A.J. Puk
Born:
04/25/1995 (Age: 28)
Bats:
Left
Throws: Left
Arm Slot: High 3/4
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 220
Primary Position: LHSP
Seconday Position: -
Throws: Left
Arm Slot: High 3/4
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 220
Primary Position: LHSP
Seconday Position: -
Acquisition Period:
1st Rd., (#6 overall), 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft (OAK)
Entry Point: 4 Yr College
Entry Point: 4 Yr College
Report Info
| Evaluator: | Chris Kusiolek |
| Report Date: | April 19th, 2017 |
| Dates Seen: | March 15th, 20th; Instructs |
| Level: | High A |
| Affiliate: | Stockton Ports |
| MLB Team: |
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Physical Description
Length through build; higher set waist; wider through lower half with excess through midsection and trunk; potential soft body; sloped shoulders with large chest through upper half, large hands; poor athletic projection and limited present athleticism; big bodied
Mechanical Notes
Very slight rock and adjustment on rubber from wind up, almost identical to stretch; slightly to first-base side; smooth leg lift, hands set away from body and break away as lift ends and delivery begins to initiate towards the plate; moderate shoulder tilt and slight closed landing, can show firm on foot strike and collapse front half; mild effort; larger arm swing with a hook and wrap in the back, doesn't get too high; good arm action with present extension, above-average arm speed, loose, easy; shoulders frequently leak and can show some rotation at times; delivery fairly repeatable with better extension possible
| MLB ETA | Future Floor | Future Ceiling | Realistic Role | Risk | 2019 | 55 | 60 | #3 Starter | Moderate |
|---|
| Pitch | Present | Future | Sitting | Max | Comments |
| Fastball | |||||
| Fastball | 55 | 70 | 93-97 | 98 | Quality life with exceptional hop; plays higher, mild natural tail from left side at times with giddy up, flashes intense bore; long-term command projection limited given physical and athletic restraints, confidence in pitch, mature acumen, arm action with fastball plays pitch up; frequently alters eye levels, establishes inner half, works inside and north out of zone to both establish and execute in sequence; pitch action and deception in delivery plays up dramatically; truly a special pitch. |
| Quality life with exceptional hop; plays higher, mild natural tail from left side at times with giddy up, flashes intense bore; long-term command projection limited given physical and athletic restraints, confidence in pitch, mature acumen, arm action with fastball plays pitch up; frequently alters eye levels, establishes inner half, works inside and north out of zone to both establish and execute in sequence; pitch action and deception in delivery plays up dramatically; truly a special pitch. | |||||
| Curveball | |||||
| Curveball | 45 | 55 | 79-81 | 82 | Decent wrist action and spin; 1-to-7 shape with two-plane depth with noticeable improvement to feel and confidence in pitch since picking it up during Instructs; better depth and break with above-average potential; serviceable to facilitate velocity separation off fastball and remaining firmer offerings; legitimate projection on pitch with more reps. |
| Decent wrist action and spin; 1-to-7 shape with two-plane depth with noticeable improvement to feel and confidence in pitch since picking it up during Instructs; better depth and break with above-average potential; serviceable to facilitate velocity separation off fastball and remaining firmer offerings; legitimate projection on pitch with more reps. | |||||
| Slider | |||||
| Slider | 50 | 60 | 84-87 | 89 | Flashes quality late tilting action and depth when on; has shown to be more loose spinning two plane 2-to-8 depth on occasion, can let up off arm speed and extension, tells pitch; even with slot and plane can struggle to get on top of offering; mostly executes at back-end of sequences, can struggle to manipulate and throw for strikes consistently and reliably; arm strength, arm speed more than conducive for pitch to show even higher; will play up off of fastball with more consistent execution. |
| Flashes quality late tilting action and depth when on; has shown to be more loose spinning two plane 2-to-8 depth on occasion, can let up off arm speed and extension, tells pitch; even with slot and plane can struggle to get on top of offering; mostly executes at back-end of sequences, can struggle to manipulate and throw for strikes consistently and reliably; arm strength, arm speed more than conducive for pitch to show even higher; will play up off of fastball with more consistent execution. | |||||
| ChangeUp | |||||
| ChangeUp | 40 | 50 | 86-88 | 89 | Firm with mild tumbling action with limited feel; lesser deception and arm speed replication, deliberate in executing pitch, can show more hesitance in utilizing pitch and at times forced to in sequence; can flash decent tumble and depth on occasion; will play up given fastball utility and approach on mound, and should get to average. |
| Firm with mild tumbling action with limited feel; lesser deception and arm speed replication, deliberate in executing pitch, can show more hesitance in utilizing pitch and at times forced to in sequence; can flash decent tumble and depth on occasion; will play up given fastball utility and approach on mound, and should get to average. | |||||
| Overall Command | |||||
| Overall Command | 50 | 50 | |||
| Overall Control | |||||
| Overall Control | 55 | 55 | |||
MiLB Stats
Overall Summary
Premium left-handed fastball with premium length; good action to spin with advanced feel and idea of how to execute at present on the mound; confident in profile actualizing off near-elite fastball. Puk has very noticeable risk given present state of his physique and potential soft body concerns; questionable athletic profile, but confident in profile being carried to a ceiling of a mid-rotation role.
