A.J. Cole Stats & Scouting Report

IP	205
ERA	4.522
WHIP	1.439
BB/9	3.6
SO/9	9.132

Full name Andrew Jordan Cole
Born 01/05/1992 in Winter Springs, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Oviedo
Debut 04/28/2015
Drafted in the 4th round (116th overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2010 (signed for $2,000,000).

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Cole was the shortstop on BA's most recent Baseball for the Ages 12-year-old all-star team, so he has been on the prospect radar for some time. He had a stellar summer showcase circuit in 2009, positioning himself as a potential first-rounder. His spring season started poorly, however, thanks to a bout with the flu and rainy, cool weather that interrupted the high school schedule in the Orlando area. Cole's fastball velocity was down early in the spring but jumped in late April and early May. After sitting 88-93 mph early, Cole was back to sitting at 92-93 and regularly hitting 95-96. He has an athletic, projectable frame and long legs; at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, he should add strength that will help him have more consistent velocity. He has a low-maintenance delivery and projects to have solid command. His curveball at times exhibits hard, late break and can be a plus pitch, though scouts prefer the hard slider of his rival for the title of Best Florida Prep Pitching Prospect, Karsten Whitson. Cole also has a decent changeup that at times has late fade. At his best, Cole is among the best pitchers available in the draft, and his recovery from his poor start means he won't get out of the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Nationals originally signed Cole for $2 million as a fourth-round pick in 2010 before trading him to the Athletics for Gio Gonzalez in November 2011. After a disappointing 2012 season, Washington reacquired Cole in March 2013, and he made his big league debut two years later. He returned to the majors in 2016, starting eight games with middling results. He showed swing-and-miss stuff in the majors with 39 strikeouts in 38.1 innings, but also showed he can get hit hard when he doesn't locate precisely, with 16 of his 37 hits allowed going for extra bases, including seven home runs. Cole's fastball sits in the low 90s, and he commands it effectively to both sides of the plate. He has good feel for his changeup, which is his best secondary pitch. He throws both a slider and a curveball, with the slider being the better of the two fringy-to-average breaking balls. Cole repeats his simple, clean delivery well, and he has average control. The Nationals' crowded rotation has proven difficult for Cole to break into, so he will likely start 2017 back in Triple-A Syracuse's rotation as he awaits another chance in the big leagues.
The Nationals originally signed Cole for $2 million as a fourth-round pick in 2010 before trading him to the Athletics for Gio Gonzalez in November 2011. Since Washington reacquired Cole in March 2013, he has put his disappointing 2012 season in the rear-view mirror. After reaching Triple-A Syracuse and pitching in the Futures Game in 2014, he made his big league debut in 2015. Cole's velocity was down a bit early in 2015, including during his time in Washington, but after some mechanical adjustments, he got better as the season progressed. His fastball sits comfortably in the low 90s, pushing as high as 96 mph, and he commands it effectively to both sides of the plate. He has good feel for his changeup, which provides a good contrast to his fastball. He throws both a slider and a curveball, with the slider being the better of his two fringy-toaverage breaking balls. Cole repeats his simple, clean delivery well and throws strikes with his full arsenal. Though Cole briefly pitched out of the big league bullpen in May, he has all the tools necessary to be a starter and could become the Nationals' latest homegrown rotation member. With a deep pool of starters in Washington already, though, Cole may be ticketed again for Syracuse to begin the 2016 season.
In his second season since being reacquired from the Athletics, Cole returned to Double-A Harrisburg and thrived. He spent the second half at Triple-A Syracuse and continued to hold his own, ranking as the No. 7 prospect in the International League. Cole's fastball was not quite as overpowering early in 2014 as it had been in the past, but he still pitched comfortably at 91-93 mph with decent life and bumped 96. He locates his heater well at the knees to both sides of the plate, and his sound mechanics and clean arm action give him a chance to have above-average control and solid command. Cole's second pitch remains his 83-85 mph changeup, which rates as solid-average to plus with good sinking action. Cole made progress getting more swing-throughs with his short, 81-84 mph slider in 2014, and it rates as solid-average at its best, though it can be fringy at other times. He also will occasionally steal a strike with his fringy curveball, but it is not a swing-and-miss offering. Cole figures to spend the spring in big league camp for the second straight year and open 2015 back in the rotation at Syracuse. He is a safe bet to be at least a No. 4 starter, and many scouts project him as a No. 3.
