Mason Pelio Stats & Scouting Report

IP	112.0
ERA	4.66
WHIP	1.491
BB/9	6.0
SO/9	7.2

Full name Mason Kane Pelio
Born 07/15/2000 in San Diego, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Boston College
Drafted in the 12th round (363rd overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2022 (signed for $125,000).

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Pelio entered 2021 viewed as a potential day one pick. Unfortunately for him, he went from being Boston College's Friday starter at the start of the season to a mid-week role by the end of the year. His draft status plummeted, and it took an even bigger hit in 2022. After going 3-8, 6.65 in 2021, Pelio went 1-3, 9.16 with 27 hits allowed in 18.2 innings in 2022 with 20 walks and 21 strikeouts. Pelio has a big fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and touches 97-98, but his bottom of the scale control means he gets behind in the count way too often. He's a reclamation project for a team who can help him sort out of control problems.

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Draft Prospects

Pelio entered the 2021 season as a potential Day One draft pick, but he finished the season with a 6.65 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 45 walks in 65 innings, dropping from Boston College's Friday night starter into a midweek role by the end of the year. How far those struggles cause Pelio to slide in the draft is unclear, but the reasons for his struggles weren't complicated. He has a big fastball, sitting at 92-95 mph with the ability to run it up to 99 mph, but he struggles to throw it for strikes. When his fastball is in the zone, he doesn't command it well and hitters are often sitting on that pitch ahead in the count, so it got clobbered. Pelio does throw a changeup that flashes as an above-average pitch, though his lack of control hampers its effectiveness. Pelio lacks a reliable breaking ball, with a fringe-average curveball that doesn't miss many bats. At this point, Pelio is a reclamation project that someone will take as a buy-low candidate. He will probably continue to develop as a starter in the minors, though he could end up in a bullpen role where he could sit in the upper 90s and won't have to get through a lineup multiple times.
Pelio is Rancho Bernardo High's latest attractive draft prospect--a 6-foot-4, 220-pound righthander with a solid track record against good competition. Pelio is more of a project than his former high school teammates Calvin Mitchell and Drew Finley, who were both top-100 picks. Pelio sits 89-90 mph with his fastball and can reach 92-93, although he tends to drop to 86-88 mph by the middle innings. His curveball is extremely inconsistent and he shows a promising changeup with late fade but rarely uses it. Pelio throws strikes but doesn't have a great handle on his command yet. He will also need to be stringent about his conditioning as a big-bodied teen. Scouts like Pelio's long-term promise, but they largely don't see enough present stuff to give him the big bonus he's likely to command. He is strongly committed to Boston College.