Landon Sims

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #22 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Sims was a well-known prep pitcher, but questions about his future role helped push him to Mississippi State. He was arguably the top closer in the country as a sophomore and helped the Bulldogs win their first national title. He transitioned into a starting role as a junior and impressed in three starts before blowing out his elbow and needing Tommy John surgery. The D-backs rolled the dice on his upside, taking him 34th overall and giving him $2.35 million. Sims returned to make his pro debut in 2023 and struggled to a 5.47 ERA over 24.2 innings across the lower levels.
  
  Scouting Report: Sims had two electric, swing-and-miss pitches before his surgery. His fastball touched 97-98 mph with exceptional carry and he backed it up with a tight, mid-80s power slider with late tilt. Unfortunately, his stuff did not return in his pro debut. His fastball instead sat in the low 90s and he surrendered nearly a hit per inning. The D-backs believe his velocity will tick back up as he gets further removed from surgery. He has a fringy changeup as well but threw it only a handful of times last year. Sims has a crossfire delivery that helps add deception to his pitches, although it also results in inconsistent control. He has shown average control at his best.
  
  The Future: The D-backs believe Sims’ stuff will bounce back and still see him as a potential starter. His fastball and slider should play in relief as a fallback.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Sims was well-regarded out of high school in Georgia for his explosive fastball, but many projected him as a future reliever and he wound up on campus at Mississippi State. As a sophomore he put together one of the more dominant relief seasons in the country, logging a 1.44 ERA while striking out 16 per nine innings. He shined at the 2021 College World Series, allowing one run in four appearances while striking out 15 and walking one in 10 one-run innings for the national champions. Sims maintained his dominance after transitioning into a starting role in 2022, but he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during his third start, requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. Still, the D-backs saw enough to take him with the 34th overall pick and sign him for $2.3 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Prior to his injury, Sims possessed an elite fastball in every way. He sat in the mid 90s and touched 97-98 mph, even as a starter, and his fastball had characteristics that gave it tremendous life and carry through the zone. He also had the ability to locate his heater to the parts of the zone where it is most effective. Sims had another plus pitch in his power slider with late tilt. His changeup was below-average with some fade. He has good deception, hiding the ball and tunnels pitches well. His high-octane delivery with recoil gives him the look of a reliever. He has excellent makeup, including a terrific work ethic and good pitching acumen, suggesting he could have the intangibles to start.
  
  The Future: Before his injury, Sims was on his way to showing his future might be in the rotation. The D-backs plan to give him every chance to start, though his rehab is likely to push beyond the start of 2023. If he is destined for the bullpen, he has the makings of a shutdown, late-inning reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 55

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #35 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Mississippi State Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.5
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: - | Slider: 70 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: | Control: 55
  Sims was a power-throwing high school righthander who touched 97 mph and ranked as the No. 198 prospect in the 2019 draft class. Despite his velocity, Sims made it to campus at Mississippi State, where he immediately became one of the most dominant relievers in college baseball. During the 2021 season, Sims posted a 1.44 ERA over 56.1 innings out of the bullpen as a lockdown, multi-inning reliever who struck out 46.9% of the batters he faced. Sims transitioned to a full-time starting role during the 2022 season but made just three starts before he tore his ulnar collateral ligament and had Tommy John surgery that ended his draft year. When healthy, Sims has shown one of the most electric two-pitch mixes in the country. His fastball is routinely in the 93-95 mph range—both as a starter and reliever—and has been up to 98 with exceptional metrics under the hood that make it a truly elite fastball. He gets more than 18 inches of induced vertical break and throws from a lower release height that gives him a flat vertical approach angle—all of which translates into plenty of whiffs and a pitch that both scouts and analysts alike will call an easy plus offering. Hitters don’t get a break with his slider, either. The breaking ball has power in the mid 80s, tons of sweeping movement and high spin rates in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range. It’s a true wipeout offering that generated whiffs more than 40% of the time in his brief stint on the mound in 2022. Scouts have said Sims has a solid changeup as well, but he’s rarely thrown it in games and it’s no surprise given the quality of his fastball and slider. Sims has the pitch mix and aggressive, competitive nature on the mound to profile as an elite, big league reliever but he showed the command and control early in 2022 that should give him a chance to start as well. Sims’ injury and lack of track record as a college starter make him more of a wild card, but his stuff should be more than good enough to fit in the first round.
• Ranked #198 prospect in 2019 draft
  A short righthander out of Georgia with a big fastball, Sims impressed scouts last summer at the East Coast Pro showcase by striking out five batters and showing off a fastball that regularly got into the mid-90s. He's touched as high as 97 mph in the past, and his big, power fastball is his carrying tool. Scouts like his arm action, but think he's close to maxed out his frame, which is listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He's flashed an above-average slider in the 75-81 mph range, but scouts wanted to see the pitch at that level more consistently throughout the spring. It has sweeping movement and solid shape that he can finish down to the glove side, but it needs more consistent bite. He's shown a changeup that needs work as well. Because of his size, big fastball and the occasional slider, there are some comparisons to J.B. Bukauskas coming out of high school and with that come the same reliever risks that Bukauskas faced at the time. Sims' strike-throwing has been inconsistent, and he'll need to improve his secondaries to give himself a shot at becoming a starter at the next level. A Mississippi State commit, Sims could be a difficult sign.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Sims was well-regarded out of high school in Georgia for his explosive fastball, but many projected him as a future reliever and he wound up on campus at Mississippi State. As a sophomore he put together one of the more dominant relief seasons in the country, logging a 1.44 ERA while striking out 16 per nine innings. He shined at the 2021 College World Series, allowing one run in four appearances while striking out 15 and walking one in 10 one-run innings for the national champions. Sims maintained his dominance after transitioning into a starting role in 2022, but he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during his third start, requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. Still, the D-backs saw enough to take him with the 34th overall pick and sign him for $2.3 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Prior to his injury, Sims possessed an elite fastball in every way. He sat in the mid 90s and touched 97-98 mph, even as a starter, and his fastball had characteristics that gave it tremendous life and carry through the zone. He also had the ability to locate his heater to the parts of the zone where it is most effective. Sims had another plus pitch in his power slider with late tilt. His changeup was below-average with some fade. He has good deception, hiding the ball and tunnels pitches well. His high-octane delivery with recoil gives him the look of a reliever. He has excellent makeup, including a terrific work ethic and good pitching acumen, suggesting he could have the intangibles to start.
  
