Riley Thompson

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #30 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Thompson has flashed big stuff since his days at Louisville, but he's pitched very little despite being 26. He had Tommy John surgery and repeated shoulder injuries that limited him to just two partial seasons in college, didn't pitch in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and missed all of 2021 with shoulder tightness. He returned to the mound for the first time in nearly three years in 2022 and improved as the year went on at Double-A Tennessee, providing optimism he can still be a part of the Cubs' future.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson has a strong, physical 6-foot-4 frame and has maintained his arm strength through his injuries. His fastball sits 94-98 mph and touches higher in relief. His 12-to-6 curveball in the low 80s has excellent spin and depth and is a plus pitch when he locates it, although his feel for it is inconsistent, and he has added a short, upper-80s slider that flashes average. He has also improved his feel for a fringy, mid-80s changeup. Thompson's stuff stands out, but his arm action allows batters to see the ball early out of his hand. His fastball plays down significantly, frequently getting crushed, and batters easily lay off his stuff out of the zone.
  
  The Future: Thompson's arm strength gives him a chance to surface as a reliever despite his shortcomings. He'll head to Triple-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #21 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Thompson had Tommy John surgery at Louisville and battled shoulder troubles after he returned, but the Cubs saw enough stuff to draft him in the 11th round and give him an above-slot $200,000 bonus. Thompson appeared to break through in 2019 at Low-A South Bend and pitched five no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in the clinching game of the Midwest League championship series, but he hasn’t pitched since. The coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season and he missed all of 2021 with shoulder discomfort.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson fits a starter’s mold with a 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and three pitches he can throw for strikes. His high-spin fastball ranges from 90-96 mph and touches higher in relief. His high-spin, mid-80s curveball is a plus pitch that puts hitters away and his average changeup with late sink gets swings and misses over the top. Thompson struggled to throw strikes in college, but he began throwing with more conviction and confidence in pro ball and now shows average control. His primary concern is durability. He has pitched more than 33 innings in a season only once in college or the minors.
  
  The Future: Thompson started throwing bullpens in the fall and should be ready for 2022 spring training. He has starter stuff, but his health may limit him to relief.
  
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #12 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson had Tommy John surgery his freshman year at Louisville and struggled to throw strikes when he returned, leaving him with a career 5.82 ERA despite solid stuff. The Cubs drafted him in the 11th round and gave him an above-slot $200,000 bonus because they believed they could fix his control. Thompson rewarded that faith in his first full season at low Class A South Bend, going 8-6, 3.06 in 21 starts and, most importantly, walking fewer than three batters per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Thompson has a prototypical starter’s build and three pitches he can throw for strikes. He attacks the zone with a high-spin fastball that ranges from 90-96 mph and complements it with a high-spin, mid-80s curveball that shows flashes of being a putaway pitch. Thompson found a changeup grip that worked for him in his first instructional league, settling on a “Vulcan” grip, and the result was a sinking change that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. Thompson’s command and control have improved the further he’s moved away from Tommy John surgery, in part because he’s throwing with more conviction and confidence.
  
  THE FUTURE: Both the Cubs and opposing evaluators believe Thompson is a solid future starter. He has a chance to see Double-A at some point during the 20201 season.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #9 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson transitioned into the starting rotation in the middle of his sophomore year at Louisville after being used exclusively as a reliever in 2017 both in college and in a five-game stint in the Cape Cod League. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Cubs selected him in the 11th round. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and was a 37th-round pick of the Reds out of high school and a 27th-round pick of the Yankees as a redshirt freshman. He had a successful first half-season as a pro with short-season Eugene, which included a run to the Northwest League Championship Series.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As a starter, Thompson has begun showing the makings of a true four-pitch mix. He starts with a fastball that averages 93 mph and touches around 96 mph while spinning at an above-average rate of 2,300 rpms. He pairs the fastball with a downer curveball that spins at better than 3,000 rpms and is thrown in the mid-80s. He's made great strides with his changeup, which the Cubs rebuilt during their instructional league in January 2019. After running through a variety of grips, Thompson and the Cubs settled on a split-fingered, “Vulcan” grip. The new version of the pitch tunnels well off of his fastball and is easiest for him to command. He's also shown the makings of a potentially average slider. Thompson finished his season in style with five perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in the decisive third game of South Bend's Midwest League Championship Series win over Clinton.
  
