San Francisco Giants

BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Crawford's limited track record made him one of the biggest wild cards in the 2022 draft. A two-way player at Connecticut who doubled as a first baseman, Crawford pitched just eight innings In two seasons for the Huskies and had Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire junior year. But his athletic background--he was an accomplished swimmer in high school--and a strong stint for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team convinced the Giants to draft him in the first round, No. 30 overall, and sign him for $2,297,500. Crawford made his pro debut in the Arizona Complex League and hit in 10 games while his arm recovered from surgery.

Scouting Report: Crawford has barely pitched, but he's impressed when he has. Between his time at UConn, Team USA and the Cape Cod League, he flashed a three-pitch mix topped by a fastball that averaged 95 mph and touched 99 from the left side. He backed it up with a low-to-mid 80s slider that flashed plus and was beginning to develop a changeup before he tore his ulnar collateral ligament. In addition to his stuff, Crawford intrigued the Giants with his physical 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame and strong makeup that endeared him to his teammates in his pro debut. He has big raw power at the plate but could stand to improve his swing decisions and shows soft hands and a strong arm when he plays first base.

The Future: Crawford began throwing bullpens in the fall and should be ready for spring training. His surgery and lack of innings will lead to a limited workload in 2023, which will come in the Class A levels.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Seymour began his college career at Dartmouth and transferred to Kansas State, which forced him to sit out the 2019 season. The redshirt year plus the lost pandemic season added up to a severely stunted college career, which ended with just 84.2 innings in three seasons. The Mets drafted Seymour in the sixth round in 2021 and traded him to the Giants a year later as part of the four-player package that sent Darin Ruf to New York.

Scouting Report: Seymour is a big, 6-foot-6 righthander with twitchy athleticism and the potential for a four-pitch mix. He gets a great deal of his outs with his high-octane fastball and a short, sharp, cutter-slider hybrid. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and peaks at 97 while his slider hovers in the upper 80s and scrapes 91. His fastball is not especially effective at getting whiffs or chases, but his slider is an above-average swing-and-miss pitch. Seymour also has a true downer curveball in the low 80s that gives him an excellent weapon against lefthanded hitters. He has a seldom-used changeup, but the Giants have considered switching it to a split-fingered fastball that better fits his massive hands. Seymour has some reliever risk because of a long arm action and below-average command, but he limits his walks and season and throws strikes at a solid clip.

The Future: Seymour will get his first upper-level test in 2023 at Double-A Richmond. If he can improve his command, he could be a No. 4 starter.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Slider: 55. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 45

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Roupp was a standout starter in four seasons with UNC-Wilmington and showed he could handle better competition with a strong stint with Wareham of the Cape Cod League. The Giants drafted him in the 12th round in 2021 and signed him for a below-slot $75,000. Roupp made his full-season debut in 2022 and zoomed three levels from Low-A to Double-A, finishing third in the organization with 152 strikeouts.

Scouting Report: Roupp throws his curveball more often than other pitcher in the minors, and with good reason. The pitch is a potentially plus weapon with more than 3,000 rpms of spin and vicious two-plane break and depth. He gets frequent chases and swings and misses on the pitch and can dominate with it alone. Roupp backs up his curveball with a two-seam fastball that averages 93 mph with excellent sinking and tailing life. He rounds out his mix with a low-80s slider and an infrequently used mid-80s changeup that are both fringy to below-average. Roupp's lower release height accentuates his arsenal and adds an element of deception. He gets ground balls by the bunch and throws strikes with above-average control.

The Future: Roupp is likely to return to Double-A to begin 2023. He has a chance to be a back-end starter if his slider or changeup develop. If not, his sinker and curveball combination will fit in the bullpen.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Slider: 45. Changeup: 40. Control: 55

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: Winn is yet another product of junior college powerhouse Iowa Western, which also produced Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson in recent years. Winn was committed to Texas Christian before the Giants selected him in 2018 with their fifth-round pick and signed him for $500,000. After spending his first two seasons in the low minors, Winn had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2021 season. He returned with a refreshed arsenal in 2022 and cut his way from Low-A to Double-A while racking up 125 strikeouts in 108 innings.

