Kyle Muller

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Athletics #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Muller for $2.5 million in the second round of the 2016 draft after he added velocity as a high school senior. He pitched his way to Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2021 but has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Gwinnett. The Athletics acquired Muller in December as the centerpiece of the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves and William Contreras to the Brewers.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and tops out around 97-98. While the pitch has ordinary life and shape, it plays up thanks to his extension. The Braves encouraged Muller to attack the zone aggressively with his fastball, both to get ahead in counts and to make hitters swing. He did just that in 2022, throwing his fastball for strikes more than 70% of the time. Muller throws a firm, upper-80s slider that averaged nearly 87 mph in the majors and put him among the top 25 hardest-thrown lefthanded sliders. Muller's slider has earned plus scouting grades, while his low-80s curveball is another quality breaking pitch with horizontal and vertical bite. His curve spin rate is in the 2,400 rpm range, though he threw the pitch in the zone less frequently than any of his offerings. Muller's firm, upper-80s changeup is his fourth pitch and is exclusively used against righthanded hitters. The movement and velocity separation on his changeup don't suggest it'll be anything more than a fourth offering.
  
  The Future: Muller graduates from prospect eligibility with just four more outs. He has the upside of a No. 4 starter and should spend most of 2023 in Oakland's rotation.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #4 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Muller was one of the fast-risers of the prep ranks as a high school senior. He’d gone from sitting 87-89 mph to the low 90s when the Braves drafted him. His stuff has steadily progressed as he filled out his 6-foot-7 frame. After five years of strength gains, he flashed some of the best pure stuff in the Braves system in 2021 and received his first big league callup in June. Muller went 2-4, 4.17 in nine appearances (eight starts) with the Braves while striking out more than a batter per inning, but also showed he is still learning to harness his new power arsenal.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller’s fastball sits around 94 mph and routinely gets up into the upper 90s from the left side. Beyond the pure velocity, Muller’s standout spin metrics and extension from his large frame allow his fastball to generate tons of swings and misses up in the zone. Muller’s mid-80s slider earns plus grades at its best and his low-80s curveball is another above-average pitch, while his firm changeup is an average offering that gives him a complete four-pitch mix. What holds Muller back is below-average control. He stopped going over the top of his head in his windup to simplify his delivery and become more consistent. The changes cut his walk rate a bit, but it still remains below average.
  
  The Future: The Braves have committed to developing Muller as a starter, but if his control doesn’t improve, he has the stuff to be a closer. He has two options remaining, so there’s still time.
  
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #7 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
  Track Record: Muller has come a long way since the Braves drafted him out of high school in 2016. After sitting in the upper 80s in his first full season, Muller filled out his large, 6-foot-7 frame and now has the best fastball in Atlanta’s system. After topping out at 98 mph in 2019, Muller sat 95-97 mph and touched 100 at the Braves’ alternate training site in 2020.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller’s calling card is his fastball. Its plus-plus velocity plays up even further with high spin rates that generate plenty of whiffs at the top of the zone. The pitch plays especially well with Muller’s extension toward home plate out of his huge frame. Muller has worked hard to refine his secondaries, focusing on improving his curveball and changeup, while also adding a slider to the mix. He has flashed above-average potential with all three but needs to improve his consistency with all of them. Muller will also need to sharpen his fastball control after averaging 5.5 walks per nine innings at Double-A in 2019.
  
  The Future: The Braves see Muller as a starter and believe he has the athleticism and work ethic to make the necessary gains in control and secondary pitch quality to succeed in that role. If he stalls, his stuff will play in the bullpen.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #5 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: No player has come as far in the Braves system as Muller. After failing to reach low Class A in his first full season and seeing his fastball sit in the upper 80s, Muller started training with Driveline Baseball. The results of that work have revitalized his prospect status.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: After trending in the right direction a season ago, Muller now has one of the best fastballs in the system. In 2019, he topped out at 98 mph and sat in the 90-97 mph range at Double-A, with solid downhill angle that makes it an easy plus pitch. He made some progress with both his curveball and changeup, which project as average with increased consistency. Muller's curveball flashes depth and bite and his changeup looks solid with slight fade, though he needs to learn to throw it with more conviction. Muller's control is below-average. He walked the second-most batters (68) in the Southern League and will need to improve his strike-throwing to take advantage of a solid three-pitch mix that overwhelms hitters when he's not overwhelming himself.
  
