Daniel Gossett

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #8 prospect in 2017
  A 16th-round pick out of a South Carolina high school in 2011, Gossett had high expectations at Clemson and mostly lived up to them--he went 23-9, 2.80--working with two big breaking balls and a fastball. Once the Athletics took him in the second round in 2014, they helped him develop a true slider and sharpened his curveball Gossett thrives with a four-pitch mix delivered with a short arm action and simplified delivery. His 90-95 mph fastball with glove-side run ticked up in 2016, and he locates down and away better. His soft-contact and strikeout rates improved while his walk rate stayed in line with career norms. He has worked with A's coaches to hone his slider, which has become a hard cutter, an 88-89 mph pitch that at times breaks straight down. His changeup drew the most swings and misses of any of his pitches, and he also mixes in a curveball. He earns high marks for his dedication, hard work and coachability. Gossett is on the fast track but should start 2017 back at Triple-A Nashville. Even with the infusion of pitching talent into the organization in 2016, Gossett ranks among the organization's best arms and could make his big league debut in 2017.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #26 prospect in 2016
  Gossett posted a 1.93 ERA in his final college season before earning a $750,000 as the first pitcher the Athletics took in the 2014 draft. The former Clemson ace found the going much tougher as he adjusted to the full-season minors last year. The A's didn't feel his overall stuff diminished, but rather that he started leaving too many balls up in the zone and struggled to come to grips with pitching at a level where hitters could catch up to his 90-95 mph fastball. He got better results in the second half as he mixed in more two-seamers, and the A's will continue to work with him on developing better sequences and even pitching backward. He has the secondary stuff to do it, beginning with a curveball that's average now and has the makings of being above-average in the future. He gets good arm speed on his changeup, another pitch that's usable already and could be better if he can hone its location. Gossett also features a slider that was a swing-and-miss pitch for him in college but has fallen behind the other offerings for now. He throws strikes--location within the zone is the issue--and is a good competitor on the mound. The A's will look for him to bounce back in high Class A in 2016.
• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #15 prospect in 2015
  Gossett was one of the premier high school pitchers in South Carolina but chose Clemson over signing with the Red Sox as a 16th-round pick in 2011. He parlayed a 7-2, 1.93 season as a junior into a $750,000 bonus from Oakland. Gossett has a slight build but a quick arm. His lively fastball sits in the low 90s and reaches 96 mph at its best, though he has to prove he can maintain his velocity deeper into games. Scouts who saw him at Clemson preferred his curveball as his best secondary pitch, but the Athletics were impressed with his slider. His slider acted as his put-away pitch with short-season Vermont, showing depth and late break. He has a solid changeup he throws with good arm speed. Gossett's delivery looks unorthodox, but he gets in proper position eventually. He'll start his first full season at low Class A Beloit.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #90 prospect in 2014 draft
  A 16th-round pick out of high school by the Red Sox, Gossett didn't sign and has shouldered a heavy burden in three seasons at Clemson. He finished his freshman season as the team's ace, then won 10 games as a sophomore. He's been even better as a junior, particularly down the stretch, when he tossed at least seven innings in seven consecutive starts. Durability is a concern with Gossett, who is smaller than his listed 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He has taken the summer off each of the last two years and has yet to log more than 100 innings in a season. Gossett lacks physicality but has a quick arm that produces intriguing stuff. He's thrown both a slider and curveball during his college career, and scouts greatly prefer the curveball, with some giving it plus grades. His fastball touches 95 mph but usually sits more in the 88-93 mph range, and he struggles to consistently hold his velocity. His delivery gives him some deception, though scouts wonder if he'll be able to repeat that funky motion. While Gossett has a fringy, fairly effective changeup, most scouts consider him a future reliever due to his size.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: A 16th-round pick out of a South Carolina high school in 2011, Gossett had high expectations at Clemson and mostly lived up to them--he went 23-9, 2.80--working with two big breaking balls and a fastball. Once the Athletics took him in the second round in 2014, they helped him develop a true slider and sharpened his curveball Scouting Report: Gossett thrives with a four-pitch mix delivered with a short arm action and simplified delivery. His 90-95 mph fastball with glove-side run ticked up in 2016, and he locates down and away better. His soft-contact and strikeout rates improved while his walk rate stayed in line with career norms. He gas worked with A's coaches to hone his slider, which has become a hard cutter, an 88-89 mph pitch that at times breaks straight down. His changeup drew the most swings and misses of any of his pitches, and he also mixes in a curveball. He earns high marks for his dedication, hard work and coachability.
  
  The Future: Gossett is on the fast track but should start 2017 back at Triple-A Nashville. Even with the infusion of pitching talent into the organization in 2016, Gossett ranks among the organization's best arms and could make his big league debut in 2017.