Kodi Medeiros

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #30 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Mid-90s fastballs from the left side made Medeiros one of the most talked-about prospects heading into the 2014 draft, and the Brewers saw enough from the young Hawaiian to draft him in the first round and steer him away from a commitment to Pepperdine with a $2.5 million bonus. There have long been questions about whether his stuff would play better out of the bullpen, but Milwaukee kept him in a starter's role until they dealt him to Chicago for Joakim Soria in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: Medeiros brings an 88-92 mph fastball from a tough, lowslot angle and pairs it with a sweeping slider in the upper 70s that was undercut by poor command. He also throws a changeup in the mid 80s that grades out better than the slider, though none of his three offerings grades out as better than average, and his command is still poor.
  
  The Future: Medeiros will likely head to Triple-A Charlott in his first full season with his new organization, and could make his first foray into a relief role.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #21 prospect in 2018
  Ever since the Brewers took Medeiros in the first round of the 2014 draft, the same question has been asked: Is his future as a starting pitcher or a lefthanded specialist out of the bullpen? The Brewers have developed him as a starter, but Medeiros scuffled for a good portion of 2017 at high Class A Carolina, convincng most evaluators that his future is, indeed, in the bullpen. With a funky delivery and low arm slot, he remains a big swing-and-miss pitcher, particularly against lefthanded hitters. Medeiros throws his fastball in the 92-95 mph range with great movement--too much, sometimes--and a plus slider he uses to put hitters away. His changeup has deception and fade, with a chance to be above-average. Medeiros is athletic, strong and mature for his age, but needs to sharpen his command to continue in a starting role. He has well below-average command and control, which resulted in 20 hit batters and 12 wild pitches in addition to a high walk rate in 2017. His low arm slot and high-effort delivery doesn't project for his command to improve much, but the Brewers think he has upside and can succeed as a starter with his three-pitch repertoire. Medeiros has a bright future as a lefty specialist, if nothing else. He'll move to Double-A Biloxi in 2018.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #17 prospect in 2017
  Medeiros pitched so well as a teenager in his first full season at low Class A Wisconsin in 2015 that the Brewers assumed he would do likewise at high Class A Brevard County in 2016. Instead he struggled with his control (63 walks in 85 innings), ran up high pitch counts, exited games early and finished with a 1.94 WHIP. It was not the step forward the Brewers envisioned for the 12th overall pick in the 2014 draft, but Medeiros didn't turn 20 until late May. When he has his mechanics together, he delivers pitches from a low three-quarters angle with a fastball in the 92-95 mph range with late movement and sinking action that results in lots of groundballs. He mixes in a plus slider that is death on lefthanded batters with tremendous lateral movement. Medeiros has worked to improve his changeup, which he also keeps down in the strike zone when on top of his game. He is athletic and mature for his age, and the Brewers believe he will continue to improve and remain a starter despite concern over his low arm slot. He will receive another run at high Class A in 2017 to prove his future is in the rotation and not the bullpen.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #6 prospect in 2016
  Selected 12th overall in the 2014 draft, Medeiros pitched to a 7.13 ERA over 18 innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League after signing. The Brewers gambled that he could handle the jump to low Class A Wisconsin in 2015, and they were right. Medeiros struck out 9.1 batters per nine innings and allowed Midwest League opponents to hit just .228, though he pitched just 33 innings in the second half as the Brewers regulated his workload. Medeiros does not rely on pure velocity to succeed. He pitches mostly in the low 90s but throws from a low arm angle and keeps the ball down consistently, as evidenced by the fact that he did not allow a home run in 93 innings. His fastball has good movement, life and sink, and he recorded an elite groundout-to-airout ratio of 3.14 that nearly led the MWL. Thanks in large part to an above-average slider, Medeiros is tough on lefthanded hitters, who hit just .191 against him. He also mixes in an improving changeup that has a chance to be an above-average pitch. He is very athletic and solidly built, in part due to his lifelong passion for judo, and repeats his low-slot mechanics well. Many clubs believed that Medeiros would profile as a reliever because of his low arm slot. The Brewers believe his ability to keep the ball down and induce groundball contact will keep him alive as a mid-rotation candidate, and he's ready for high Class A Brevard County in 2016.
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  Ranked Milwaukee Brewers #11 prospect in 2015