Scouting Report: Winn's fastball averaged 93 mph and touched 95 before surgery, but he came back throwing harder. His fastball now sits 95 mph and touches 100 to be a plus pitch, although it unintentionally behaves like a two-seamer at times. Winn also replaced his traditional changeup with a splitter--which the Giants suggested because of his large hands--and the new offering flashes plus in the upper-80s while getting frequent swings and misses. Winn rounds his mix with a mid-80s slider that projects to be an average pitch. If he can get it there, his mix will pair with his above-average control to form the makings of a back-end starter.

The Future: Winn ran into some fatigue toward the end of last season. He'll likely return to Double-A Richmond in 2023 to continue building up his stamina.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Splitter: 60. Control: 55

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: The 2019 fourth-rounder from Stanford had just 36 professional innings under his belt before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 minor league season. He impressed that fall in instructional league, then missed most of the 2021 with an injury. After splitting time between the rotation and bullpen to start 2022, Miller moved to the bullpen full time in June. He put up a 2.23 ERA with Double-A Reading, then struggled in 10 appearances with Triple-A Lehigh Valley to end the season. He was traded to the Giants in January in exchange for righthander Junior Marte.

Scouting Report: The imposing 6-foot-5, 240-pound Miller has swing-and-miss stuff from the left side, but he's had trouble accessing it due to command issues that have plagued him throughout his career. Miller has a herky-jerky, deceptive delivery without a clean arm action, and he struggles to repeat his delivery consistently--which leads to injury concerns--but there's no questioning the quality of his pitch mix. He aggressively attacks hitters with his above-average four-seamer, which averages 94 mph and tops out above 98, and the pitch features big running life and carry up in the zone. He throws a hard, high-80s slider that reaches the low 90s with three-quarters tilt and cross-breaking action. The pitch earns plus grades. Miller's changeup is his best swing-and-miss offering. It's a mid-80s pitch that induced whiffs more than 58% of the time in 2022. The organization has worked with Miller to have a more consistent delivery, but with his below-average command and control, he's likely destined for a bullpen role.

The Future: Miller was left unprotected for the 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft, leaving his status with the organization up in the air. His powerful pitch mix could fit at the back of the bullpen.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 Slider: 60 Changeup: 60 Control: 40

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium

Track Record: The Giants' first-round pick in 2017, Ramos has been one of the youngest players at every stop in the minor leagues and has appeared in three Futures Games. After a solid but unspectacular season at the upper levels in 2021, he scuffled at Triple-A in 2022 but made his major league debut on April 22. Ramos got into nine games with the Giants and struggled mightily, going 2-for-20.

Scouting Report: A thickly-built righthanded hitter, Ramos hits balls hard when he connects. His 90.7 mph average exit velocity puts him in the upper tier of minor leaguers, but that hard contact is often on the ground. He's an aggressive swinger who frequently mishits balls and needs to improve his launch angle to get the ball in the air more. His strength and pure contact skills give him a chance to be a below-average hitter with average power if he can rein in his swing and approach, but it won't be easy. Defensively, Ramos has slowed to a below-average runner and will have to play a corner in the major leagues. His above-average arm fits best in right field.

The Future: Ramos needs to retool his swing and approach to get more impact out of his hard contact. If he can, he has a chance to be an everyday right fielder. He'll likely shuttle between the majors and minors again in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 55.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The Giants signed Pomares for $1.1 million out of Cuba as part of a loaded 2018 international signing class that also included Marco Luciano and Luis Matos. He played only briefly in his pro debut the following year and wasn't able to enter the U.S. in 2020 due to visa issues, but he broke out in 2021 by tying for the system lead with 20 home runs in only 77 games across the Class A levels. Pomeras began 2022 back at High-A Eugene expecting to move up quickly, but his aggressive approach got him into trouble and his performance regressed.

