Jonathan Stiever

Jonathan Stiever - Scouting Report


Rank History
Year Team Position Team Rank OFP
2021 CHW RHP 7 45

Grades Update: Dec 2020
OFP Role FB CB SL CH Ctr/Cmd
45 40 50 50 55 40 50/45

Dec 2020 Report

Evaluator: Justin Lada

Age: 24 yr
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215 lbs
Hits/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2018 Round 5
RuleV: On 40-Man Roster

Physical Description: Muscular, athletic build. Medium sized frame that is mostly filled out. Strong in chest and lower half. Appears to have shorter wingspan and legs despite 6-2 height and frame. Athleticism as a high school football player apparent in actions on the mound.

Delivery & Mechanics: Starts from first base side of the rubber with moderate midsection leg kick. Uses leg kick to drive into lower half with good drive into his back half and push leg. Stays stacked well as he moves forward. Gets strike foot down quickly. Drops arm it down behind his back leg before swinging back up and through his 3/4 arm slot. Doesn't get particularly long extension with his legs but drives energy up his body well once he gets his strike foot down quick. Upper back/spinal tilt helps shoulder/hip separation and allows him to work force up to his arm and creates his high 3/4 arm slot. Uses leg kick from the stretch. Has a tendency to lose arm slot at times.

Fastball: Ran 89-93 early in 2019 and then sat 92-95 and topped out at 96 further into the season. Delivery and arm slot allows him to work it downhill well. Locates it consistently in the zone and gets swings and misses with it in the zone. Shows comfort and confidence in working it in all four quadrants of the zone. Has moderate armside run to it. Average spin. Needs consistent mid-90s velocity, command, and good sequencing for maximum effectiveness. Grade: 50

Curveball: 76-80 with power break. Starts out with 12 direction but breaks sharp and tight. Good command of the pitch. Gets swings and misses in the middle of the zone and below it. Manipulates speed and power to change how much vertical break it gets, sometimes slower and dropping deeper. Average spin. Occasionally high arm slot. Grade: 50

Slider: 83-85 with 2-7 shape. Loses shape at times where it doesn't get enough horizontal tilt and hangs in the zone. At it's best, the two plane break dives under bats and comes from the same arm slot as his fastball. Hard pitch for right handers to handle when he has the shape consistent. Blends with his curveball a little at times. Bat missing pitch in the minors but struggled to get consistent shape in brief MLB experience in 2020. Grade: 55

Changeup: 82-85 with some sink and fade. Inconsistent movement. Lacks arm speed for deception. Low usage fourth offering that profiles best as a show-me pitch to left handers. Grade: 40

Control and Command: Control over command total profile. Can throw everything for a strike. Above average fastball and curveball command. Slider and changeup fall behind in command in that order. Shows ability to work north/south as well as east/west with slider and armside running fastball. Should avoid major issues with free passes. Lack of command but good control would leave him homer-prone. Control: 50 | Command: 45

Overall: Has three average to above average offerings and generally avoids free passes. His fastball velocity has waned. His fastball velocity and command will be a big driver of his success. With average spin, up and down velocity, it could leave him with home run issues. His two breaking balls are both effective swing and miss issues but both could improve with more consistent shape. Pitch mix and velo dips might make him a better fit in the bullpen in potential mulit-inning stints. Could work as a back end type starter if fastball velocity holds better and tightens up his changeup.

OFP: 45
Role: 40 - Spot Starter or Low Leverage Reliever
Risk: Low