Chris Villaman Stats & Scouting Report

IP	48.2
ERA	2.03
WHIP	.84
BB/9	1.29
SO/9	10.54

Full name Christopher DeVante Villaman
Born 03/16/2001 in Greensboro, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 217 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School North Carolina State
Drafted in the 9th round (284th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022 (signed for $325,000).

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Villaman flashed a low-90s fastball out of high school from the left side, but his stuff backed up a bit during his senior season during the spring and he eventually made it to campus at North Carolina State. In his three seasons with the Wolfpack, Villaman has spent some time as a starter, but was the team’s closer this spring and pitched well—posting a 3.40 ERA over 55.2 innings, with 85 strikeouts (37.0 K%) and 14 walks (6.1 BB%). The 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefthander works primarily with a fastball/changeup combination, with his heater sitting in the low 90s with good carry and impressive command, and a low-80s changeup as his go-to secondary and a pitch that generated whiffs at a 54% rate this spring. Scouts don’t love Villaman’s feel for spinning a breaking ball, though he has thrown a slurvy slider in the upper 70s. Following the 2022 season, Villaman pitched in the Cape Cod League, where he acquitted himself nicely and posted a 2.93 ERA through his first 15.1 innings, though with less impressive strikeout and walk rates compared to his spring season.

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Draft Prospects

School: North Carolina State Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
Villaman flashed a low-90s fastball out of high school from the left side, but his stuff backed up a bit during his senior season during the spring and he eventually made it to campus at North Carolina State. In his three seasons with the Wolfpack, Villaman has spent some time as a starter, but was the team’s closer this spring and pitched well—posting a 3.40 ERA over 55.2 innings, with 85 strikeouts (37.0 K%) and 14 walks (6.1 BB%). The 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefthander works primarily with a fastball/changeup combination, with his heater sitting in the low 90s with good carry and impressive command, and a low-80s changeup as his go-to secondary and a pitch that generated whiffs at a 54% rate this spring. Scouts don’t love Villaman’s feel for spinning a breaking ball, though he has thrown a slurvy slider in the upper 70s. Following the 2022 season, Villaman pitched in the Cape Cod League, where he acquitted himself nicely and posted a 2.93 ERA through his first 15.1 innings, though with less impressive strikeout and walk rates compared to his spring season.
A 6-foot-2, 185-pound lefthander, Villaman pitched at a number of high-profile showcase events last summer, including the 2018 Under Armour All-America game, where he showed a fastball in the 89-93 mph range. That was generally the range Villaman stayed in throughout the summer, and he also featured a mid-70s curveball with 12-to-6 shape, but his arm slows on the pitch and it lacks bite, though the shape is promising for future improvement. Villaman's stuff has been down this spring despite putting more weight on his frame, and scouts have seen his fastball dip into the low-to-mid-80s. He has good feel for pitching, but teams might be hesitant to draft him among the top 10 rounds given how his stuff has played this spring. A North Carolina State commit, Villaman could improve his stock in Raleigh if he sharpens his breaking ball and improves his fastball velocity.

Scouting Reports

A 6-foot-2, 185-pound lefthander, Villaman pitched at a number of high-profile showcase events last summer, including the 2018 Under Armour All-America game, where he showed a fastball in the 89-93 mph range. That was generally the range Villaman stayed in throughout the summer, and he also featured a mid-70s curveball with 12-to-6 shape, but his arm slows on the pitch and it lacks bite, though the shape is promising for future improvement. Villaman's stuff has been down this spring despite putting more weight on his frame, and scouts have seen his fastball dip into the low-to-mid-80s. He has good feel for pitching, but teams might be hesitant to draft him among the top 10 rounds given how his stuff has played this spring. A North Carolina State commit, Villaman could improve his stock in Raleigh if he sharpens his breaking ball and improves his fastball velocity.