Ray Black

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #17 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Black has dealt with a bevy of injuries throughout his career, dating back to his high school days and impacting his throwing shoulder, pitching elbow, knees, back and more. The injuries have led Black to consider quitting baseball numerous times, but he had a career year in 2018 and finally made it to the big leagues more than seven years after being the Giants' seventh-round pick in 2011.
  
  Scouting Report: When healthy, Black has one of the best arms in baseball. He has a heavy, plus-plus fastball that sits 97-102 mph and a pair of above-average breaking balls in a mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball. Black has fringe-average control and is a reliever all the way because of durability issues, but his offspeed pitches play up because hitters focus so heavily on his premium velocity. Because of injuries, Black hadn't completed more than 35.1 innings in a season since high school. The 28-year-old was much healthier in 2018 and made 62 appearances between Double-A, Triple-A and the majors.
  
  The Future: Black has the ceiling of an elite setup man or closer in the majors, if he can stay healthy. That's a big if for Black, who needs to continue working on controlling his explosive arsenal in order to get the most out of his premium three-pitch mix.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #31 prospect in 2017
  Black has one of the best arms in baseball. That's true when we wrote it in 2011 and it's true now. But the reason that the man with the 103 mph fastball has never pitched in the big leagues is simple--he's never healthy long enough to move up the ladder. Black has had Tommy John surgery, knee injuries, labrum surgery, back spasms and a bone spur in his pitching elbow this year. A 2011 draftee, Black has yet than 100 pro innings and he's never thrown more than 35 innings in a season. He's never thrown on backto- back days as a pro. And his control fell apart in 2016, not all that surprising with the injuries and the high-effort delivery that is very long in the back. But Black is one of the few humans in the world who can throw 100-103 mph regularly, and that fastball makes his slider play as plus as well because hitters have to sit fastball. Even with scattershot control, he averaged 15 strikeouts per nine innings. Black will be using his final option in 2017, so this is a make-or-break year for the righthander, but his stuff could make him an instant big league option if he could a) stay healthy and b) throw a modest amount of strikes.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #13 prospect in 2016
  Black has one of the best arms in baseball--and one of the worst medical histories. He had Tommy John surgery, multiple knee injuries and labrum surgery that have cost him four full seasons. But when healthy, Black can touch 100 mph regularly and has been clocked as high as 103. He can blow his top-of-the- scale, high-90s fastball past hitters, even when they are sitting on his heat. Black's 84-87 mph slider also plays as a plus pitch, partly because hitters must always be conscious of his fastball. He varies his slider's break to make it a bigger, slower curveball. He also has toyed with a below-average changeup, but he doesn't throw it often. Black's delivery features a long stabbing action in the back, and he opens up too early at times, so he tends to scatter the strike zone. He doesn't have to paint corners, but he will have to improve his well below-average control--he walked 9.0 batters per nine innings at high Class A San Jose in 2015--to be a usable big league reliever. The Giants have handled Black with extreme caution. He never has thrown on back-to-back days as a pro and has generally been used for one-inning stints with at least two off days in between. San Francisco said they will use Black more regularly in 2016, but he'll need to prove he can handle a heavier workload and stay healthy. After all, he has thrown little more than 106 innings since 2008. Black has the stuff to be an elite closer, but his injury and control issues are disconcerting.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #24 prospect in 2015
  Already a member of the 40-man roster, Black has a chance to develop into a dominant closer if he can stay healthy--but that's a big if. He had Tommy John surgery as a high school senior and redshirted his freshman year at Pittsburgh while recovering. After throwing 37 innings in two seasons in college, where knee injuries limited him, he missed his first two pro seasons because of shoulder surgery to repair his labrum. When he's healthy, Black has been the hardest-throwing pitcher in the minors. He hit 100 mph regularly in 2014 and touched 103. His fastball has boring action, even at extreme velocities. He uses it to set up a hard-breaking downer curveball that is also a plus pitch at its best. With a slinging delivery, Black likely will never have even average command, but his stuff is good enough that he just has to get it over the plate. The Giants were cautious with Black in 2014--his outings came every three days, no matter the score--and will work him into a heavier workload at Double-A Richmond in 2015.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #24 prospect in 2012
  Aside from supplemental first-rounder Kyle Crick, Black might have the highest ceiling among the passel of power arms the Giants took in the 2011 draft. But after signing for $225,000 as a seventhrounder, he also has the furthest to go. He missed his high school senior season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He redshirted in his first season at Pittsburgh and pitched just 37 innings over the last two college seasons. Black's stuff is undeniable, starting with a fastball that operates at 94-96 mph and features natual movement. At its best, his mid-80s slider can be a plus-plus pitch. But Black is more often wild than not, and he posted a 6.30 ERA with 26 walks in 20 innings at Pitt last spring. His shoulder flies open when he overthrows and he can't be relied upon to throw strikes. In other words, he's the kind of project the Giants love to give pitching coordinator Bert Bradley and vice president of player personnel Dick Tidrow. Black also has battled knee problems, so he'll be developed as a reliever. There's no telling how he'll hold up when used on consecutive days. If he finds the strike zone often enough in the spring, Black will make his pro debut in low Class A.

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Black has one of the best arms in baseball--and one of the worst medical histories. He had Tommy John surgery, multiple knee injuries and labrum surgery that have cost him four full seasons. But when healthy, Black can touch 100 mph regularly and has been clocked as high as 103. He can blow his top-of-the- scale, high-90s fastball past hitters, even when they are sitting on his heat. Black's 84-87 mph slider also plays as a plus pitch, partly because hitters must always be conscious of his fastball. He varies his slider's break to make it a bigger, slower curveball. He also has toyed with a below-average changeup, but he doesn't throw it often. Black's delivery features a long stabbing action in the back, and he opens up too early at times, so he tends to scatter the strike zone. He doesn't have to paint corners, but he will have to improve his well below-average control--he walked 9.0 batters per nine innings at high Class A San Jose in 2015--to be a usable big league reliever. The Giants have handled Black with extreme caution. He never has thrown on back-to-back days as a pro and has generally been used for one-inning stints with at least two off days in between. San Francisco said they will use Black more regularly in 2016, but he'll need to prove he can handle a heavier workload and stay healthy. After all, he has thrown little more than 106 innings since 2008. Black has the stuff to be an elite closer, but his injury and control issues are disconcerting.