IP 13
ERA 5.538
WHIP 1.769
BB/9 4.154
SO/9 5.538
  • Full name David Michael Gates
  • Born 09/15/1992 in Lubbock, TX
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Howard College
  • Drafted in the 18th round (550th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2013 (signed for $100,000).
    View Draft Report
    Gates redshirted in 2011 at Texas Tech and pitched just 17 innings at Howard last spring, so he created a stir when he starting throwing in the mid-90s and touched 98 mph during the fall. He has spent most of this spring working at 89-94 mph, and his fastball still is overpowering at that velocity because of its heavy sink. Aside from his fastball, Gates offers a 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame and easy signability, which could be enough to get him drafted around the fifth round, even with questions surrounding the rest of his game. He struggles to throw strikes because he rushes his delivery and doesn't maintain a consistent arm slot, and the life on his fastball makes it hard to control. He gets under his slider too often, and his changeup is fringy. His makeup is a concern as well, after he got dismissed from his high school team in Lubbock, Texas, as a senior and had off-field issues at both of his college stops. Gates profiles as a reliever and could develop into a late-inning weapon if he harnesses his fastball and improves his slider. He'll attend Houston if he doesn't turn pro.

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