D-backs Focus on Adding Power Arms on Day Three
The focus for the Diamondbacks on the third day of the draft was finding power arms they could develop into future relievers. The main theme was pitchers who either were exceptional at missing bats, had big velocity, or an exceptional breaking ball.
"I think if you look around the big leagues right now, everybody's throwing really hard" said D-backs scouting director Ian Rebhan. "They've got really good stuff. You look at major league bullpens, they're big, they're physical, they throw really hard. Targeting that type of profile was definitely in the back of our heads for sure."
Their first eight selections were college arms, followed by a legacy pick in the 19th round, and a high school arm for their final selection. Most of those college arms profile for a bullpen role in the big leagues.
"If you go back and look where the best spot to place bets is late in the draft, it's on power arms that end up in major league bullpens. I think if you go back and look at some of the guys who are really good in the big leagues right now, a lot of them did go later in the draft. That was the backing of that late in the draft, if we're taking shots let's take it and make the best bets possible."
This continues of a trend of what they started yesterday, as they took Philip Abner, Ryan Bruno, Kyle Amendt, and Zane Russell.
11th Round: Utah Valley RHP Casey Anderson
Anderson started out at the University of Utah before transferring to an Idaho junior college program. In his senior season, he transferred to Utah Valley, where he struck out 90 in 69 innings.
"A guy who added a lot of velocity in the last year. Started some games, relieved some games, I think there's a chance for him to be a starter because of his strike throwing. Like the sinker, slider combo, and obviously the added velo was pleasing to see for him. That's what made him an interesting target on Day Three."
12th Round: South Alabama RHP Sam Knowlton
Sam Knowlton is a 6'8" right-hander out of South Alabama who can light up the radar gun, but struggles to throw strikes. He pitched in 15 games, five starts, going 2-3 with a 6.43 ERA and a 23/21 strikeout to walk ratio in 23 innings.
"A big, physical, 6'8", up to 100, buying the big arm there. We've seen it a lot there at South Alabama, we actually scouted him in high school. He pitched at the MLB Combine here at Chase Field and showed off the velocity and stuff, so that's what made him intriguing."
13th Round: Rice RHP Hayden Durke
Durke started out at Louisiana-Lafayette, but transferred to Rice his junior year. He did not appear in the spring, but went to the Cape this summer. He had a 10.80 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 16 walks in four games, three starts.
"We actually scouted him when he was at Louisiana-Lafayette and you're getting a big breaking ball, it's a plus curveball. He's been up to 98 MPH too, so pairing up those two plus pitches together to be a solid starter/reliever."
14th Round: Tennessee LHP Jake Fitzgibbons
Fitzgibbons was a seldom-used lefty for Tennessee. In 17 games, he's pitched to a 3.75 ERA with 20 strikeouts and 10 walks.
"A left-hander, different pitch shapes here. It's a carry fastball, he showed the ability to miss a ton of bats. Limited innings, but in the innings he pitched he got a lot of swing and miss. That was what was intriguing about him and the numbers, 20 strikeouts in 12 innings, kind of backed that up."
15th Round: NC State LHP Rio Britton
Britton is a very young junior, who won't turn 21 until December 23rd, is a left-hander who pitched almost exclusively in relief. He showed better run prevention results at the Cape, with a 3.21 ERA and a 12/7 strikeout to walk ratio in five appearances.
"He's extremely young, still 20 years old, left-hander. It's a really good slider, and buying the left-hander with a good breaking ball on the third day of the draft."
16th Round: Rice RHP Matthew Linskey
Linskey is a 6'7" right-hander who was one of the most trusted relievers this spring at Rice. He pitched to a 4.95 ERA and a 56/24 strikeout to walk ratio in 26 games.
"Similar to some of these other guys. Really interesting fastball that misses a ton of bats, he's got mid-90s velocity and performed pretty well this year for Rice."
The junior right-hander played in the MLB Draft League this summer, showing an improved results across the board. He pitched to a 1.96 ERA and a 31/4 strikeout to walk ratio in 18 1/3 innings. Rebhan was asked if there was something different about him between the spring and summer.
"I wouldn't point to something specifically different. You look at that stuff, and we've got a lot of scouts up on Cape Cod and covering all these summer leagues, the draft league as well, which is where he pitched. Seeing that progression of his strike throwing and striking a lot of guys out definitely gave you a little bit more conviction of taking him where we took him."
17th Round: Nova Southeastern LHP Carlos Rey
Rey took over a rotation spot in the spring and pitched very well with a 2.73 ERA with 102 strikeouts and 53 walks in 82 1/3 innings. The walks are a concern, but he shows an ability to miss bats with a 28% strikeout rate his junior year.
"It's a big left-handed fastball that misses a ton of bats. Just another left-hander that has shown an ability to miss bats and profile probably in a bullpen somewhere."
18th Round: Dallas Baptist RHP Alec Baker
Baker is a fifth-year senior at Dallas Baptist. He pitched in 24 games, with a 40/18 strikeout to walk ratio in 40 1/3 innings.
"Very similar to this group of probably relievers with big stuff. You're targeting stuff at this point of the draft."
He is the third pitcher out of Dallas Baptist taken by the D-backs in this year's draft and fifth pitcher taken since 2016.
"They had a really good pitching staff, had a really good bullpen. They pitched deep into the NCAA postseason. You can go back and find a track record of guys from Dallas Baptist pitching in the big leagues. All of them, it wasn't a planned deal, but they have some really good stuff. That was how we targeted them, it just so happened we got three of them. It was a really good bullpen at DBU this year, so it will be nice to watch them at the next level."
19th Round: Arizona OF Wyatt Crenshaw
Crenshaw is the son of D-backs Director of Sports Medicine and Performance and former Head Athletic Trainer Ken Crenshaw. He played second base and outfield at ASU after three years at Colorado Christian, hitting .264 with nine home runs and a .789 OPS. He played in the independent leagues, putting up solid numbers with Billings before getting selected. Rebhan says he's likely to end up in the outfield full time.
"Played outfield at Arizona State this year, actually had a really solid year. So an interesting outfield prospect, left-handed hitter that we've seen and know him well."
20th Round: Columbia High School RHP Dominic Voegele
Voegele, pronounced "vaguely", was the only high school player the D-backs took this year.
"A projection high school right-hander here. Fastball, curveball, changeup, he's really athletic. He's a football player as well. Throws a ton of strikes, can really spin the breaking ball. So just buying the projection upside of a high school pitcher in the last round."
