Jimmy Joyce

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #27 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium.
  
  Track Record: Despite a fairly middling career at Hofstra, Joyce was a target of the Mariners as a senior sign due to interesting pitch data. That decision looked prescient. Joyce had an excellent 2023 while reaching Double-A. However, he took a major step back in 2024, when he struggled to a 5.46 ERA while seeing a dip in velocity and a spike in walk rate. Halfway through the season, Joyce moved from the rotation to the bullpen, where his velocity crept back up.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce’s fastball resided in the low 90s as a starter, but it was more comfortably in the 93-95 mph range once he converted to a reliever. At any velocity, it arrives from a deceptive, low slot with an uphill angle and significant armside run. Both of Joyce’s secondaries have good shape and project as above-average offerings, especially when his fastball velocity is toward the upper end of its range. His low-80s curveball is a two-plane breaker with bite. His changeup shows late fade and dive. He is comfortable throwing either offspeed pitch to righties or lefties. Joyce’s fastball command suffered in 2024, causing him to fall behind in counts and leading to an elevated walk rate.
  
  The Future: Once seen as a potential starter, Joyce’s future looks more likely to be in the bullpen now. Given his history of starting and his pitch mix that profiles versus both sides, it provides a small chance that he can still start. However, it will more likely manifest in a role that allows him to spot start or throw multiple innings out of the bullpen. There is also some intrigue in his velocity upticking if he were to be used only in short stints. His intriguing pitch data will continue to create opportunities for him despite his age and lack of performance. Joyce will likely go to Triple-A as a reliever in 2025.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #23 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Joyce led Wantagh (N.Y.) High to back-to-back state championship games as a prep and arrived at Hofstra as a top recruit. Initially a two-way player, he focused on pitching as an upperclassman and led the Pride in strikeouts, wins and ERA as a senior. The Mariners drafted him in the 16th round and signed him for $25,000. Joyce’s pitch analytics jumped out when he was drafted, and that translated into results in 2023. He logged a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts across High-A and Double-A, and led the Mariners system with a 59.3% groundball rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Joyce is a strong, athletic righthander with lively stuff. He hides the ball with a deep turn in his delivery and unleashes 92-94 mph two-seam fastballs with exceptional sink and run. He generates lots of called strikes and check swings from batters who have trouble tracking his heater. Joyce complements his two-seamer with an above-average, 82-84 mph power curveball with hard break and depth. He rounds out his arsenal with an average, 83-85 mph changeup that effectively mirrors his fastball. Joyce’s pitches have so much movement he struggles to command them at times, but he throws strikes at a fringe-average clip. His starts typically cap out at 3-5 innings.
  
  The Future: Joyce projects to be a groundball–inducing middle reliever in the major leagues. His debut may come in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45