J.B. Bukauskas

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #26 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Bukauskas was an All-American and a Golden Spikes Award finalist at North Carolina, but he has struggled to either stay healthy or put everything together since being selected 15th overall by the Astros in 2017. The D-backs acquired him as part of the Zack Greinke deal in July 2019 and brought him to the alternate training site in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When it clicks, Bukauskas can be overpowering. His mid-to-upper-90s fastball is explosive, his slider is a wipeout pitch that has late, sharp action and his power 89-91 mph changeup might be the best in the system. But Bukauskas has continued to struggle with both his below-average control and his command, looking at times as if he were trying to make perfect pitches rather than attacking the zone. He also falls in love with his slider and doesn't throw his changeup enough. After battling injuries in previous years, he managed to stay mostly healthy in 2020.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arrows are pointing more and more toward a future relief role for Bukauskas. His high-octane stuff gives him a late-inning ceiling if he can figure out his control.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Pro ball has not been the smoothest ride for Bukauskas since the Astros selected him 15th overall in 2017. He missed two months with a bulging disk in his back following a car accident in 2018, then struggled to command his pitches in 2019, a year in which he was both traded to the Diamondbacks in the Zack Greinke trade and shut down in August with elbow discomfort.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: There are few questions about Bukauskas' stuff. He has a short arm stroke that produces deception and power and two plus pitches in his his fastball and slider. His fastball, though straight at times, touches the mid-to-upper 90s, and his slider is a true wipeout pitch in the upper 80s with sharp, late tilt. His changeup projects average. Bukauskas was his own worst enemy in 2019, falling behind in counts and putting runners on as his command took a step back from the previous year. He has trouble repeating his delivery and remaining consistent with his release point.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bukauskas has the weapons to start if he can clean things up, but most evaluators now view him as a reliever. Still, he could be a difference-maker in a late-inning role.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #6 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Bukauskas' 2018 season was derailed from the start. He was in a spring training car accident, though nothing seemed to be wrong at the time. But Bukauskas started to feel pain when he went to low Class A Quad Cities. Eventually he was diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back and was sidelined for two months.
  
  Scouting Report: Bukauskas' fastball/slider combo is still his calling card, but the cutter he has developed as a pro has helped give him better survival skills as a starter. Bukauskas' 93-96 mph fastball has gained life as a pro, helping him develop it into a plus pitch. His plus-plus slider has sharp, late tilt that makes it one of the best in the minors. But Bukauskas' slider is mainly an out-of-zone chase pitch, and he struggles to control his fastball. When he's not throwing his fastball for strikes, his cutter gives him another pitch he can locate in the zone. His changeup is a fringe-average pitch that he doesn't seem to throw with much confidence or conviction.
  
