April 2, 2020 at 3:13 PM
Scouting Report Updates: Dalton, Erro, Bandy, Thompson, Berry, Corcino, Spacke, Ramsey
The latest scouting report update follows up on several recent draftees and signings, headlined by two big-conference college hitters in Wil Dalton and Alex Erro. These reports are written by our scouting report team, led by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall.
Physical Description: Average, athletic frame. Minimal remaining projection, strong upper body.
Hit: Starts slightly open and vertical. Starts with his hands high and uses a leg lift timing device. Swing can get long and has fringe-average bat speed. Pitch recognition is a work in progress. Really struggles recognizing spin and making contact against plus velocity up in the zone. Swing has a slight uppercut. Will take a walk. In the early stages of developing an approach. Can get very pull happy. Potential well below-average hit tool.
Power: Above-average raw power, especially to the pull side. Flashed raw power in initial season with Lowell, but lack of contact skills limits his in-game power potential. Potential fringe-average game power.
Run: Below-average speed, not a part of his game.
Field: Profiles as a corner outfielder. Lacks the speed for center field. Initial reads are a little slow at times, but shows average defensive potential in the corners.
Arm: Below-average arm.
Career Notes: Drafted in the 29th round of the 2016 draft by the Orioles. Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2019.
Summation: Projects as minor league depth. Lacks a carrying tool. Inconsistent contact skills and limited defensive value greatly limit ceiling. Will need to make major strides at the plate in order to have success against more advanced pitching.
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Physical Description: Undersized, thin frame. Minimal remaining projection.
Hit: Starts vertical and slightly open. Quiet swing mechanics. Short stride. Uses hands well in swing. Short, compact swing. Above-average bat control. Very direct to the ball, makes a lot of contact. Average bat speed. Will be challenged by velocity up in the zone. Recognizes spin. Aggressive but controlled approach. Potential average hit tool.
Power: No in-game power. Not a part of his game.
Run: Below-average speed. Strong baserunning instincts.
Field: Above-average defensive profile at both second and third base. Moves well, fluid actions. Soft hands, quick transfer from glove to throwing hand.
Arm: Average arm strength. Profiles best at second base, but is passable at third.
Career Notes: Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2019.
Summation: Projects as a solid organizational utility player. Has the defensive ability to play all infield positions except shortstop and could probably fill in at a corner outfield position if necessary. Lacks a carrying tool, but combination of hitting ability and defensive versatility could keep him around the game for a long time. Very instinctual player, plus makeup.
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Luke Bandy, Outfielder
Physical Description: Athletic build. No remaining projection. Lacks strength.
Hit: Starts open with his hands high. Utilizes a leg lift timing device. Short stride. Long swing that drags through the zone. Struggles to make contact. Pitch recognition skills need significant work. Struggles to recognize spin out of the hand. Very aggressive with a lot of swing-and-miss.
Power: Not a part of his game. Extra base hits will come from line drives in the gap and his speed.
Run: Plus speed.
Field: Average defensive profile. Athleticism and speed make up for inconsistent reads and routes.
Arm: Average arm strength. Passable in center and left field, but light for right field.
Career Notes: Drafted in the 32nd round in 2016 by the Royals. Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2019.
Summation: Projects as a low-minors bench outfielder. Bat is really light. Too much swing-and-miss and no power to make up for the lack of contact skills. Defense and speed are best tools. Will have to make significant improvements to get out of the low minors.
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Dylan Thompson, Right-handed pitcher
Physical Description: Tall, high-waisted. Thin build with some projection.
Mechanics: Works only from the stretch. Medium leg kick. Three-quarter arm slot. Starts on the first base side and tends to fall to the first base side post-release. Works very quickly.
Fastball: 87-89 mph, topping out at 91 mph. Heavy, deep sink. Sinker generates very high groundball rates when on. Will mix in inferior four-seam fastball that he does not control well. Sinker is a potential above-average pitch.
Slider: 85-87 mph. Somewhere between 10-to-4 and 11-to-5 break.
Changeup: Low-80s.
Curveball: 76-80 mph. 12-to-6 break. Show-me pitch.
Summation: Relies on sinker/slider combination to create weak contact, but does not strike out many hitters. Numbers may improve at higher levels if better defenses behind him turn more groundballs into outs, but better hitters may also generate louder contact correspondingly. Profile may have played better in the pre-swing path era. Profiles as minor league depth, but sinker is intriguing enough that he may be a little more if moved to the bullpen and stuff plays up in shorter stints.
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Connor Berry, Right-handed pitcher
Right-hander with a small-to-medium build and a lot of projection. Easy arm action with a three-quarters arm slot from a balanced delivery. Arsenal includes an 87-91 mph fastball and a mid-70s 11-to-5 curveball. Served as Oklahoma’s closer in 2018. Missed all of 2019 due to right shoulder impingement syndrome. Relief profile. Due to his age and lack of professional innings, will need to make up for lost time quickly upon return from injury to profile as anything more than low-minors depth.
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Edgar Corcino, Outfielder
Outfielder with a large, filled-out, athletic frame. No projection remaining. Decent contact hitter with a fringe-average hit tool and solid plate discipline. Has some swing-and-miss. Below-average bat speed. Has some raw power but has shown below-average in-game pop. Began career as a third baseman but has strictly played outfield in recent years. Good range. Will make some spectacular plays but can also be error prone. Strong arm. Profiles best in the corners. Organizational depth player.
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Dylan Spacke, Right-handed pitcher
Medium-framed right-hander with an average build. Throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot. Compact, easy delivery. Low leg kick, stays balanced. Fastball sits 92-93 mph. Reportedly topped out at 95 mph in the spring of 2019. Pitch shows some arm-side run at its best but is often straight and hittable. Relies primarily on the pitch. Also throws a hard, horizontal slider that sits about 80 mph. Solid control. Participated in Fall Instructional League in 2019. Projects as an organizational pitcher.
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Caleb Ramsey, Outfielder
Undersized, athletic. Small frame with minimal remaining projection. Lot of swing-and-miss in his game. Poor pitch recognition. Rudimentary approach. No power potential. Average speed. Average defensive profile. Has played both center field and right field as a professional. Below-average arm strength. Had been committed to Butler prior to signing. Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2018. Ceiling of a low-minors bench outfielder. Lacks a carrying tool and has really struggled to adjust to professional pitching.
Photo Credit: Wil Dalton and Alex Erro by Kelly O'Connor
Mark Hanoian is the Scouting Report Manager for SoxProspects.com.