- Full name David Mattox
- Born
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Of all the pitchers taken in the 2003 major league Rule 5 draft, Mattox has the best chance of becoming a major league starter, and the Reds will give him every chance to make their rotation. A college shortstop who converted to the mound as a senior, Mattox has shown flashes of being a solid No. 3 starter in the majors but still has plenty of kinks to get out of his mechanics before he puts it all together. He struggles at times with his command, largely because he never has settled on a consistent arm slot. He also has had problems with rotating his shoulder too early. However, Mattox does throw with a free and easy motion. His changeup is a potentially dominant pitch, as he throws it with excellent arm speed and it has good sink. He also has a 90-91 mph fastball with above-average life. Mattox throws a curveball and slider, but both breaking pitches are inconsistent. He's working on developing his slider to bust batters inside, but he hasn't gained a consistent feel for it yet.