Scouting Report: Pomares' calling card is his massive, plus-plus raw power from the left side. He destroys mistakes and posts loud exit velocities when he connects, sending balls upwards of 450 feet. Pomares has the power to make an impact, but he short-circuits it with his approach. He's an extraordinarily aggressive hitter who swings nearly 50% of the time and takes huge cuts aimed at trying to hit balls out of the park, leading to gobs of strikeouts. He'll have to control his approach substantially better to be even a below-average hitter and get to his power enough against higher-level pitching. Pomares is a fringy but adequate defender in either outfield corner, but he's played left field almost exclusively when he's not the DH. He is a fringe-average runner with an average arm.

The Future: Pomares will head to the upper levels for the first time in 2023 at Double-A Richmond. His aggressive approach will face a make-or-break moment against advanced pitching.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 40. Arm: 50.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: Waites was a hidden gem at Division II West Alabama uncovered by Giants area scout Jeff Wood, who was intrigued enough by the fireballing righthander to push for his selection. The Giants drafted Waites in the 18th round and signed him for $100,000. Waites' first full season was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and he was limited to 13.1 innings in 2021 after having knee surgery, but he finally got a full season in 2022 and cruised up three levels of the minors before earning his first big league callup on Sept. 13.

Scouting Report: Waites' hallmark is his fastball, which is not only the best in the Giants' system but one of the best in the minor leagues. The pitch averages 96 mph and touches 100 with high spin rates and excellent life through the zone. He pounds the strike zone with his heater and gets swings and misses against it by the bunch, making it an 80-grade pitch. Waites complements his fastball with a high-spin, mid-80s slider that is adept at getting whiffs both in and out of the zone. His previous shortcoming was scattershot command and control, but he improved both a tick in 2022 to below-average, enough to be playable in the major leagues.

The Future: Waites is a straight reliever and could pitch in high leverage if he further improves his command and control. He'll likely bounce back and forth between Triple-A and San Francisco in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 80. Slider: 60. Control: 40

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Sugastey starred for Panama's junior national team as an amateur and signed with the Giants for $525,000 as part of their 2019 international signing class. His pro debut was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, but he emerged in 2021 with an excellent season in the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League and made the jump to Low-A San Jose in 2022. His season was limited to 84 games by a hamstring injury and his performance suffered, but he got additional reps in the Arizona Fall League at the end of the year and showed well.

Scouting Report: Sugastey has excellent bat-to-ball skills and a knack for contact. He chases out of the zone a fair amount but is able to still make contact off the plate and rarely strikes out. Sugastey has yet to grow into power, but he should get stronger in his big frame, particularly in his upper half, and start making more impact on contact. He will need to be more selective and shorten his swing in order to reach his potential as an average hitter with 10-15 home run power. Sugastey isn't the best athlete and he needs to clean up his receiving, but he capably handles advanced arms and has a chance to grow into an average defender behind the plate. He has plus arm strength and a quick release that helped him throw out 28% of attempted basestealers in 2022.

The Future: Sugastey will head to High-A Eugene in 2023 and focus on adding power. He projects to be a second-division regular or a backup on a championship contender.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 45. Speed: 30. Fielding: 50. Arm: 60.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Murphy followed current Nationals righthander Josiah Gray as the ace at Division II Le Moyne and was drafted by the Giants in the fifth and final round of the shortened 2020 draft. He signed for just $22,500 and immediately made the Giants look astute by striking out 164 hitters across the Class A levels in his pro debut, third-most in the minor leagues. Murphy's encore in 2022 was disrupted by back spasms and elbow inflammation that limited him to just 43.2 innings, but he did reach Double-A.

