Peter Lambert

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #3 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Rockies jumped Lambert to Triple-A Albuquerque at midseason and he struggled for the first time in his career. That was a major step forward because it led to Lambert realizing adjustments needed to be made to offset the impact of altitude. It's promising, however, that he continued to throw strikes even as other numbers deteriorated.
  
  Scouting Report: Lambert has a legitimate four-pitch mix to work in a major league rotation. He is not going to overpower, but he understands the art of pitching. He mixes his repertoire, moves the ball around and has pinpoint control. His go-to pitch off his fastball is a legitimate plus curveball. He works his plus changeup in regularly. His fringy slider is a definite fourth pitch. He works off a fastball that sits in the low 90s, but with his feel for locating and deception in his delivery, hitters have trouble catching up to his heater.
  
  The Future: The Rockies have a young core at the big league level, so it will be easy to send Lambert back to Albuquerque, which is the same altitude as Denver. He can adjust there. Lambert is on a fast track to move into the rotation when a need arises and is seen as a No. 3 or 4 starter type because of his command and moxie.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #5 prospect in 2018
  The Rockies took advantage of four early picks in the 2015 draft and landed Lambert at No. 44 overall. Lambert didn't overpower and there were questions about his thin frame, but the Rockies saw a highly successful teen with a live arm, room to fill out and a desirable competitive streak. Lambert's poise and fearless mentality have helped him conquer three of the most hitter-friendly environments in baseball in Rookie-level Grand Junction, low Class A Asheville and class High A Lancaster during his first three seasons. The expected physical gains have come too. Lambert now sits 91-93 mph and touches 95 with his fastball, dialing it up and down as necessary. The pitch plays up even further because of excellent control and sink, as well. Both his biting 78-82 mph curveball and mid-80s changeup consistently project above-average-to-plus, with the best of his swing-and-miss curveballs drawing plus-plus grades. Lambert throws everything for strikes and keeps the ball down, a critical factor in his success pitching in environments similar to Coors Field. Lambert has all the components of a quality mid- to back-of-the-rotation starter, and could be more if he continues to add fastball velocity.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #11 prospect in 2017
  Lambert, whose brother Jimmy was a fifth-round pick of the White Sox in 2016, was a prime high school prospect who pitched for USA Baseball's 18U national team. He accepted a $1.495 million bonus to sign with the Rockies instead of going to UCLA. A polished product out of Southern California power San Dimas High, where he went 13-0, 0.34 as a senior, Lambert is a command pitcher with some fastball velocity. His fastball sits at a solid 92-93 mph with life, and he has premium command of the pitch for his age and experience level. Many believe he will add velocity as he fills out. He has an excellent changeup to complement his fastball and has the potential for an impact curveball, which is a 79-82 mph offering with depth but at present lacks consistency. With Lambert's feel for pitching, the sum is greater than the whole of the parts. He has sound mechanics and right now would project as a mid-rotation starter, but with added velocity and focus he could exceed expectations. He will head to the challenging environment of high Class A Lancaster in the California League in 2017.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #14 prospect in 2016
  A Southern California product who pitched for USA Baseball's 18U national team, Lambert was one of the top high school arms on the 2015 draft board. Selected 44th overall, he signed for $1.495 million, eschewing a UCLA commitment and excelling in an eight-start stint at Rookie-level Grand Junction. Having pitched in high-pressure situations with the 18U team--and going 13-0, 0.34 on a 31-1 San Dimas High team in 2015-- Lambert stands out for his plus poise and makeup, and that polish extends to his repertoire. The righthander throws 88-92 mph and can touch 95 with good downhill angle, and he has the potential to gain velocity as he adds to his projectable frame. His 78-82 mph curveball is a swing-and-miss pitch, flashing plus with true 12-to-6 break, and he mixes in a solid changeup around 82 mph that could develop into an above-average offering. Athletic with quick arm action and a high arm slot, Lambert commands all three pitches and shows advanced feel for his age. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter, if not better, depending on his physical development. Lambert should open 2016 at low Class A Asheville.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #48 prospect in 2015 draft
  Lambert, like several other top Southern California preps, pitched for USA Baseball's 18U national team, including a relief outing against Cuba. At a listed 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Lambert has an athletic frame and good track record that he has embellished by leading San Dimas High to an undefeated regular season; the team was 28-0, the longest win streak in the area in 22 years. Lambert struck out 15 in the latest victory and has had a stellar spring, using a high arm slot to produce two pitches that are above-average if not quite plus. His fastball generally sits 89-92 mph but consistently reaches 93-94, and he's able to pitch to both sides of the plate with it. He has a quick arm and hand speed that allows him to spin a true 12-to-6 curveball, which is above-average at its best. He has a solid changeup as well and some feel for how to use his three-pitch mix. Lambert's stuff could get more consistently firm as he adds strength down the line. He's part of a potentially stellar UCLA recruiting class that also could get hit hard by the draft.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #14 prospect in 2019
  Lambert gutted through pitching in Albuquerque with the new ball. His 5.07 ERA was more than a full run lower than the team average, and he joined the Rockies’ rotation on June 6. Lambert further struggled in Colorado, but observers see a promising young starter beneath the numbers. His sinking, low-90s fastball, plus curveball, plus changeup and indefatigable mound presence portend better days ahead as a back-of-the-rotation starter. "You can see the arm and you can see the breaking ball,” Sacramento manager Dave Brundage said "It’s so tough . . . when you’re pitching in Albuquerque. It’s a tough place to make a living as a pitcher.”
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  Ranked Eastern League #9 prospect in 2018
  After doing as well as could be expected at the hitter’s haven that is high Class A Lancaster in 2017, Lambert showed his true skill this season in the EL. The righthander showed exceptional control of a four-pitch mix, walking just 1.2 batters per nine innings before moving to Triple-A Albuquerque at the end of June. Lambert started his arsenal with a low-90s fastball that peaked in the mid-90s, and he backed it up primarily with an above-average downer curveball in the 79-81 mph range. His high-80s changeup earned average grades, and he added a mid-80s slider that could become average with continued refinement. Lambert’s combination of stuff, makeup and an increasingly impressive physique have led evaluators to believe he’ll have a future in a big league rotation, possibly as a No. 3 or 4 starter if everything clicks.
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  Ranked California League #12 prospect in 2017
  Few 20-year-olds handle pitching in Lancaster well, but Lambert was one of them. The Southern California high school product sat 91-94 mph with his fastball, showed advanced feel for a potential plus changeup in the mid-80s and flashed a plus 78-82 curveball with a hard, late drop. With that arsenal and a fearless, competitive edge noted by evaluators, Lambert finished in the top five in the Cal League in WHIP (third), ERA (fourth), opponent average (fourth), innings (fourth) and strikeouts (fifth) despite his notoriously hitter-friendly home park. "I was most impressed by how advanced he is for how young he is," Stockton manager Rick Magnante said. "He's very advanced for how old he is, and he has some physicality. He's not going to be who he is at 25 or 26, and with his physicality and fearlessness, he's got a lot of growth left that could make him even better." Lambert's fastball command gets away from him at times, but he tends to keep battling. Shoring that up and increasing the consistency of his secondary offerings are his next steps.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #5 prospect in 2015
  Lambert was one of the better-known high school pitchers coming out of southern California this year, with a stint on USA Baseball's 18U national team on his résumé. After signing for just shy of $1.5 million as a second-round pick, he turned out to be one of the Pioneer League's more impressive young pitchers, thriving at the age of 18 in an extreme hitter's league. Owner of an athletic frame, Lambert has a projectable build and gets good downhill plane on his pitches. He has good feel for command of a fastball that sits 88-92 mph and touches 95. A 78-82 mph curveball that he spins well is the gem of his arsenal, with at least one talent evaluator grading it as the best in the league. He's also got good feel for a solid changeup that he delivers around 82 mph. His delivery and arm work well, he's quick to the plate and throws all three pitches for strikes. "He just has that 'it' factor," Grand Junction manager Anthony Sanders said.

