Josh James
Born:
03/08/1993 (Age: 31)
Bats:
Right
Throws: Right
Arm Slot: High 3/4
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 206
Primary Position: RHRP
Seconday Position: -
Throws: Right
Arm Slot: High 3/4
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 206
Primary Position: RHRP
Seconday Position: -
Acquisition Period:
34th Rd., 2014 First Year Player Draft (HOU)
Entry Point: 4 Yr College
Entry Point: 4 Yr College
Report Info
| Evaluator: | Dave DeFreitas |
| Report Date: | June 16th, 2016 |
| Dates Seen: | 6/14 |
| Level: | High A |
| Affiliate: | Lancaster JetHawks |
| MLB Team: |
|
Physical Description
Long legs, high waist; slender frame, not much muscle structure. Room to fill out.
Mechanical Notes
Long arm in back, full arm circle, has some whip in the arm action; stays tall and drives downhill. Online, lands in good fielding position
| MLB ETA | Future Floor | Future Ceiling | Realistic Role | Risk | 2019 | 20 | 30 | Role 3: Emergency bullpen arm | High |
|---|
| Pitch | Present | Future | Sitting | Max | Comments |
| Fastball | |||||
| Fastball | 40 | 45 | 88-91 | 92 | Some smooth effort, loose arm; angle and arm action play up velo slightly. Gets some sink, majority to arm side; more two-seam tail to glove side. Will turn over hard when up in count and see the ball get heavy. |
| Some smooth effort, loose arm; angle and arm action play up velo slightly. Gets some sink, majority to arm side; more two-seam tail to glove side. Will turn over hard when up in count and see the ball get heavy. | |||||
| Curveball | |||||
| Curveball | 40 | 40 | 73-75 | 77 | 11-to-5 break; big shape, starts early. Uses early in the count; throws for strikes. |
| 11-to-5 break; big shape, starts early. Uses early in the count; throws for strikes. | |||||
| Slider | |||||
| Slider | 45 | 45 | 80-83 | 83 | Best secondary, 3/4 break, but mixes in variations; majority are gradual, lack bite, but will dial up tighter one on occasion. Very comfortable with it and will double up; enough feel to take hitters out of zone. |
| Best secondary, 3/4 break, but mixes in variations; majority are gradual, lack bite, but will dial up tighter one on occasion. Very comfortable with it and will double up; enough feel to take hitters out of zone. | |||||
| ChangeUp | |||||
| ChangeUp | 40 | 40 | 82-83 | 83 | Circle fade; gradual, lacks depth/bottom. Arm works well with it, but acts more like a BP fastball than a true circle change. Used sparingly, lacks confidence with it. |
| Circle fade; gradual, lacks depth/bottom. Arm works well with it, but acts more like a BP fastball than a true circle change. Used sparingly, lacks confidence with it. | |||||
| Overall Command | |||||
| Overall Command | 45 | 45 | |||
| Overall Control | |||||
| Overall Control | 40 | 40 | |||
MiLB Stats
Overall Summary
Three-pitch mix guy that works quick and throws strikes; shows fringe-average command of below-average stuff. Fastball has some life in the zone, occasional sneaky quickness and has the sink and command play it up slightly. Has feel with the slider to play it up to fringe average; allows him to exploit the lack of plate discipline at current level, but not a true out pitch. Curveball and changeup are both below average, but can throw for strikes. Does not give in. Everything is pretty gradual, but he is making it work right now. Does not have the weapons to run through lineups multiple times at the major league level; chance he could find an extra mph or two on the fastball in shorter stints; would have minimal margin for error and half to consistently generate soft contact to be successful.