  THE FUTURE: Thompson threw a career-high 94 innings in 2019 and will need to continue being built up to handle a starter's workload. The next step is high Class A Myrtle Beach.
• 
  Ranked Chicago Cubs #20 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Thompson was drafted twice before signing with the Cubs--in the 37th round out of high school by the Reds and again a year later by the Yankees as the rare draft-eligible redshirt freshman. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016, then missed part of his redshirt freshman season with a sore arm. Thompson performed poorly in his final collegiate season, but his pure stuff was too good to pass up.
  
  Scouting Report: In the spring, Thompson lit up radar guns with a fastball that sat in the mid-90s and touched triple digits. He paired the pitch with a powerful curveball that he used for strikeouts. At their best, both pitches earned 70 grades on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. He also mixed in a potentially average changeup. Well below-average control hampered him in college, but he calmed down some to walk nine hitters in his first 25 innings. The Cubs believe that smoothing out his delivery to make it more repeatable will help Thompson get the most out of his premium arsenal.
  
  The Future: Given that he already shows three pitches, the Cubs will continue to use Thompson as a starter. If that fails, his fastball and curveball--with improved control--could help him move quickly to the big league bullpen in a reliever's role. He should move to low Class A South Bend in 2019.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #219 prospect in 2018 draft
  A 37th-round pick of the Reds out of high school and a 27th round pick of the Yankees last year as a redshirt freshman, Thompson's stuff is every bit as good as anyone who will be taken in the first round. He has a mid-90s fastball that will tickle triple digits and a power curve that can be a devastating weapon when he's locked in. Despite two pitches that can earn 70 grades from scouts and an average changeup, Thompson has had little on-field success. He missed the 2016 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He posted a 4.02 ERA as a redshirt freshman, but had to be shut down at the end of the season with a sore arm. He began this season in Louisville's rotation but slid to the bullpen and has struggled to be effective in either role. Thompson had a 7.26 ERA in mid-May and was allowing more than a hit per inning. Thompson's problem has always been his well below average control. When he runs into trouble, innings quickly get away from him and he's yet to show the ability to diagnose and fix delivery flaws in the middle of an inning.
• Ranked #290 prospect in 2017 draft
  Scouts haven't gotten a chance to see Thompson pitch all that much this year at Louisville, but the flashes they have seen are tantalizing. The redshirt freshman is draft eligible because of he turns 21 in early July, just before the eligibility cutoff date. A 37th-round pick of the Reds out of high school even though he was known to need Tommy John surgery, Thompson missed last season while he recovered. This year, he's been a power arm out of Louisville's bullpen, throwing one to two innings a week before being shut down in late April with soreness in his arm. Thompson has blown hitters away with a 95-98 mph fastball at his best this spring and he's mixed in a hard slider that is a hammer at its best but also slower and loopier at times. Thompson's control is below-average at this point and when he struggles to maintain his delivery, it can get ugly quick--in three of his 12 outings he had to be pulled mid-inning, but on other nights he's been unhittable. Thompson's sporadic work made it hard for scouts to see him and his injury history makes it hard to spend big on a draft-eligible redshirt freshman with plenty of leverage. If he comes back to Louisville for his sophomore season, he'll likely take on a much larger role, but his big arm could entice a team to buy out his final three seasons.
• Ranked #323 prospect in 2015 draft
  Just two weeks before the draft, Thompson found out that he will need Tommy John surgery. The Louisville recruit has shown both tantalizing potential and a clear need for refinement during his high school career. Pre-injury he showed excellent arm speed with a fastball that already sits 88-93 mph. He's touched 95-96 mph, although at the higher velocities his pitch flattens out and he loses control. Thompson spins off the mound and his delivery has some effort. His slider flashes average with bite and depth. His changeup is more of a concept than a solid pitch at this point.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Midwest League #19 prospect in 2019
  While Thompson was among the older arms in the Midwest League, his work throughout his second season as a professional was eye-catching. It’s been a steady process of simplifying his mechanics and finding his groove at the minor league level since the Cubs took Thompson in the 11th round of the 2018 draft out of Louisville. "He has an easy plus fastball that sits 92-96 mph,” one scout said. "He has a curveball and changeup that have a chance to be solid-average with enough command and control that he could be in a rotation. His curve is average around 3,000 rpm. There are enough strikes there, and the command will continue to get better.” The Cubs didn’t rush Thompson, holding him at the low Class A level all season. A move to high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2020 is to be expected to add more of a challenge.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Thompson has flashed big stuff since his days at Louisville, but he's pitched very little despite being 26. He had Tommy John surgery and repeated shoulder injuries that limited him to just two partial seasons in college, didn't pitch in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and missed all of 2021 with shoulder tightness. He returned to the mound for the first time in nearly three years in 2022 and improved as the year went on at Double-A Tennessee, providing optimism he can still be a part of the Cubs' future.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson has a strong, physical 6-foot-4 frame and has maintained his arm strength through his injuries. His fastball sits 94-98 mph and touches higher in relief. His 12-to-6 curveball in the low 80s has excellent spin and depth and is a plus pitch when he locates it, although his feel for it is inconsistent, and he has added a short, upper-80s slider that flashes average. He has also improved his feel for a fringy, mid-80s changeup. Thompson's stuff stands out, but his arm action allows batters to see the ball early out of his hand. His fastball plays down significantly, frequently getting crushed, and batters easily lay off his stuff out of the zone.
  