  The Future: Bukauskas' repertoire has invited bullpen projections, but he has shown better-than-expected starter traits as a pro. He's a potential mid-rotation starter who likely will swing from dominating to surviving based on how well he's locating his fastball.
• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #4 prospect in 2018
  A number of scouts saw Lance McCullers Jr. as a reliever when they watched the short righthander's breaking ball heavy-approach in high school. The Astros believed he could start and were rewarded when he helped pitch the Astros to a World Series title. Like McCullers, Bukauskas is a hard-throwing short righthander with an exceptional breaking ball whom some scouts see as a reliever, but whom the Astros believe can start. Bukauskas went 9-1, 2.53 with 116 strikeouts in 92.2 innings as North Carolina's ace as a junior. Bukauskas had the best slider in the 2017 draft class. It's a 70 pitch on the 20-to-80 scouting scale. He relied on it too often in college--in some outings he threw more sliders than fastballs--but it's a pitch that requires no projection as it's already hard (85-87 mph) with sharp late bite and comes out of his hand looking like his 91-95 mph fastball. Bukauskas can touch 96 mph, but his velocity usually dips into the lower registers of his range as the game wears on. He has average command and control of that fastball and he has excellent command of his slider, and often succeeds with a largely two-pitch approach. His 84-86 mph changeup flashes average, but he didn't use it much in college with a few notable exceptions. Its development will be one of the keys to him remaining as a starter. Bukauskas graduated a year early to get to North Carolina, so he's a year younger than his draft contemporaries which leads some scouts to believe he has further refinement ahead of him. Bukauskas has a very comfortable fall-back option as a closer-level reliever, but he also has a chance to be a Sonny Gray-esque starter. He could move quickly in his first full season.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #6 prospect in 2017 draft
  Bukauskas, whose first name is Jacob, reclassified as a high school junior to be part of the 2014 draft class and enroll at North Carolina a year early. The Diamondbacks drafted him that year anyway but he became a Tar Heel and made a jump as a sophomore, when he refined his slider to become one of the nation's top strikeout pitchers. Short but strong-bodied at a listed 6-foot, 201 pounds, Bukauskas features the nation's best breaking pitch, a slider that earns consistent 70 grades and even some 80s from area scouts. He has tremendous command of the 86-88 mph pitch with late, sharp bite and good tilt. He has better command of the slider than either his fastball or changeup, leading him to pitch off his slider more than big league pitchers would. The slider also helped him average 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings over 150 innings from the start of 2016 through April 2017. His fastball earns plus grades thanks to its velocity; it usually sits 95-97 mph early and settles in as a 92-94 mph pitch. It tends to lack movement even when he leaks out with his front shoulder and yanks the pitch. Bukauskas' changeup earned above-average grades as an amateur and in the summer of 2016 with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, but he was using it sparingly (5-10 times per game) as a junior, too infrequently for scouts to grade it more than average. The overall package leads many scouts to chalk Bukauskus up as a reliever, while others believe he could still start in the Sonny Gray/Lance McCullers mold. He's young for the class and has the swing-and-miss slider to land in the first 10 picks.
• Ranked #33 prospect in 2014 draft
  Bukauskas headlines a banner crop of high school arms in Virginia after reclassifying as a senior in the fall in an attempt to get to college at North Carolina more quickly. Scouts came in early this spring to do their due diligence on a pitcher they had little history with. After throwing 89-91 mph over the summer, Bukauskas put on 25 pounds of muscle in the last year and brandished premium velocity this spring, sitting 94-97 and touching 98 with the ball jumping out of his hand. His slider is inconsistent but can flash plus. He has not used his changeup in game action frequently, but the pitch shows at least average potential. Bukauskas faces the industry bias against shorter righthanders, as he is 5-foot-11, 200 pounds without much projection. He also shows effort and rigidity in his delivery, which makes some scouts believe his long-term role could be reliever. Opinions of his strike-throwing ability differ significantly, depending on when an evaluator saw Bukauskas, and some scouts believe he will have at least average control. He's something of a wild card given his limited track record and apparent desire to get to campus. He sent a letter to scouts one month before the draft asking not to be selected because he plans to attend North Carolina.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Arizona Fall League #9 prospect in 2018
  Bukauskas’ starts typically came two days after Forrest Whitley took the hill for the Scorpions, so scouts were able to plan their weekly schedule to regularly catch both of the Astros righthanders. Houston’s first-round pick in 2017, Bukauskas missed time during the regular season due to a back issue and made only 14 regular season starts. He made up for lost time in the AFL with six more appearances, posting a 3.33 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

  There’s some reliever risk with Bukauskas because of his max-effort mechanics, but both his fastball and slider are plus pitches. He throws a heavy ball and gets deception from his 95-98 mph fastball, hiding it well before it jumps on opposing hitters.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #76 prospect in 2018

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bukauskas was an All-American and a Golden Spikes Award finalist at North Carolina, but he has struggled to either stay healthy or put everything together since being selected 15th overall by the Astros in 2017. The D-backs acquired him as part of the Zack Greinke deal in July 2019 and brought him to the alternate training site in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When it clicks, Bukauskas can be overpowering. His mid-to-upper-90s fastball is explosive, his slider is a wipeout pitch that has late, sharp action and his power 89-91 mph changeup might be the best in the system. But Bukauskas has continued to struggle with both his below-average control and his command, looking at times as if he were trying to make perfect pitches rather than attacking the zone. He also falls in love with his slider and doesn't throw his changeup enough. After battling injuries in previous years, he managed to stay mostly healthy in 2020.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arrows are pointing more and more toward a future relief role for Bukauskas. His high-octane stuff gives him a late-inning ceiling if he can figure out his control.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Bukauskas was an All-American and a Golden Spikes Award finalist at North Carolina, but he has struggled to either stay healthy or put everything together since being selected 15th overall by the Astros in 2017. The D-backs acquired him as part of the Zack Greinke deal in July 2019 and brought him to the alternate training site in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When it clicks, Bukauskas can be overpowering. His mid-to-upper-90s fastball is explosive, his slider is a wipeout pitch that has late, sharp action and his power 89-91 mph changeup might be the best in the system. But Bukauskas has continued to struggle with both his below-average control and his command, looking at times as if he were trying to make perfect pitches rather than attacking the zone. He also falls in love with his slider and doesn't throw his changeup enough. After battling injuries in previous years, he managed to stay mostly healthy in 2020.
  
