Nick Sandlin

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #29 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: As a junior at Southern Mississippi in 2018, Sandlin moved from closing to the front of the rotation and won the nation's ERA title (1.06). He shot up draft boards that spring and that momentum carried over into pro ball, as he finished the season in Double-A Akron. He started 2019 well and reached Triple-A Columbus in June, almost a year to the day after he was drafted, but he suffered a forearm strain that ended his season at the start of July.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sandlin is undersized and typically throws from a sidearm slot, though he'll also raise it to more of a three-quarters look. He's effective against both righthanders and lefthanders, though he's especially tough on righthanded hitters. His fastball sits in the low 90s with plenty of run and sink. He can manipulate his slider to make it a big, wipeout pitch or to land it for a strike. His changeup isn't as good as his sinker-slider combination, but it is a viable third offering. He has above-average command and stands out for his athleticism.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sandlin has a tremendous feel for pitching and has already shown he can be effective against upper-level competition. He will likely be ready to help the Indians bullpen in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #24 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: In 2018, Sandlin moved from closing to the front of Southern Mississippi's rotation with great success and won the nation's ERA title (1.06). His All-American season sent him shooting up draft boards despite his unusual profile. His ascension continued in pro ball and he pitched at four levels after signing, finishing the season with Double-A Akron.
  
  Scouting Report: Listed at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Sandlin is undersized and typically throws from a sidearm slot, though he'll also raise it to more of a three-quarters look. In 2018, he showed the ability to hold his stuff deep in games and proved effective against righties and lefties. His fastball sits in the low 90s with plenty of run and sink. He can manipulate his slider to make it a big, wipeout pitch or to land it for a strike. His changeup isn't as good as his sinker-slider combination, but it is a viable third offering. He has above-average command and stands out for his athleticism.
  
  The Future: Sandlin has tremendous feel for pitching and made a compelling case that he can be a starter, although he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen after signing, in part to limit his workload after he threw 102 innings for Southern Miss. As a reliever, he'll likely soon be in the big leagues. Even if he goes back to starting, his rise won't be dramatically slowed because he's already shown he can handle advanced competition.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #150 prospect in 2018 draft
  After two excellent seasons as Southern Miss' closer, Sandlin this spring moved to the front of the rotation with great success. His impressive season sent him shooting up draft boards despite his unusual profile. Listed at 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Sandlin is undersized and typically throws from a sidearm slot, though he'll also raise it to more of a three-quarters look. He has shown the ability to hold his stuff deep in games and he can get both righthanders and lefthanders out. His fastball sits in the low 90s with plenty of run and sink. His slider is a wipeout pitch and he has also developed a solid changeup that gives him a weapon against lefthanded hitters. Sandlin has above-average command and stands out for his athleticism. He has tremendous feel for pitching and his performance this spring makes a case that he can be a starter, although his profile would suggest a return to the bullpen is a strong possibility. If he returns to relieving, Sandlin could shoot through the minor leagues and either work as a bullpen ace or in high-leverage situations.

• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: As a junior at Southern Mississippi in 2018, Sandlin moved from closing to the front of the rotation and won the nation's ERA title (1.06). He shot up draft boards that spring and that momentum carried over into pro ball, as he finished the season in Double-A Akron. He started 2019 well and reached Triple-A Columbus in June, almost a year to the day after he was drafted, but he suffered a forearm strain that ended his season at the start of July.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Sandlin is undersized and typically throws from a sidearm slot, though he'll also raise it to more of a three-quarters look. He's effective against both righthanders and lefthanders, though he's especially tough on righthanded hitters. His fastball sits in the low 90s with plenty of run and sink. He can manipulate his slider to make it a big, wipeout pitch or to land it for a strike. His changeup isn't as good as his sinker-slider combination, but it is a viable third offering. He has above-average command and stands out for his athleticism.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sandlin has a tremendous feel for pitching and has already shown he can be effective against upper-level competition. He will likely be ready to help the Indians bullpen in 2020.