  THE FUTURE: After dominating Double-A batters over a full season, Muller should start 2020 in Triple-A and could spend some time there learning how to sequence pitches more effectively as a starter, though he could help the big league club in a bullpen role right away.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #11 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: A year ago, Muller seemed on his way to becoming the rare whiff among Braves' high-dollar prep pitching picks. He lost 4-5 mph off his fastball and was put on a much slower track than the typical Braves pitcher. Muller responded by paying his way to spend part of the offseason working at Driveline Baseball in Washington. It paid off when he regained his fastball and flew through the system, pitching successfully at three levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller was an entirely different pitcher in 2018 thanks to his recovered velocity. He still lacks a true plus weapon, but he now has the chance to have a lot of average to above-average offerings. He attacked hitters with his 92-95 mph fastball that was an above-average pitch. His improved arm speed helped his slider flash above-average more regularly, and he'll mix in a fringe-average curveball that works as a get-over pitch. His changeup shows some late tumble at times and is a future average pitch. Muller has more control than command.
  
  The Future: As a lefthander with a lot of options to attack hitters, Muller projects as a solid mid-rotation starter. He's headed back to Double-A, where he'll be part of a very talented rotation stuck behind a similarly talented Triple-A rotation.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #20 prospect in 2018
  Muller's prospect stock soared when his velocity spiked as a senior and he dominated all comers on the Texas high school circuit. That stuff has taken a step back as a pro. The Braves are an aggressive organization when it comes to minor league assignments, but with Muller, they hit the brakes. Unlike most every top prep pitching prospect Atlanta drafts, Muller didn't make it to low Class A in his first full season. Instead he spent the year at extended spring training and at Rookie-level Danville. He's shown a feel to pitch, but his fastball is more consistently 88-91 mph, touching 93, and not the 91-95 he showed on longer rest in high school. It does have angle and enough movement to avoid the sweet spot of bats, but he lacks deception. His curveball improved this year as it's showing a tighter break and late movement––some evaluators described it as a slider––giving it a chance to be an above-average pitch. He's still working on getting comfortable with his nascent changeup. Muller's command and angle give him survival skills even with a fringe-average fastball, but for him to live up to expectations, he'll need more arm speed and velocity. He'll work on that at low Class A Rome in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #17 prospect in 2017
  A stellar senior season from Muller led the Braves to take the lefthander with the 44th overall pick in 2016. His velocity increased from 87-89 mph in the summer of 2015 to sitting in the low 90s and touching 95 mph on a few occasions in 2016. Featuring a heavy swing-and-miss fastball with late action, Muller dominated prep hitters and established a national high school record by fanning 24 consecutive batters over two starts and notched 36 straight outs via the strikeout. An excellent athlete who played first base and the outfield when not pitching, Muller displayed impressive power at the plate and would have been a two-way player at the University of Texas had he not signed an above-slot $2.5 million. The Braves limited Muller to a maximum of three innings in his 10 Rookie-level Gulf Coast League outings and were impressed with the transition he made to pro ball, even though his velocity fell slightly over the course of the summer. He uses his tall frame to his advantage with a downward plane on his pitches and a strong presence on the mound. Muller consistently repeats his clean delivery despite his 6-foot-6 height, and he does an excellent job of making use of the entire strike zone with his fastball. He showed a solid feel for his slurvy curveball and changeup but needs to hone consistency, break and depth of both pitches in order to emerge as a mid-rotation starter in the big leagues. He has a good shot at opening the 2017 campaign at low Class A Rome.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #25 prospect in 2016 draft
  Muller's stock has risen during his senior season as he's dominated while showing improved velocity. Pitching in the competitive Dallas metroplex area, Muller, a Texas signee, struck out a national high school record 24 straight batters over two starts and recorded 36 consecutive outs on strikeouts. He now sits 90-92 mph more consistently after hovering at 87-89 regularly last summer. His delivery is clean and his arm works well with little effort. Muller's improved velocity has come with pitching on plenty of rest, and there are some concerns about how well he can maintain that velocity throwing every fifth day. Muller's slurvy breaking ball has sharpened up and gotten harder but neither it nor his changeup have shown true plus potential. He's is a legitimate prospect as a first baseman/outfielder with well-above-average righthanded power (he hits righthanded but throws lefthanded both as a pitcher and in the field) and would be a two-way contributor if he made it to the Longhorns, but his chances of turning into a future No. 3 or No. 4 starter will likely take the bat out of his hands.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #10 prospect in 2018