The Nationals signed Cole for a fourth-round-record $2 million bonus in 2010, then traded him to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez deal after the 2011 season. He spent one year with the Athletics, then returned to the Nationals in the March 2013 Michael Morse deal. Cole pitches predominantly off his explosive fastball, which sits at 94-95 mph and regularly touches 97. His two-seamer has plus sink, and his four-seamer has riding life. His fastball command is solid, but it remains better to his arm side than his glove side. His second pitch is a fringe-average changeup that flashes plus when he maintains his arm speed. The biggest knock on Cole is his lack of a wipeout breaking ball, but he worked hard to tighten it up and add some power to it this year. The shape and depth of the pitch are inconsistent, and so is the velocity, which ranges from 75-82 mph. Whether it winds up as a curve or a slider, it has a chance to be fringy to average in time. Cole should get a shot in Triple-A in 2014. He could get a big league callup by season's end and projects as a mid-rotation starter.
A potential first-rounder going into 2010, Cole slid but still netted a fourth-round-record $2 million bonus from the Nationals. After coming to Oakland in the Gio Gonzalez trade last offseason, Cole ranked last in the California League with a 7.82 ERA before he was demoted to low Class A in May. Following a rough first start, he smoothed out his mechanics in Burlington and would have led the Midwest League in ERA (2.07) if he had logged enough innings to qualify. Cole's fastball ranges from 92-97 mph with some sinking and cutting action. His slurvy curveball lacks consistency because he keeps tinkering with grips for it, but it shows good bite when it's on and he tightened its rotation in instructional league. He has nice feel for his changeup, which has some fade and improved after his demotion. Cole's Cal League problems came because he opened up too quickly in his delivery, dragged his arm and over-rotated, and left pitches up in the strike zone. The A's like how he comes after hitters. With his power arm, Cole has more upside than any A's pitching prospect and projects as a possible frontline starter. He'll get another crack at Stockton to open 2013.
After signing for a fourth round-record $2 million bonus in August 2010, Cole pitched just one inning at short-season Vermont. An illness caused him to lose weight before the start of spring training in 2011, and the Nationals cautiously kept him in extended spring training until mid-May. He joined low Class A Hagerstown, held his own against older competition in the South Atlantic League and got stronger as the year went on. By the end of the summer his fastball ranged from 90-98 mph and sat in the mid-90s. He has no fear of attacking hitters with his fastball, and did a better job commanding the pitch down in the zone as the season progressed. Early on, he tended to rush his delivery, but it became more compact, repeatable and rhythmic during the summer, helping him generate a good downward plane. Cole throws a spike curveball as a chase pitch and is getting better at throwing it for strikes, but Washington plans on having him work on a true curve that would be easier to keep in the zone. He's still learning to trust his changeup. Cole is still getting stronger physically and has frontline-starter upside, but needs to refine his secondary stuff. The Nationals will be patient and figure to send him to high Class A Potomac in 2012.
Regarded as a potential top-10-overall pick heading into his senior year at Oviedo (Fla.) High in 2010, Cole got off to a slow start because of the flu and bad weather. His velocity dipped to 88-93 mph early in the year, though he touched the mid-90s later in the spring. Signability concerns dropped him in the draft, and the Nationals were elated to get him in the fourth round. He signed a day before the Aug. 16 deadline for $2 million--a record for the round. Cole has an athletic, projectable frame and a loose, electric arm. He attacks the strike zone with his fastball and curveball, and his low-maintenance delivery suggests he'll have at least solid-average command. His fastball topped out at 93 mph in instructional league, but he regularly has reached 95-97 in the past. As he matures physically, his heater should be a premium pitch. Cole's 76-80 mph spike curveball has short 11-to-5 break, good rotation and depth, giving him the makings of a second plus offering. He also has feel for a changeup, though it's inconsistent. He's an intense competitor with a professional approach to preparation. Cole has frontline-starter upside and could move fairly quickly for a high school draftee. With one pro inning under his belt, he'll probably open 2011 in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Cole made his major league debut last year, but with the Nationals' crowded rotation, he returned to Syracuse again this season. He had an up-and-down year, but he came on strong in the second half and pitched capably for the Nationals in September. Cole doesn't throw quite as hard as he did earlier in his career, with his fastball now sitting in the low 90s. He has more velocity when he needs it, however, and he does a good job of locating the pitch. His changeup was long his most reliable offspeed pitch, but his slider has made strides this year and gives him a third average-or-better offering. He also can work in a curveball, giving him a deep arsenal. Cole's pitchability also has improved, and he more effectively uses his improved arsenal to attack hitters.
