer power curve at 78-80 mph with late bite that comes out of the same tunnel as his fastball, locking hitters up and drawing feeble swings. Vines' 89-92 mph fastball is flat, so he'll need to learn to manipulate it or improve his command of it. He also throws a slider and changeup that flash average. Vines has struggled with velocity drops in middle of each season, so he'll need to improve his durability to remain a starter. Otherwise he projects as a reliever who will ride his curveball as far as it will take him.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Vines for $130,000 in the seventh round of the 2019 draft after he transferred from junior college and established himself as one of the best pitchers in the Western Athletic Conference with Cal State Bakersfield. Vines impressed with his feel for secondary stuff in 2021 and continued to perform while testing himself against upper-minors competition in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines isn't a hard-thrower, but he has excellent feel for a pitch mix that previously included four different options and is now down to three. The Braves had Vines remove a curveball from his arsenal in 2022 to focus on his fastball, changeup and slider. He pitches off a 90-92 mph fastball that touches 94 with above-average carry, but his go-to secondary is a low-80s changeup that has developed into the best such pitch in the system. While Vines' curveball was his bread-and-butter offering as an amateur, he didn't throw it much for strikes in pro ball. The opposite is true of his changeup. He has exceptional command of the pitch and threw it for strikes more than 70% of the time in 2022, with excellent whiff rates, chase rates and analytical and traditional scouting grades.. Vines' changeup is at least a plus offering, and some scouts have put 70-grade evaluations on the pitch. He also throws a slider in the low-to-mid 80s with solid spin that should be an average breaking ball. Vines has consistently been a good strike-thrower as a pro and his exceptional feel to land his changeup indicates above-average or better control moving forward.
  
  The Future: Scouts previously wondered if Vines had the sort of stuff to miss upper-level bats. He proved he could in 2022. He profiles as a back-end starter given his command of three pitches.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 Slider: 50 Changeup: 65 Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Vines for $130,000 in the seventh round of the 2019 draft after he transferred from junior college and established himself as one of the best pitchers in the Western Athletic Conference with Cal State Bakersfield. Vines impressed with his feel for secondary stuff in 2021 and continued to perform while testing himself against upper-minors competition in 2022.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines isn't a hard-thrower, but he has excellent feel for a pitch mix that previously included four different options and is now down to three. The Braves had Vines remove a curveball from his arsenal in 2022 to focus on his fastball, changeup and slider. He pitches off a 90-92 mph fastball that touches 94 with above-average carry, but his go-to secondary is a low-80s changeup that has developed into the best such pitch in the system. While Vines' curveball was his bread-and-butter offering as an amateur, he didn't throw it much for strikes in pro ball. The opposite is true of his changeup. He has exceptional command of the pitch and threw it for strikes more than 70% of the time in 2022, with excellent whiff rates, chase rates and analytical and traditional scouting grades.. Vines' changeup is at least a plus offering, and some scouts have put 70-grade evaluations on the pitch. He also throws a slider in the low-to-mid 80s with solid spin that should be an average breaking ball. Vines has consistently been a good strike-thrower as a pro and his exceptional feel to land his changeup indicates above-average or better control moving forward.
  
  The Future: Scouts previously wondered if Vines had the sort of stuff to miss upper-level bats. He proved he could in 2022. He profiles as a back-end starter given his command of three pitches.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 Slider: 50 Changeup: 65 Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Vines was drafted twice (by the Astros out of high school and Cubs out of junior college) before the Braves eventually signed him as a seventh rounder in 2019. After struggling in rookie ball, Vines took a step forward in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines was older than his competition to start the year, and overwhelmed hitters with an ability to land his quality secondary offerings for strikes. His fastball averages 92 mph and has touched 95-96, but is average at best. He shines with secondary stuff and took a big step forward with a low-80s changeup that looks like an above-average offering. Vines has excellent feel to spin the ball and throws both a low-80s slider and a downer, mid-70s curveball with plenty of depth that was his calling card as an amateur. He has feel for both offerings, but went to the slider more frequently in 2021 and lands it in the zone consistently. Vines was a high school quarterback and is a good athlete who has shown strong ability to throw strikes with his entire arsenal.
  
  The Future: How Vines&#39 stuff plays against hitters in the upper minors will add more clarity to his future role, but for now he seems like a depth arm who could be a back-end starter or pitch in the pen.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Vines was drafted twice (by the Astros out of high school and Cubs out of junior college) before the Braves eventually signed him as a seventh rounder in 2019. After struggling in rookie ball, Vines took a step forward in 2021.
  
  Scouting Report: Vines was older than his competition to start the year, and overwhelmed hitters with an ability to land his quality secondary offerings for strikes. His fastball averages 92 mph and has touched 95-96, but is average at best. He shines with secondary stuff and took a big step forward with a low-80s changeup that looks like an above-average offering. Vines has excellent feel to spin the ball and throws both a low-80s slider and a downer, mid-70s curveball with plenty of depth that was his calling card as an amateur. He has feel for both offerings, but went to the slider more frequently in 2021 and lands it in the zone consistently. Vines was a high school quarterback and is a good athlete who has shown strong ability to throw strikes with his entire arsenal.
  
  The Future: How Vines’ stuff plays against hitters in the upper minors will add more clarity to his future role, but for now he seems like a depth arm who could be a back-end starter or pitch in the pen.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  The 2019 draft is shaping up like a strong one for Atlanta, and Vines is another reason why. He was more advanced than the hitters he faced in Low-A and High-A, with a four-pitch mix he showed excellent feel for. His fastball was just average, but his secondaries played up thanks to his ability to land them. Seeing how his stuff plays against more advanced hitters will be telling for the seventh round Cal State Bakersfield product.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Astros drafted Vines in the 32nd round in 2016 out of high school and the Cubs drafted him in the 27th round out of Oxnard (Calif.) JC in 2017. After a stint Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, he transferred to Cal State Bakersfield this year and ranked among the Western Athletic Conference leaders in strikeouts most of the season. Vines is athletic, competitive and has a four-pitch mix fronted by a big league-ready curveball. It's a true, downer power curve at 78-80 mph with late bite that comes out of the same tunnel as his fastball, locking hitters up and drawing feeble swings. Vines' 89-92 mph fastball is flat, so he'll need to learn to manipulate it or improve his command of it. He also throws a slider and changeup that flash average. Vines has struggled with velocity drops in middle of each season, so he'll need to improve his durability to remain a starter. Otherwise he projects as a reliever who will ride his curveball as far as it will take him.