  THE FUTURE: Arrows are pointing more and more toward a future relief role for Bukauskas. His high-octane stuff gives him a late-inning ceiling if he can figure out his control.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Pro ball has not been the smoothest ride for Bukauskas since the Astros selected him 15th overall in 2017. He missed two months with a bulging disk in his back following a car accident in 2018, then struggled to command his pitches in 2019, a year in which he was both traded to the Diamondbacks in the Zack Greinke trade and shut down in August with elbow discomfort.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: There are few questions about Bukauskas’ stuff. He has a short arm stroke that produces deception and power and two plus pitches in his his fastball and slider. His fastball, though straight at times, touches the mid-to-upper 90s, and his slider is a true wipeout pitch in the upper 80s with sharp, late tilt. His changeup projects average. Bukauskas was his own worst enemy in 2019, falling behind in BA GRADE 55 Risk: Extreme BA GRADE 50 Risk: High BA GRADE 50 Risk: High counts and putting runners on as his command took a step back from the previous year. He has trouble repeating his delivery and remaining consistent with his release point.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bukauskas has the weapons to start if he can clean things up, but most evaluators now view him as a reliever. Still, he could be a difference-maker in a late-inning role.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Pro ball has not been the smoothest ride for Bukauskas since the Astros selected him 15th overall in 2017. He missed two months with a bulging disk in his back following a car accident in 2018, then struggled to command his pitches in 2019, a year in which he was both traded to the Diamondbacks in the Zack Greinke trade and shut down in August with elbow discomfort.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: There are few questions about Bukauskas' stuff. He has a short arm stroke that produces deception and power and two plus pitches in his his fastball and slider. His fastball, though straight at times, touches the mid-to-upper 90s, and his slider is a true wipeout pitch in the upper 80s with sharp, late tilt. His changeup projects average. Bukauskas was his own worst enemy in 2019, falling behind in counts and putting runners on as his command took a step back from the previous year. He has trouble repeating his delivery and remaining consistent with his release point.
  
  THE FUTURE: Bukauskas has the weapons to start if he can clean things up, but most evaluators now view him as a reliever. Still, he could be a difference-maker in a late-inning role.
• August, 2018 Scouting Report
  Bukauskas’ starts typically came two days after Forrest Whitley took the hill for the Scorpions, so scouts were able to plan their weekly schedule to regularly catch both of the Astros righthanders. Houston’s first-round pick in 2017, Bukauskas missed time during the regular season due to a back issue and made only 14 regular season starts. He made up for lost time in the AFL with six more appearances, posting a 3.33 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24.1 innings.

  There’s some reliever risk with Bukauskas because of his max-effort mechanics, but both his fastball and slider are plus pitches. He throws a heavy ball and gets deception from his 95-98 mph fastball, hiding it well before it jumps on opposing hitters.

• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  It’s been a lost season for Bukauskas, as a spring training car accident led to an eventual diagnosis of a back injury, which led to a three-month stint on the disabled list. He’s back on the mound now and has slowly rounded into form with rehab appearances in the Gulf Coast League and the New York-Penn League. He’s now back in Quad Cities where he began the season.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Much like Lance McCullers Jr., Bukauskas is a short, hard-throwing righthander with an exceptional breaking ball whom some scouts see as a reliever, but whom the Astros believe can start. Bukauskas went 9-1, 2.53 with 116 strikeouts in 92.2 innings as a North Carolina junior. Scouting Report: Bukauskas had the best slider in the 2017 draft class. It's a 70 pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale. He relied on it too often in college--in some outings he threw more sliders than fastballs--but it's a pitch that requires no projection because it's already hard (85-87 mph) with sharp, late bite and comes out of his hand looking like his 91-95 mph fastball. Bukauskas can touch 96 mph, but his velocity usually dips into the lower registers of his range as the game wears on. He has average command and control of his fastball but plus command of his slider, and he often succeeds with a largely two-pitch approach. His 84-86 mph changeup flashes average, and its development will be one of the keys to him remaining in the rotation. The Future: Bukauskas has a high floor because his fall-back option is potential closer, but he also has a chance to be a Sonny Gray-esque starter.