  The Future: Thompson's arm strength gives him a chance to surface as a reliever despite his shortcomings. He'll head to Triple-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Thompson has flashed big stuff since his days at Louisville, but he's pitched very little despite being 26. He had Tommy John surgery and repeated shoulder injuries that limited him to just two partial seasons in college, didn't pitch in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and missed all of 2021 with shoulder tightness. He returned to the mound for the first time in nearly three years in 2022 and improved as the year went on at Double-A Tennessee, providing optimism he can still be a part of the Cubs' future.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson has a strong, physical 6-foot-4 frame and has maintained his arm strength through his injuries. His fastball sits 94-98 mph and touches higher in relief. His 12-to-6 curveball in the low 80s has excellent spin and depth and is a plus pitch when he locates it, although his feel for it is inconsistent, and he has added a short, upper-80s slider that flashes average. He has also improved his feel for a fringy, mid-80s changeup. Thompson's stuff stands out, but his arm action allows batters to see the ball early out of his hand. His fastball plays down significantly, frequently getting crushed, and batters easily lay off his stuff out of the zone.
  
  The Future: Thompson's arm strength gives him a chance to surface as a reliever despite his shortcomings. He'll head to Triple-A in 2023.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Thompson had Tommy John surgery at Louisville and battled shoulder troubles after he returned, but the Cubs saw enough stuff to draft him in the 11th round and give him an above-slot $200,000 bonus. Thompson appeared to break through in 2019 at Low-A South Bend and pitched five no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in the clinching game of the Midwest League championship series, but he hasn&#39t pitched since. The coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season and he missed all of 2021 with shoulder discomfort.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson fits a starter&#39s mold with a 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and three pitches he can throw for strikes. His high-spin fastball ranges from 90-96 mph and touches higher in relief. His high-spin, mid-80s curveball is a plus pitch that puts hitters away and his average changeup with late sink gets swings and misses over the top. Thompson struggled to throw strikes in college, but he began throwing with more conviction and confidence in pro ball and now shows average control. His primary concern is durability. He has pitched more than 33 innings in a season only once in college or the minors.
  