  The Future: Before his injury, Sims was on his way to showing his future might be in the rotation. The D-backs plan to give him every chance to start, though his rehab is likely to push beyond the start of 2023. If he is destined for the bullpen, he has the makings of a shutdown, late-inning reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Sims was well-regarded out of high school in Georgia for his explosive fastball, but many projected him as a future reliever and he wound up on campus at Mississippi State. As a sophomore he put together one of the more dominant relief seasons in the country, logging a 1.44 ERA while striking out 16 per nine innings. He shined at the 2021 College World Series, allowing one run in four appearances while striking out 15 and walking one in 10 one-run innings for the national champions. Sims maintained his dominance after transitioning into a starting role in 2022, but he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during his third start, requiring season-ending Tommy John surgery. Still, the D-backs saw enough to take him with the 34th overall pick and sign him for $2.3 million.
  
  Scouting Report: Prior to his injury, Sims possessed an elite fastball in every way. He sat in the mid 90s and touched 97-98 mph, even as a starter, and his fastball had characteristics that gave it tremendous life and carry through the zone. He also had the ability to locate his heater to the parts of the zone where it is most effective. Sims had another plus pitch in his power slider with late tilt. His changeup was below-average with some fade. He has good deception, hiding the ball and tunnels pitches well. His high-octane delivery with recoil gives him the look of a reliever. He has excellent makeup, including a terrific work ethic and good pitching acumen, suggesting he could have the intangibles to start.
  
  The Future: Before his injury, Sims was on his way to showing his future might be in the rotation. The D-backs plan to give him every chance to start, though his rehab is likely to push beyond the start of 2023. If he is destined for the bullpen, he has the makings of a shutdown, late-inning reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 45. Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Exteme
  
  August Update: Sims was a power-throwing high school righthander who touched 97 mph and ranked as the No. 198 prospect in the 2019 draft class. Despite his velocity, Sims made it to campus at Mississippi State, where he immediately became one of the most dominant relievers in college baseball. During the 2021 season, Sims posted a 1.44 ERA over 56.1 innings out of the bullpen as a lockdown, multi-inning reliever who struck out 46.9% of the batters he faced. Sims transitioned to a full-time starting role during the 2022 season but made just three starts before he tore his ulnar collateral ligament and had Tommy John surgery that ended his draft year. When healthy, Sims has shown one of the most electric two-pitch mixes in the country. His fastball is routinely in the 93-95 mph range—both as a starter and reliever—and has been up to 98 with exceptional metrics under the hood that make it a truly elite fastball. He gets more than 18 inches of induced vertical break and throws from a lower release height that gives him a flat vertical approach angle—all of which translates into plenty of whiffs and a pitch that both scouts and analysts alike will call an easy plus offering. Hitters don&#39t get a break with his slider, either. The breaking ball has power in the mid 80s, tons of sweeping movement and high spin rates in the 2,400-2,700 rpm range. It&#39s a true wipeout offering that generated whiffs more than 40% of the time in his brief stint on the mound in 2022. Scouts have said Sims has a solid changeup as well, but he&#39s rarely thrown it in games and it&#39s no surprise given the quality of his fastball and slider. Sims has the pitch mix and aggressive, competitive nature on the mound to profile as an elite, big league reliever but he showed the command and control early in 2022 that should give him a chance to start as well. Sims&#39 injury and lack of track record as a college starter make him more of a wild card, but his stuff should be more than good enough to fit in the first round.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 70. Changeup: 45. Control: 55.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A short righthander out of Georgia with a big fastball, Sims impressed scouts last summer at the East Coast Pro showcase by striking out five batters and showing off a fastball that regularly got into the mid-90s. He's touched as high as 97 mph in the past, and his big, power fastball is his carrying tool. Scouts like his arm action, but think he's close to maxed out his frame, which is listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He's flashed an above-average slider in the 75-81 mph range, but scouts wanted to see the pitch at that level more consistently throughout the spring. It has sweeping movement and solid shape that he can finish down to the glove side, but it needs more consistent bite. He's shown a changeup that needs work as well. Because of his size, big fastball and the occasional slider, there are some comparisons to J.B. Bukauskas coming out of high school and with that come the same reliever risks that Bukauskas faced at the time. Sims' strike-throwing has been inconsistent, and he'll need to improve his secondaries to give himself a shot at becoming a starter at the next level. A Mississippi State commit, Sims could be a difficult sign.