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Lambert gutted through pitching in Albuquerque with the new ball. His 5.07 ERA was more than a full run lower than the team average, and he joined the Rockies’ rotation on June 6. Lambert further struggled in Colorado, but observers see a promising young starter beneath the numbers. His sinking, low-90s fastball, plus curveball, plus changeup and indefatigable mound presence portend better days ahead as a back-of-the-rotation starter. "You can see the arm and you can see the breaking ball,” Sacramento manager Dave Brundage said "It’s so tough . . . when you’re pitching in Albuquerque. It’s a tough place to make a living as a pitcher.”
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  Lambert’s advanced feel for pitching combined with natural physical maturity has led to a banner season. He led the Double-A Eastern League in ERA (2.23), WHIP (0.99), and walk rate (1.17) despite not even turning 21 until after the season began, and he was promoted to Triple-A at the start of July. Lambert expertly manipulates his 92-93 mph fastball that touches 96—running it, sinking it and throwing it for strikes in every quadrant—and both his curveball and changeup are playing above-average to plus the way he interplays them off his fastball. The result has been an ascent to the undisputed top pitching prospect in the Rockies system.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Rockies took advantage of four early picks in the 2015 draft and landed Lambert at No. 44 overall. Lambert didn't overpower and there were questions about his thin frame, but the Rockies saw a highly successful teen with a live arm, room to fill out and a desirable competitive streak. Scouting Report: Lambert's poise and fearless mentality have helped him conquer three of the most hitter-friendly environments in baseball in Grand Junction, Asheville and Lancaster his first three seasons. The expected physical gains have come too. Lambert now comfortably sits 91-93 mph and touches 95 with his fastball, dialing it up and down as necessary, and it plays up further with excellent control and sink. Both his biting 78-82 mph curveball and mid-80s changeup consistently project above-average-to-plus, with the best of his swing-and-miss curveballs drawing plus-plus grades. Lambert throws everything for strikes and keeps the ball down, a critical factor in his success pitching in environments similar to Coors Field. The Future: Lambert has all the components of a quality mid-to-back of the rotation starter, and could be more if he continues to grow and add fastball velocity.
• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Lambert was one of the better-known high school pitchers coming out of southern California this year, with a stint on USA Baseball's 18U national team on his résumé. After signing for just shy of $1.5 million as a second-round pick, he turned out to be one of the Pioneer League's more impressive young pitchers, thriving at the age of 18 in an extreme hitter's league. Owner of an athletic frame, Lambert has a projectable build and gets good downhill plane on his pitches. He has good feel for command of a fastball that sits 88-92 mph and touches 95. A 78-82 mph curveball that he spins well is the gem of his arsenal, with at least one talent evaluator grading it as the best in the league. He's also got good feel for a solid changeup that he delivers around 82 mph. His delivery and arm work well, he's quick to the plate and throws all three pitches for strikes. "He just has that 'it' factor," Grand Junction manager Anthony Sanders said.