Scouting Report: None of Murphy's pitches stand out in a vacuum, but he does an excellent job of mixing and matching four pitches to keep hitters off balance. Murphy's fastball sits 91-92 mph and peaks at 94 and plays up because he locates it well. His upper-70s curveball and low-80s slider are both average pitches and his changeup is a fringy but usable fourth offering. While none are overwhelming, Murphy does a good job tunneling his pitches off one another to keep hitters guessing and get swings and misses. He ran into control issues prior to going on the IL but has plus control when he's healthy. Murphy has a slighter build and has pitched more than 100 innings in a season only once, but he stuck around the Giants' spring training complex over the winter to learn how to better manage a full-season's workload.

The Future: Murphy has a chance to be a No. 5 starter and should at least be a usable swingman or bulk reliever. He'll open 2023 back at Double-A.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 60

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Bednar began his first full season at Low-A San Jose in 2022 with high expectations, but he instead delivered a middling performance over 12 starts before going on the injured list with a season-ending lower back strain. He returned in the Arizona Fall League but made only two starts before his back strain recurred and shut him down.

Scouting Report: Bednar's fastball and slider combination made him a top pitcher in college, but his fastball regressed since signing. His velocity has dropped from 92-96 mph in college to 90-94 as a pro, making his fastball a fringe-average pitch that gets hit frequently despite solid spin rates and vertical break. His slider remains a potential plus pitch in the low-80s with high spin rates and good shape he can land for strikes or get chase swings with. He rarely uses his below-average changeup in the upper-80s and struggles to find a consistent release point on it. In addition to his loss of velocity, Bednar showed a surprising lack of aggression on the mound and showed fringy control, far from what he showed at Mississippi State.

The Future: Bednar must regain his fastball velocity to have any future as a starter in the major leagues. Otherwise, he'll have to try and ride his slider to a bullpen role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Arias was one of the most coveted players in the 2022-2023 international class and was lauded by internal evaluators as the most complete in San Francisco's class. He's got more feel for the game than most players his age because he is the son of longtime scout Pablo Arias. He will debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2023.

Scouting Report: Arias' game is built around an offensive profile. He makes loud contact thanks to a swing powered by burly strength rather than lightning-quick bat speed. He has quick hands and rotates his hips well, which helps him catch up to high-quality fastballs. He's also shown an ability to use right-center field to his advantage. He already recognizes spin well but has a ways to go in terms of learning to lay off of those pitches. Arias is a fringy runner and defender with plus arm strength that will serve him well in right field.

The Future: Arias will begin his pro career in the Dominican Summer League in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 60. Run: 45. Field: 45. Arm: 60

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Meckler spent two seasons at Oregon State sandwiched around the coronavirus pandemic and was the starting left fielder and No. 2 hitter on the Beavers team that reached Super Regionals in 2022. The Giants drafted him in the eighth round and signed him for $97,500. Meckler quickly moved to Low-A San Jose after signing and hit .367 overall in a loud pro debut.

Scouting Report: No one tool in particular stands out in Meckler's game, but has a good feel for contact, a strong knowledge of the strike zone and drew more walks (20) than strikeouts (16) in his pro debut. He manages at-bats well, gets on base and causes havoc with his nearly plus-plus speed. Meckler is purely a contact hitter and has below-average power, but his speed should help him beat out some extra grounders and be an average hitter. The Giants are confident in Meckler's ability to play center field as an average defender but he will likely move around the outfield. His below-average arm strength likely limits him to left field if he has to move to a corner.

The Future: Meckler will open 2023 back in the Pacific Northwest with High-A Eugene. He projects to be a versatile fourth outfielder who provides a pinch of offensive impact.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 40. Speed: 65. Fielding: 50. Arm: 40.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Swiney spent most of his freshman and sophomore seasons in North Carolina State's bullpen and moved full-time to the rotation as a junior, but he made just four starts before the season was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. The Giants saw enough in that limited sample to take him in the second supplemental round and sign him for $1,197,500. Swiney made just 12 starts in his pro debut due to a concussion, but he returned to post a full season for the first time in 2022. He posted a 3.46 ERA at High-A Eugene while pitching a career-high 89 innings.

