Rank History
| Year | Team | Position | Team Rank | OFP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | CHW | RHP | 22 | 35 |
Grades Update: Dec 2020
| OFP | Role | FB | CB | SL | CH | Ctr/Cmd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 30 | 45 | 50 | 40 | 50 | 55/45 |
Dec 2020 Report
Evaluator: James Chipman
Age: 26 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2016 Round 5
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster
Physical Description: Tall; lean wiry build. Broad shoulders that slope; high waist; long levers; average core with modest upper body strength. Sturdy backside and strong lower half. Room to fill out and add some upper body strength but close to maxed out physically. Average athleticism. Strong makeup. Injury history includes Tommy John surgery performed back in June of 2019 and a season ending forearm strain in 2020.
Delivery & Mechanics: Semi-windup; drop and drive. High 3/4 arm slot with above-average arm speed and moderate effort in the delivery. Hands break early exposing the ball; long arm path; wrap; less than optimal stride and extension. Simple well repeated delivery; arm slot occasionally wanders. Moderate deception from an alternated belt high to letter high leg kick and aforementioned impressive arm speed.
Fastball: Sits 90-94, averaging 92.7; has shown the ability to sit 94-96 in shorter bursts out of the bullpen. Shows minimal arm-side run. Height and high slot help generate some natural downhill plane. Extremely straight and flat in the upper third of the zone. Modest velocity and lack of movement will give him a smaller margin for error. Overall a fringy offering that plays up a bit out of the bullpen thanks to short burst velo bump. Grade: 45
Curveball: Knuckle curve. Sits a touch below optimal velocity at 74-77. Shows tight rotation and deep 12/6 shape. Works it backdoor early in the count for called strikes; thrown as a bat missing put-away spike pitch buried beneath the lower third. Solid average offering at its best. Grade: 50
Slider: Below-average distant fourth offering that sits 85-87. Slurvy breaker; lacks bite; utilized primarily as a chaser against RHB. Likely shelved or limited in bullpen role. Grade: 40
Changeup: Features optimal velo separation sitting 82-84. Maintains arm speed; has feel, just lacks consistency. Flashes average with late tumble and decent arm-side fade. Solid enough to keep same sided batters honest and challenge LHB. Enough athleticism and feel to likely reach average. Grade: 50
Control and Command: Above-average control; pounds the strike zone with all four pitches. Shows advanced pitchabilty; sequences deep four pitch arsenal well, often pitching backwards and attacks all four quads. Control over command; relies on pitchabilty and "stuff" over precise location. Solid average FB command; secondary command lags a touch behind. Control: 55 | Command: 45
Overall: After undergoing Tommy John surgery in June of 2019, Lambert worked his way back quickly, making his big league debut last summer. Unfortunately, after just two relief outings his season ended with forearm soreness, an injury that's often a precursor to Tommy John surgery, further clouding his future. Injury aside, Lambert is a crafty right-hander whose arsenal features three potential fringy to solid average pitches. An ordinary fastball and fringe-average command profile likely push him to the bullpen long term. Lack of anything above-average or better in the secondary also make high-leverage, impact relief work unlikely limiting his upside. Overall he's likely a solid role 30 depth arm that works as a SP in the minors, occasionally contributing big league spot starts or low leverage relief work.
OFP: 35
Role: 30 - Up/Down Emergency Depth
Risk: Moderate