  The Future: Thompson started throwing bullpens in the fall and should be ready for 2022 spring training. He has starter stuff, but his health may limit him to relief.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Thompson had Tommy John surgery at Louisville and battled shoulder troubles after he returned, but the Cubs saw enough stuff to draft him in the 11th round and give him an above-slot $200,000 bonus. Thompson appeared to break through in 2019 at Low-A South Bend and pitched five no-hit innings with 10 strikeouts in the clinching game of the Midwest League championship series, but he hasn’t pitched since. The coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season and he missed all of 2021 with shoulder discomfort.
  
  Scouting Report: Thompson fits a starter’s mold with a 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame and three pitches he can throw for strikes. His high-spin fastball ranges from 90-96 mph and touches higher in relief. His high-spin, mid-80s curveball is a plus pitch that puts hitters away and his average changeup with late sink gets swings and misses over the top. Thompson struggled to throw strikes in college, but he began throwing with more conviction and confidence in pro ball and now shows average control. His primary concern is durability. He has pitched more than 33 innings in a season only once in college or the minors.
  
  The Future: Thompson started throwing bullpens in the fall and should be ready for 2022 spring training. He has starter stuff, but his health may limit him to relief.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson had Tommy John surgery his freshman year at Louisville and struggled to throw strikes when he returned, leaving him with a career 5.82 ERA despite solid stuff. The Cubs drafted him in the 11th round and gave him an above-slot $200,000 bonus because they believed they could fix his control. Thompson rewarded that faith in his first full season at low Class A South Bend, going 8-6, 3.06 in 21 starts and, most importantly, walking fewer than three batters per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Thompson has a prototypical starter's build and three pitches he can throw for strikes. He attacks the zone with a high-spin fastball that ranges from 90-96 mph and complements it with a high-spin, mid-80s curveball that shows flashes of being a putaway pitch. Thompson found a changeup grip that worked for him in his first instructional league, settling on a “Vulcan” grip, and the result was a sinking change that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. Thompson's command and control have improved the further he's moved away from Tommy John surgery, in part because he's throwing with more conviction and confidence.
  
  THE FUTURE: Both the Cubs and opposing evaluators believe Thompson is a solid future starter. He has a chance to see Double-A at some point during the 20201 season.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson had Tommy John surgery his freshman year at Louisville and struggled to throw strikes when he returned, leaving him with a career 5.82 ERA despite solid stuff. The Cubs drafted him in the 11th round and gave him an above-slot $200,000 bonus because they believed they could fix his control. Thompson rewarded that faith in his first full season at low Class A South Bend, going 8-6, 3.06 in 21 starts and, most importantly, walking fewer than three batters per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Thompson has a prototypical starter’s build and three pitches he can throw for strikes. He attacks the zone with a high-spin fastball that ranges from 90-96 mph and complements it with a high-spin, mid-80s curveball that shows flashes of being a putaway pitch. Thompson found a changeup grip that worked for him in his first instructional league, settling on a “Vulcan” grip, and the result was a sinking change that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. Thompson’s command and control have improved the further he’s moved away from Tommy John surgery, in part because he’s throwing with more conviction and confidence.
  
  THE FUTURE: Both the Cubs and opposing evaluators believe Thompson is a solid future starter. He has a chance to see Double-A at some point during the 20201 season.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson had Tommy John surgery his freshman year at Louisville and struggled to throw strikes when he returned, leaving him with a career 5.82 ERA despite solid stuff. The Cubs drafted him in the 11th round and gave him an above-slot $200,000 bonus because they believed they could fix his control. Thompson rewarded that faith in his first full season at low Class A South Bend, going 8-6, 3.06 in 21 starts and, most importantly, walking fewer than three batters per nine innings.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Thompson has a prototypical starter’s build and three pitches he can throw for strikes. He attacks the zone with a high-spin fastball that ranges from 90-96 mph and complements it with a high-spin, mid-80s curveball that shows flashes of being a putaway pitch. Thompson found a changeup grip that worked for him in his first instructional league, settling on a “Vulcan” grip, and the result was a sinking change that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. Thompson’s command and control have improved the further he’s moved away from Tommy John surgery, in part because he’s throwing with more conviction and confidence.
  