  The Braves went pitching-heavy in the 2016 draft, taking six arms among their first seven picks. Muller, the third of those arms, got his first taste of full-season ball this year when he opened at low Class A Rome. Muller moved to the FSL after six starts and finished the year in the Double-A Mississippi rotation. Muller impressed evaluators with his one-two punch of a mid-90s fastball and a mid-80s slider, and he mixed in a mid-70s curveball as well. The next step will be to develop his changeup to average and find a way to combat same-side hitters. Lefthanded batters hit .288/.342/.405 against Muller in the FSL. If he can make those improvements, Muller has a chance to be a mid-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked National League #8 prospect in 2017
  Muller achieved high school stardom in 2016 by striking out 24 consecutive batters over the course of two starts, and scouts from all over Texas flocked to see him. The Braves selected the southpaw in the second round, then assigned him to Danville in 2017 to work on his mechanics. Muller's two-seam fastball begins at 92-94 mph before tailing off to 90-92 as games progress. He commands it to both sides of the plate thanks to an improved ability to repeat his delivery. Muller's fastball is flanked by a sharp curveball that flashes plus life, dropping out of the zone at the last second to frustrate hitters. Muller has made progress with his changeup and is now working on adding more of a velocity gap between it and his fastball to develop a true three-pitch repertoire.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #11 prospect in 2016
  Muller was throwing in the mid- to upper 80s last summer, but his tall, lanky frame screamed projection. As he added size and strength over the past year, his fastball rose in turn, boosting his stock to become one of the top lefties in the 2016 draft. After signing with the Braves for $2.5 million as a second-round pick, Muller allowed just two earned runs in his 10 GCL appearances and struck out more than 12.0 per nine innings, though the Braves never let him throw more than three innings per game. Muller's heavy fastball parks at 89-91 mph and can reach 94 with downhill plane from his high three-quarters arm slot. His mid-70s curveball has good shape and depth, flashing as an average pitch. He hasn't used his changeup much yet, but he shows early signs of having feel for that offering. He throws across his body, but he's an excellent athlete who repeats his mechanics well to throw strikes at a good rate for his age.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Muller for $2.5 million in the second round of the 2016 draft after he added velocity as a high school senior. He pitched his way to Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2021 but has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Gwinnett. The Athletics acquired Muller in December as the centerpiece of the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves and William Contreras to the Brewers.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and tops out around 97-98. While the pitch has ordinary life and shape, it plays up thanks to his extension. The Braves encouraged Muller to attack the zone aggressively with his fastball, both to get ahead in counts and to make hitters swing. He did just that in 2022, throwing his fastball for strikes more than 70% of the time. Muller throws a firm, upper-80s slider that averaged nearly 87 mph in the majors and put him among the top 25 hardest-thrown lefthanded sliders. Muller's slider has earned plus scouting grades, while his low-80s curveball is another quality breaking pitch with horizontal and vertical bite. His curve spin rate is in the 2,400 rpm range, though he threw the pitch in the zone less frequently than any of his offerings. Muller's firm, upper-80s changeup is his fourth pitch and is exclusively used against righthanded hitters. The movement and velocity separation on his changeup don't suggest it'll be anything more than a fourth offering.
  
  The Future: Muller graduates from prospect eligibility with just four more outs. He has the upside of a No. 4 starter and should spend most of 2023 in Oakland's rotation.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Muller for $2.5 million in the second round of the 2016 draft after he added velocity as a high school senior. He pitched his way to Double-A as a 20-year-old in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2021 but has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Gwinnett. The Athletics acquired Muller in December as the centerpiece of the three-team deal that sent Sean Murphy to the Braves and William Contreras to the Brewers.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sits 93-95 mph and tops out around 97-98. While the pitch has ordinary life and shape, it plays up thanks to his extension. The Braves encouraged Muller to attack the zone aggressively with his fastball, both to get ahead in counts and to make hitters swing. He did just that in 2022, throwing his fastball for strikes more than 70% of the time. Muller throws a firm, upper-80s slider that averaged nearly 87 mph in the majors and put him among the top 25 hardest-thrown lefthanded sliders. Muller's slider has earned plus scouting grades, while his low-80s curveball is another quality breaking pitch with horizontal and vertical bite. His curve spin rate is in the 2,400 rpm range, though he threw the pitch in the zone less frequently than any of his offerings. Muller's firm, upper-80s changeup is his fourth pitch and is exclusively used against righthanded hitters. The movement and velocity separation on his changeup don't suggest it'll be anything more than a fourth offering.
  