  The Brewers surprised many when they tabbed the prep lefty Medeiros with the 12th pick in the 2014 draft, making him the highest-drafted prep player ever out of the state of Hawaii. The Brewers scouted him extensively during his senior year and also were impressed with what he showed in a pre-draft workout in Milwaukee. In fact, they were so impressed they gave the Pepperdine recruit a $2.5 million bonus, one of the highest in club history. Medeiros throws from a low arm angle with a fastball that sits at 90-92 mph and reaches 95 at times with plus life, movement and sink. He keeps the ball down in the zone and induces groundball outs. Medeiros complements his fastball with an above-average slider that ranked as one of the best prep breaking balls in the 2014 draft class. He throws an improving changeup that has a chance to also be a plus pitch for him down the road. The Brewers believe Medeiros' athleticism and strength (in part a result of a lifelong passion for judo) will allow him to repeat his low-slot mechanics. Despite his upside, Medeiros made nine appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2014, but he logged poor results--7.13 ERA, 2.09 WHIP--so he might not be ready for full-season ball in 2015.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #32 prospect in 2014 draft
  The last two Hawaiian high schoolers to go in the top two rounds both went No. 59 overall (Brandon League in 2001 and Dane Sardinha in 1997), which gives Medeiros the opportunity to be the highest-drafted Hawaiian prep since the draft moved to a single phase. He was the first pitcher to throw in game action on the showcase circuit for the 2014 draft at Perfect Game National last June, and Medeiros quickly opened eyes. His fastball sat 90-92 mph over extended innings this spring and has touched 95. He throws from a low arm slot that is just above sidearm, giving his fastball plus-plus life with heavy arm-side run and sink. His heavy, groundball-inducing fastball was a constant discussion point for hitters on the showcase circuit. Medeiros' slider is at least a plus offering and one of the best breaking balls in the high school ranks. The Pepperdine commit's changeup has improved, showing the makings of an above-average offering with continued refinement. Controlling his stuff in the zone will be key for his ability to remain in a rotation, and many in the industry believe Medeiros will likely be a reliever in the long run because of the uniqueness of his arm slot and the potential for large platoon splits, as well as his stature. The 6-foot-1, 191-pounder has a strong, defined and athletic build and used to participate in judo. He is young for the class and will turn 18 just before draft day.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Midwest League #16 prospect in 2015
  Medeiros isn't your average first-round pitcher. The lefthander throws from a low three-quarters slot that can best be described as a slinging delivery. It's not conventional, but Medeiros has three pitches that grade as above-average at their best. Early in the season, Medeiros could be devastating with a 92-95 mph fastball that he could run in or away from righthanders. That fastball set up a tight slider and a plus changeup with fade and excellent deception. Medeiros wore down later in the season even as the Brewers limited his innings with short starts and relief appearances. He still maintained effectiveness even at 89-92 mph velocities, however, because he can vary the break of his slurvier slider and pitch off his changeup. Managers loved Mederios' competitiveness and intelligence. His low slot causes trouble for lefthanders and gives him a fallback option as a match-up reliever, but if he can build his stamina he has the tools to be a solid mid-rotation starter.

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Selected 12th overall in the 2014 draft, Medeiros pitched to a 7.13 ERA over 18 innings in the Rookie-level Arizona League after signing. The Brewers gambled that he could handle the jump to low Class A Wisconsin in 2015, and they were right. Medeiros struck out 9.1 batters per nine innings and allowed Midwest League opponents to hit just .228, though he pitched just 33 innings in the second half as the Brewers regulated his workload. Medeiros does not rely on pure velocity to succeed. He pitches mostly in the low 90s but throws from a low arm angle and keeps the ball down consistently, as evidenced by the fact that he did not allow a home run in 93 innings. His fastball has good movement, life and sink, and he recorded an elite groundout-to-airout ratio of 3.14 that nearly led the MWL. Thanks in large part to an above-average slider, Medeiros is tough on lefthanded hitters, who hit just .191 against him. He also mixes in an improving changeup that has a chance to be an above-average pitch. He is very athletic and solidly built, in part due to his lifelong passion for judo, and repeats his low-slot mechanics well. Many clubs believed that Medeiros would profile as a reliever because of his low arm slot. The Brewers believe his ability to keep the ball down and induce groundball contact will keep him alive as a mid-rotation candidate, and he's ready for high Class A Brevard County in 2016.