John West Stats & Scouting Report

Full name John West
Born 10/05/2001 in Shrewsbury, MA
Profile Ht.: 6'8" / Wt.: 260 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Boston College
Drafted in the 12th round (374th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024 (signed for $150,000).

Top Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme.

Track Record: A baseball and basketball standout at Shrewsbury (Mass.) High, West landed at Boston College, where he struggled his first two seasons before solidifying himself as a weekend starter his final two years. He did not miss many bats as a senior and posted just a 5.42 ERA. He lasted until the 12th round in 2024, where the Diamondbacks took him and signed him for $150,000.

Scouting Report: After previously sitting in the low 90s in college, West looked like a different pitcher when he showed up at Arizona’s post-draft continuation camp. He sat in the mid 90s and pumped strikes, creating excitement that he could be a draft steal. West filled up the strike zone with a running four-seamer and a heavy two-seamer. He has a short, hard slider in the upper 80s and a sweepier breaking ball in the mid 80s. He also throws a changeup that flashes plus. He has surprising athleticism for his huge frame. He lowered his slot during his time at Boston College and seemed to have a better feel for his delivery after signing.

The Future: West worked in short stints in backfield games, but he opened eyes nonetheless. He will be sent out as a starter when he debuts in 2025 and has back-of-the-rotation potential.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Sweeper: 50 | Control: 50.

School: Boston College Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.8
At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, West is a behemoth on the mound. His first two seasons at Boston College, he came out of the bullpen and the results weren’t pretty, with a 10.36 ERA and a 31-23 K-BB mark in 33 innings as a sophomore in 2022. This season, West moved to the starting rotation and the results have been better, with a 4.52 ERA in 61.2 innings, 63 strikeouts and 22 walks. He was at his best toward the end of the season, sparking some hope that he could be taking another step forward. Pitching from the first base side of the rubber, West is tall but drops down to throw slightly across his body from a low three-quarter slot with a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and has hit 96. That’s an uptick from where he was his first two seasons, when he was pitching in the upper 80s and topping out at 93 mph. He also threw more strikes with both his fastball and his slider than he did the previous year. He has feel to spin an 82-85 mph slider around 2,500 rpm that will flash as an average pitch. West will mix in a rare changeup, but it’s almost exclusively a fastball/slider attack. West should get a chance to develop as a starter in pro ball, though his long-term future could be in the bullpen.