  The Future: Muller graduates from prospect eligibility with just four more outs. He has the upside of a No. 4 starter and should spend most of 2023 in Oakland's rotation.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Muller&#39s stuff has steadily progressed since 2016, when the Braves drafted him out of high school, and he sat in the upper-80s with his fastball. Five years later and after filling out a 6-foot-7 frame, Muller has some of the best pure stuff in the system—now he just needs to harness it.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller has a fastball that sits around 94 mph and routinely gets up into the upper 90s, with standout spin metrics and extension that allows the pitch to generate tons of whiffs up in the zone. After flashing impressive breaking stuff in the past, Muller had scouts put plus grades on his mid-80s slider and above-average grades on his 80 mph curve this year, while some also said his firm changeup was a solid pitch as well. What&#39s held Muller back is his control. After walking 14.5% of batters in 2019 in Double-A, Muller improved a bit between the majors and minors in 2021, but still walked more than 12% at both levels. He stopped going over the top of his head in his windup this year to simplify and become more consistent with his strikes.
  
  The Future: Given his pure stuff and handedness, Muller has some of the best pitching upside in the system. The Braves have committed to developing him as a starter, but if his control doesn&#39t make strides, he has the sort of stuff to be a big league closer. He&#39ll have a big-league role in some capacity, but his command will determine what exactly that role is. He has two options remaining, so there&#39s still plenty of time to sort out his exact role.
  
  Tool Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 40.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Muller was one of the fast-risers of the prep ranks as a high school senior. He’d gone from sitting 87-89 mph to the low 90s when the Braves drafted him. His stuff has steadily progressed as he filled out his 6-foot-7 frame. After five years of strength gains, he flashed some of the best pure stuff in the Braves system in 2021 and received his first big league callup in June. Muller went 2-4, 4.17 in nine appearances (eight starts) with the Braves while striking out more than a batter per inning, but also showed he is still learning to harness his new power arsenal.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller’s fastball sits around 94 mph and routinely gets up into the upper 90s from the left side. Beyond the pure velocity, Muller’s standout spin metrics and extension from his large frame allow his fastball to generate tons of swings and misses up in the zone. Muller’s mid-80s slider earns plus grades at its best and his low-80s curveball is another above-average pitch, while his firm changeup is an average offering that gives him a complete four-pitch mix. What holds Muller back is below-average control. He stopped going over the top of his head in his windup to simplify his delivery and become more consistent. The changes cut his walk rate a bit, but it still remains below average.
  
  The Future: The Braves have committed to developing Muller as a starter, but if his control doesn’t improve, he has the stuff to be a closer. He has two options remaining, so there’s still time.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
  Track Record: Muller has come a long way since the Braves drafted him out of high school in 2016. After sitting in the upper 80s in his first full season, Muller filled out his large, 6-foot-7 frame and now has the best fastball in Atlanta's system. After topping out at 98 mph in 2019, Muller sat 95-97 mph and touched 100 at the Braves' alternate training site in 2020.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller's calling card is his fastball. Its plus-plus velocity plays up even further with high spin rates that generate plenty of whiffs at the top of the zone. The pitch plays especially well with Muller's extension toward home plate out of his huge frame. Muller has worked hard to refine his secondaries, focusing on improving his curveball and changeup, while also adding a slider to the mix. He has flashed above-average potential with all three but needs to improve his consistency with all of them. Muller will also need to sharpen his fastball control after averaging 5.5 walks per nine innings at Double-A in 2019.
  