Scouting Report: Swiney's best pitch is his 78-81 mph changeup, which projects as a true plus weapon. He throws the pitch for strikes and gets plenty of chases on it as well to generate whiffs at a rate of nearly 45%. Swiney's changeup would play even better if his 88-91 mph fastball gained more velocity, which is what he and the Giants will work toward in 2023. Swiney rounds out his mix with a mid-70s curveball with low spin but deep break and has a chance to be average. He has struggled with below-average control throughout his career.

The Future: Swiney needs to improve his fastball velocity and control to reach his ceiling as a No. 5 starter. He'll be tested at Double-A Richmond in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 40

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Sabol was a prominent high school player at Aliso Niguel (Calif.) High and turned down Cleveland as a 33rd-round pick to attend Southern California, where he showed good athleticism but struggled to produce over three seasons. The Pirates drafted him in the seventh round in 2019 and progressively improved as a hitter leading up to a breakout 2022. Sabol set career highs in nearly every offensive category as he rose to Triple-A and helped lead Surprise to the Arizona Fall League championship after the season. The Reds selected him in the Rule 5 draft and traded him to the Giants for a player to be named later.

Scouting Report: Sabol is a long, lanky athlete and has always had a solid feel for the barrel from the left side. He tapped into his above-average power more consistently after spending time with Pirates minor league coaches to more aggressively hunt pitches he can damage on in front of the plate. Sabol has all-fields power and solid bat speed, but his swing can get long and be susceptible to velocity up in the zone. Questions about whether Sabol can stick at catcher have trailed him since high school. He's a good framer and pitchers enjoy working with him, but he's still a fringy defender with a fringe-average arm. He plays mostly left field when he's not behind the plate, where his marginal foot and arm are best suited.

The Future: Sabol has hit his way into a chance for big league at-bats in 2023. He'll aim to make his debut during the season.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 55. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 45.

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Gonzaga provided a wellspring of talent in the 2022 draft, with its entire starting rotation plus outfielder Nick Morabito all going in the top three rounds. Kempner, who grew up in San Jose rooting for the Giants, was the last of the Bulldogs selected when he was drafted in the third round by his hometown team and signed for $522,500. Kempner made only nine starts for Gonzaga during the college season due to a finger injury, so the Giants took it slow and limited him to just nine innings after he signed.

Scouting Report: Kempner is a thick-bodied righthander who combines power stuff with a funk-filled delivery and sidearm slot. He works with a three-pitch mix, led by a darting, high-spin fastball that sits around 95 mph and touches 100. It's nearly a plus-plus pitch with its velocity, spin and life, but his command of it needs work. Kempner backs up his fastball with a potentially above-average slider with sweeping life and elite spin rates. He finishes his mix with a developing changeup in the high 80s that he threw sparingly in college and not at all as a pro. Kempner's high-effort delivery leads to scattershot control and command that will likely push him to the bullpen. He averaged more than six walks per nine innings at Gonzaga and had similar results in his pro debut.

The Future: Kempner will start for now projects to move to the bullpen, where he has a chance to flummox hitters with his fastball and slider. He'll head to High-A Eugene in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 55. Changeup: 45. Control: 40

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: The Giants made Bailey the 13th overall pick of the 2020 draft after a decorated career at North Carolina State and signed him for $3,797,500. Expected to be a quick riser, Bailey instead struggled with injuries and underperformance in his pro debut and was sent back to High-A Eugene for a repeat season in 2022. He again struggled to hit with a .225 average but showed flashes of power, patience and defense.

Scouting Report: Bailey has long stood out for his defense and is easily the best defensive catcher in the Giants system. He's a plus defender with quick, quiet hands behind the plate and is adept in both receiving and blocking. His average arm strength plays up with his sound footwork and quick release and led him to throw out 30% of attempted basestealers in 2022. Bailey's offensive game is more of a work in progress. He's a switch hitter with an inconsistent approach and gets in trouble when he starts chasing power. His swing can be a bit grooved as well, especially from the right side. Bailey is a vastly better hitter from the left side (.252, .851 OPS) than the right (.133, 460 OPS) and may need to scrap switch-hitting.

