Sam Carlson - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 SEA RHP 8 50

Grades Update: Nov 2020
OFP Role FB CB CH Cnt/Cmd
50 50 55 50 60 55/50

Nov 2020 Report

Evaluator: Joe Doyle

Age: 22 yr
Height: 6-3
Weight: 210 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2017 Draft - Round 2
RuleV: 2022

Physical Description: Tall, strong, athletic build with especially strong lower half. Shoulders are well-developed and tall. Shows above average athleticism for the position, two-way guy as recent as 2018. Physical projection mostly capped.

Delivery & Mechanics: Very good arm speed w/over-the-top delivery. Exceptional deception as ball releases from behind his ear. Hand-break is late with medium arm length. High, aggressive leg kick is well-balanced and leads to big hip drive. Good extension with no energy leakage in lead leg block. No contralateral tilt, though does fall off at times when front side flies open.

Fastball: 92-95/t96 with good riding life up in the zone and some arm-side run. Spots well low and away. Definite out-pitch potential up in the zone. Grade: 55

Curveball: Not a pitch he's deployed much of late in bullpens. Still lacks conviction of two primary offerings. Shows 11-5 break with good 2-plane break. Command is average. Arm action and release point must improve if it's to reach a bigger ceiling. Fringy right now. Pitch shape and command should lend well to future projection. Grade: 50

Changeup: 83-85 - Definitely a plus offering. Impressive arm speed for player with his lack of experience. Very good separation off the fastball with similar tunneling characteristics. Late fade and tumble which he commands well, especially on right-handed batters backfoot. Has shown a tendency to overthrow and spike at times. Pitch lives at the bottom of the zone. Grade: 60

Control and Command: Command remains strong for a guy who's missed so much time. Spots the fastball and changeup quite well. Curveball is a work-in-progress though shows signs of being a big league offering. Walks shouldn't be an excessive issue. Control: 55 | Command: 50

Overall: For a guy that's missed over two full years of baseball, Carlson still has plenty of intrigue surrounding his profile. Still displays a very quick arm, sound mechanics and competitive fire. Physical characteristics are now prototype. Very real upside. Modest chance to reach #3 ceiling, though more than likely a no. 4. Health will be paramount... potential for accelerated development.

OFP: 50
Role: 50 - #4 or #5 Backend SP
Risk: High