  The Future: The Braves see Muller as a starter and believe he has the athleticism and work ethic to make the necessary gains in control and secondary pitch quality to succeed in that role. If he stalls, his stuff will play in the bullpen.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
  Track Record: Muller has come a long way since the Braves drafted him out of high school in 2016. After sitting in the upper 80s in his first full season, Muller filled out his large, 6-foot-7 frame and now has the best fastball in Atlanta’s system. After topping out at 98 mph in 2019, Muller sat 95-97 mph and touched 100 at the Braves’ alternate training site in 2020.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller’s calling card is his fastball. Its plus-plus velocity plays up even further with high spin rates that generate plenty of whiffs at the top of the zone. The pitch plays especially well with Muller’s extension toward home plate out of his huge frame. Muller has worked hard to refine his secondaries, focusing on improving his curveball and changeup, while also adding a slider to the mix. He has flashed above-average potential with all three but needs to improve his consistency with all of them. Muller will also need to sharpen his fastball control after averaging 5.5 walks per nine innings at Double-A in 2019.
  
  The Future: The Braves see Muller as a starter and believe he has the athleticism and work ethic to make the necessary gains in control and secondary pitch quality to succeed in that role. If he stalls, his stuff will play in the bullpen.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
  Track Record: Muller has come a long way since the Braves drafted him out of high school in 2016. After sitting in the upper 80s in his first full season, Muller filled out his large, 6-foot-7 frame and now has the best fastball in Atlanta’s system. After topping out at 98 mph in 2019, Muller sat 95-97 mph and touched 100 at the Braves’ alternate training site in 2020.
  
  Scouting Report: Muller’s calling card is his fastball. Its plus-plus velocity plays up even further with high spin rates that generate plenty of whiffs at the top of the zone. The pitch plays especially well with Muller’s extension toward home plate out of his huge frame. Muller has worked hard to refine his secondaries, focusing on improving his curveball and changeup, while also adding a slider to the mix. He has flashed above-average potential with all three but needs to improve his consistency with all of them. Muller will also need to sharpen his fastball control after averaging 5.5 walks per nine innings at Double-A in 2019.
  
  The Future: The Braves see Muller as a starter and believe he has the athleticism and work ethic to make the necessary gains in control and secondary pitch quality to succeed in that role. If he stalls, his stuff will play in the bullpen.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: No player has come as far in the Braves system as Muller. After failing to reach low Class A in his first full season and seeing his fastball sit in the upper 80s, Muller started training with Driveline Baseball. The results of that work have revitalized his prospect status.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: After trending in the right direction a season ago, Muller now has one of the best fastballs in the system. In 2019, he topped out at 98 mph and sat in the 90-97 mph range at Double-A, with solid downhill angle that makes it an easy plus pitch. He made some progress with both his curveball and changeup, which project as average with increased consistency. Muller’s curveball flashes depth and bite and his changeup looks solid with slight fade, though he needs to learn to throw it with more conviction. Muller’s control is below-average. He walked the second-most batters (68) in the Southern League and will need to improve his strike-throwing to take advantage of a solid three-pitch mix that overwhelms hitters when he’s not overwhelming himself.
  
  THE FUTURE: After dominating Double-A batters over a full season, Muller should start 2020 in Triple-A and could spend some time there learning how to sequence pitches more effectively as a starter, though he could help the big league club in a bullpen role right away.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: No player has come as far in the Braves system as Muller. After failing to reach low Class A in his first full season and seeing his fastball sit in the upper 80s, Muller started training with Driveline Baseball. The results of that work have revitalized his prospect status.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: After trending in the right direction a season ago, Muller now has one of the best fastballs in the system. In 2019, he topped out at 98 mph and sat in the 90-97 mph range at Double-A, with solid downhill angle that makes it an easy plus pitch. He made some progress with both his curveball and changeup, which project as average with increased consistency. Muller's curveball flashes depth and bite and his changeup looks solid with slight fade, though he needs to learn to throw it with more conviction. Muller's control is below-average. He walked the second-most batters (68) in the Southern League and will need to improve his strike-throwing to take advantage of a solid three-pitch mix that overwhelms hitters when he's not overwhelming himself.
  
  THE FUTURE: After dominating Double-A batters over a full season, Muller should start 2020 in Triple-A and could spend some time there learning how to sequence pitches more effectively as a starter, though he could help the big league club in a bullpen role right away.