Hector Nelo

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #24 prospect in 2014
  Nelo's career has taken a winding road, but even at 27 he's still a prospect with an intriguing fastball. A Rangers 15th-round pick in 2007, Nelo earned his release from Texas following spring training in 2011, only to be quickly signed by the Nationals. He put together a solid year for Washington in the Double-A Harrisburg bullpen in 2012, prompting the Dodgers to pick him in the minor league phase of the 2012 Rule 5 draft. He repeated Double-A in 2013, where he showed a 94-98 mph fastball with Chattanooga that peaked at 100, with heavy sink that yields an abundance of groundballs. Despite his velocity, Nelo doesn't have a big strikeout rate in part because he doesn't have much else. He telegraphs his offspeed pitches, varying his release point and slowing his arm on his below-average, mid-80s changeup. His breaking ball lacks crispness, though he can retire hitters sometimes because they have to be geared up for his fastball. Nelo can have success when he stays on top of his fastball and commands it down in the zone, but he still needs to be able to throw more strikes. If he can improve his fastball command and develop a more reliable offspeed pitch, he could be a late bloomer who works his way into a middle relief role.