Drafted in the 12th round (367th overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2023 (signed for $100,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium.
Track Record: It didn’t make many waves when the Mariners drafted Evans out of Pittsburgh in the 12th round in 2023, especially considering he was a 22-year-old college senior brandishing a 5.88 ERA in his draft year. However, he had a brilliant pro debut, and Seattle responded by aggressively assigning him to Double-A Arkansas to start 2024. Evans thrived there, pitching to a 3.20 ERA while generating a 48% groundball rate.
Scouting Report: Evans has the frame of a prototypical innings-eating starter, standing 6-foot-4 with wide shoulders. His fastball comes out of his hand with ease and sits 93-97 mph with natural sink. Its shape lends itself to ground balls more than whiffs. Evans’ offsets his sinker with a four-seam fastball up in the zone and a hard low-90s cutter. His best pitch is a 81-86 mph sweeper that he can use to back-foot lefthanded hitters and dive away from righties. He rounds out his arsenal with a high-80s changeup that shows solid fade. Evans has a deep arsenal, and he’s not afraid to throw any pitch in any count, though his command comes and goes. At times, he gets ahead early and buries pitches late, but there are innings where he misses big with his fastball. Overall, his control projects as average, with a chance for a tick better.
The Future: Though there are no flaws in Evans’ profile, he doesn’t carry any elite, top-of-rotation qualities either. There are concerns that he may never be a big strikeout pitcher, and neither his control nor groundball rate are at elite levels. He projects as a safe No. 3 or 4 starter who should be able to post strong innings totals every season. His success in Double-A in 2024 puts him in position to potentially make his MLB debut in 2025.