Wladimir Pinto

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #26 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: After recovering from a lat strain that dismantled his 2017 season, Pinto reached the Florida State League the following season but struggled with his control. The flame-thrower started back in the FSL in 2019 and saw great success, working briefly as the closer for high Class A Lakeland before reaching the Eastern League, where he averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Pinto's main weapon is a plus fastball that has good riding action up in the zone. It now tops out at 96 mph after reaching the upper 90s in the past. His main secondary is a curveball that tops out at 82 mph but doesn't project as plus. Pinto's command is inconsistent and leads to below-average control numbers, evidenced by his 5.1 walks per nine innings in 2019. He is purely a reliever who has never started as a pro.
  
  THE FUTURE: Pinto's plus fastball gives him a chance to pitch in the sixth or seventh inning. He will try to harness his breaking ball in 2020 to reach that ceiling.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #21 prospect in 2018
  A lat strain ruined Pinto's 2017 season. He had spent the first half of the year at extended spring training, but he dominated the New York-Penn League and earned a promotion to low Class A West Michigan after just eight excellent outings. In his first appearance for West Michigan, he strained a lat muscle and was shut down for the rest of the season. Scouts who saw one of those rare Pinto appearances came away very impressed. He overpowered New York-Penn League hitters by working arm-side and glove-side with an overwhelming plus-plus 94-99 mph fastball. He has a slider that is already a 40-45 pitch on the 20-to-80 scouting scale because of his arm speed. Pinto's command is what's most notable. His fastball gets plenty of run but he still managed to locate it consistently. He progressed remarkably. Two years earlier, he walked more than a batter an inning and in his nine appearances in 2017, he didn't walk a batter and was rarely behind in counts. Pinto has to stay healthy and improve his breaking ball, but he has the stuff to finish off games one day. He's ready to head back to low Class A West Michigan. With the friendly pitching environment of West Michigan and his stuff, he could earn a lot more attention in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #21 prospect in 2017
  Signed out of Venezuela for $30,000 as a 16-year-old in 2014, Pinto has already opened eyes with his combination of arm speed, velocity and flashes of an average or better curveball. He spent his first pro season in the Venezuelan Summer League and made his stateside debut in 2016 with one of the Tigers' two Rookie-level Gulf Coast League teams. Pinto has a short, stocky build that suggests his long-term role is in the bullpen, but there are evaluators who believe he could start if given the chance. Even as a reliever, the Tigers are excited about Pinto's potential. Besides his big fastball, Pinto has shown a potentially above-average curveball and a changeup that could reach the same level with patience and repetitions. Pinto creates good angle on his pitches from a high three-quarters arm slot and gets the most out of his short stature by staying upright during his delivery. There's a lot of refinement to come as control and command are concerned, but Pinto could be the latest in the Tigers' line of high-velocity relief arms moving through the system.

• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After recovering from a lat strain that dismantled his 2017 season, Pinto reached the Florida State League the following season but struggled with his control. The flame-thrower started back in the FSL in 2019 and saw great success, working briefly as the closer for high Class A Lakeland before reaching the Eastern League, where he averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Pinto's main weapon is a plus fastball that has good riding action up in the zone. It now tops out at 96 mph after reaching the upper 90s in the past. His main secondary is a curveball that tops out at 82 mph but doesn't project as plus. Pinto's command is inconsistent and leads to below-average control numbers, evidenced by his 5.1 walks per nine innings in 2019. He is purely a reliever who has never started as a pro.
  
  THE FUTURE: Pinto's plus fastball gives him a chance to pitch in the sixth or seventh inning. He will try to harness his breaking ball in 2020 to reach that ceiling.