Zac Gallen
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Gallen was a third-round pick by the Cardinals from UNC in 2016. He breezed through the system before being a primary piece of the prospect package that St. Louis sent to the Marlins in return for OF Marcell Ozuna. He pitched to a solid 3.65 ERA across 25 starts with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate last season and was named to the Pacific Coast League all-star team. Since my looks at him as an amateur, Gallen’s stuff has ticked up without sacrificing control. He stays around the plate with three pitches, showing feel to spot his fastball both high and low in the zone. Gallen’s heater sits in the 92-to-94 mph range and touches a bit higher. He mixes a low-90s two-seamer for a second look, something he’ll likely need after struggling to keep the ball on the ground in Triple-A (39-percent GB%). He knows how to use an average curve and changeup effectively, showing the latter far more to lefties. Gallen is knocking on the door of the big leagues and looks ready to contribute to a rebuilding Marlins club in 2019. The ceiling is a solid back-rotation starter at peak, and he’ll rank near the top of Miami’s prospect list given how close he is to providing Major League value. |