The Future: Bailey will move to Double-A in 2023 and try to become more consistent at the plate. He has the ceiling of a defensive-minded backup catcher.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 40. Power: 50. Speed: 30. Fielding: 60. Arm: 55.

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: Mikulski pitched four years at Fordham and rose up draft boards as a senior when his velocity spiked to touch triple digits. He led the Atlantic 10 Conference in both ERA and strikeouts and was drafted by the Giants in the second round, signing for $1,197,500. Mikulski was conservatively assigned to Low-A San Jose to start his full-season debut in 2022 but struggled mightily against younger competition. His fastball lost several ticks of velocity and he got hit around for a 6.95 ERA and a .296/.383/.497 opponent slash line.

Scouting Report: Mikulski is a strong 6-foot-4 lefthander, but his poor arm action and declining stuff raise concerns. His fastball sits at 90 mph and touches 95, down 4-5 mph from where he was in college. His low 80s slider with good shape and powerful bite is an average offering, but his soft, slurvy curveball in the low-70s is a below-average and ineffective pitch and his below-average, low-80s changeup needs to make significant strides. Mikulski dealt with nagging knee pain all year and the Giants believe a return to health might help his stuff tick back up. The team also tried to shorten Mikulski's arm slot, but it got too short and cost him flexibility in his delivery. He throws strikes with average control.

The Future: Mikulski will attempt to rebound with a clean bill of health in 2023. With no pitch presently better than average, his stuff needs to come back for him to have a major league future.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 40. Slider: 50. Changeup: 40. Control: 50

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: Dabovich bounced between starting and relieving at Arizona State and in the Cape Cod League but moved to the bullpen full-time after the Giants drafted him in the fourth round of the shortened 2020 draft. Dabovich dominated in his first season as a reliever, but he ran into trouble in 2022 once he reached Triple-A and started facing higher-level hitters.

Scouting Report: Dabovich is a physical, 6-foot-3 righthander who follows a simple formula--four-seam fastballs up followed by curveballs down for chases. His fastball is an above-average pitch that sits 95-98 mph with carry through the top of the zone at its best, but he pitched through a nagging hamstring injury in 2022 that threw off his mechanics and resulted in less rise. He also struggled to adjust to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's automatic ball-strike system, leading to fewer strikes with his fastball and an elevated walk rate. Dabovich's curveball is a plus offering in the mid-80s with strong, downward snap and generates whiffs more than half the time he throws it. His control was already fringy and fell to below-average with his injury and the ABS system at Triple-A.

The Future: Dabovich will head back to Triple-A to begin 2023. He has the potential to reach the majors as a low to mid-leverage relief prospect if his fastball and control rebound.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Control: 40

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: Rodriguez signed with the Giants out of the Dominican Republic in 2017 and was mostly a nondescript reliever until 2021, when he broke out at Low-A San Jose and was placed on the Giants 40-man roster. Rodriguez wasn't allowed to contact any team personnel in the offseason because of the lockout and was behind schedule when spring training finally commenced, leading to a middling encore. He began the year as a starter at High-A Eugene but was used exclusively as a reliever in short stints at Double-A and Triple-A and struggled against upper-level hitters.

Scouting Report: Rodriguez lost fastball velocity and the shape of his slider got too vertical during the lockout, problems he worked to fix throughout the 2022 season. He slowly regained his prior velocity and is now back to sitting at 93-94 mph and touching 98. His slider has begun flashing the sweepy, potentially plus version of itself and remains a swing-and-miss offering in the low-80s. Rodriguez mostly works off his fastball and slider, making their restoration critical, but he also has a firm, below-average changeup in the 87-90 mph range he'll occasionally mix in. Rodriguez has well below-average command and control and threw fewer strikes the higher he climbed in 2022.

The Future: Rodriguez will need to regain command of the strike zone to last in the big leagues as a reliever. He'll open 2023 in the upper levels with an eye on making his debut.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 30