  THE FUTURE: Both the Cubs and opposing evaluators believe Thompson is a solid future starter. He has a chance to see Double-A at some point during the 20201 season.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson transitioned into the starting rotation in the middle of his sophomore year at Louisville after being used exclusively as a reliever in 2017 both in college and in a five-game stint in the Cape Cod League. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Cubs selected him in the 11th round. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and was a 37th-round pick of the Reds out of high school and a 27th-round pick of the Yankees as a redshirt freshman. He had a successful first half-season as a pro with short-season Eugene, which included a run to the Northwest League Championship Series.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As a starter, Thompson has begun showing the makings of a true four-pitch mix. He starts with a fastball that averages 93 mph and touches around 96 mph while spinning at an above-average rate of 2,300 rpms. He pairs the fastball with a downer curveball that spins at better than 3,000 rpms and is thrown in the mid-80s. He’s made great strides with his changeup, which the Cubs rebuilt during their instructional league in January 2019. After running through a variety of grips, Thompson and the Cubs settled on a split-fingered, “Vulcan” grip. The new version of the pitch tunnels well off of his fastball and is easiest for him to command. He’s also shown the makings of a potentially average slider. Thompson finished his season in style with five perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in the decisive third game of South Bend’s Midwest League Championship Series win over Clinton.
  
  THE FUTURE: Thompson threw a career-high 94 innings in 2019 and will need to continue being built up to handle a starter’s workload. The next step is high Class A Myrtle Beach.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Thompson transitioned into the starting rotation in the middle of his sophomore year at Louisville after being used exclusively as a reliever in 2017 both in college and in a five-game stint in the Cape Cod League. He was a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Cubs selected him in the 11th round. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016 and was a 37th-round pick of the Reds out of high school and a 27th-round pick of the Yankees as a redshirt freshman. He had a successful first half-season as a pro with short-season Eugene, which included a run to the Northwest League Championship Series.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: As a starter, Thompson has begun showing the makings of a true four-pitch mix. He starts with a fastball that averages 93 mph and touches around 96 mph while spinning at an above-average rate of 2,300 rpms. He pairs the fastball with a downer curveball that spins at better than 3,000 rpms and is thrown in the mid-80s. He's made great strides with his changeup, which the Cubs rebuilt during their instructional league in January 2019. After running through a variety of grips, Thompson and the Cubs settled on a split-fingered, “Vulcan” grip. The new version of the pitch tunnels well off of his fastball and is easiest for him to command. He's also shown the makings of a potentially average slider. Thompson finished his season in style with five perfect innings with 10 strikeouts in the decisive third game of South Bend's Midwest League Championship Series win over Clinton.
  
  THE FUTURE: Thompson threw a career-high 94 innings in 2019 and will need to continue being built up to handle a starter's workload. The next step is high Class A Myrtle Beach.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  While Thompson was among the older arms in the Midwest League, his work throughout his second season as a professional was eye-catching. It’s been a steady process of simplifying his mechanics and finding his groove at the minor league level since the Cubs took Thompson in the 11th round of the 2018 draft out of Louisville. "He has an easy plus fastball that sits 92-96 mph,” one scout said. "He has a curveball and changeup that have a chance to be solid-average with enough command and control that he could be in a rotation. His curve is average around 3,000 rpm. There are enough strikes there, and the command will continue to get better.” The Cubs didn’t rush Thompson, holding him at the low Class A level all season. A move to high Class A Myrtle Beach in 2020 is to be expected to add more of a challenge.