A tall, wiry righthander who was drafted by the Nationals, then traded to the Athletics, then traded back to Washingon, Cole showed signs this season of being worth the re-investment. He spent the first half at Harrisburg before moving to Triple-A Syracuse in the second half and putting up similar numbers. Cole brings a clean, repeatable delivery and a three-pitch mix of fastball, slider and changeup, each of which have the potential to be plus in the future. His fastball can reach as high as 96 mph but typically operates in the 91-94 range, and he commands the ball low in the zone and to both sides of the plate. Cole's slider, which sits in the low 80s, acts more like a cutter at this point, and he's working on adding depth to the pitch. His changeup works in the mid 80s with sink and is ahead of his slider at this point. The pitch is especially effective against lefthanded hitters. Cole also receives excellent marks for his makeup and level-headedness.
An improved breaking ball was the difference-maker for Cole in his second year back with the organization that signed him for $2 million in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. The Nationals traded Cole to the Athletics for Gio Gonzalez in December 2011, then reacquired him two years later in a three-team deal involving Michael Morse. Cole tightened his slider in 2014, throwing it with more power and conviction, and some scouts project the low-80s pitch to average. He fills the strike zone with 93-95 mph fastballs with plus life, though his command needs tightening after allowing nine home runs in 11 starts. He throws an excellent sinking changeup and profiles as at least a mid-rotation starter. "He's a complete pitcher," a scout with a National League club said. "He has a good chance to be a No. 3 starter. He's got maturity and moxie on the mound."
Cole picked up where he left off with the Nationals in his first season back with the organization that inked him for $2 million in 2010. He displayed one of the strongest arms and best fastballs in the CL this season before earning a late-season promotion to Double-A. Traded to the Athletics after the 2011 season as part of the Gio Gonzalez trade and returned last March in the Michael Morse deal, Cole dialed his heater up to 98 mph at Potomac while sitting in the mid-90s. Cole can command his fastball to both sides of the plate and the pitch can be explosive coming out of his long, lanky frame. The fastball, however, is the only pitch he throws with any consistency. He?s still inconsistent with a slurvy curveball, though he did begin to show better feel for it by the end of the season. His changeup remains a work in progress. One scout suggested Cole should abandon the curveball for more of a power slider. Others questioned whether he possesses the inner drive to challenge advanced hitters. ?His secondary pitches are going to have to get better,? a CL manager said. ?It?s an above-average fastball, but you?re going to struggle if you don?t have the secondary pitch or the ability to control hitters? bat speed.?
He has the most upside of the four players the Athletics acquired in Gio Gonzalez trade last December, but Cole looked terrible when he began 2012 by going 0-7, 7.82 in eight high Class A starts. After he surrendered 12 hits in his MWL debut, he recovered and looked like the pitcher Oakland hoped it was getting. Cole sits at 93-95 mph and ranges from 90-97 with his fastball, which features some cutting life. He's aggressive with his heater but still refining a slurvy slider learning to trust a changeup with the potential to be an average pitch. He's a bit of a slinger from a low three-quarters arm slot, which costs him some command and deception.
While many players hit the wall during their first full professional seasons, Cole did just the opposite. His fastball went from the low 90s early in the year to sitting at 94-95 mph in August. He also got better at keeping his pitches down in the strike zone, allowing only one homer in his final 13 starts after giving up five in his first seven outings. Cole succeeds mainly with his fastball, which he commands well and can cut or sink. His breaking ball has its moments but lacks consistency, and his changeup is a work in progress. He does a nice job of throwing all three pitches for strikes. "He's gotten stronger as the year has gone on and his velocity has increased, which rarely happens at this level, especially for a guy who is just a year removed from high school," Daubach said. "He's getting a better feel for his breaking ball and throwing it for strikes. When his breaking ball, which is more of a curveball than a slider, is on it's nasty."

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Best Control in the Oakland Athletics in 2013
Rated Best Fastball in the Oakland Athletics in 2012
Rated Best Fastball in the Washington Nationals in 2012

Scouting Reports

Background: A potential first-rounder going into 2010, Cole slid but still netted a fourth-round-record $2 million bonus from the Nationals. After coming to Oakland with Tom Milone, Derek Norris and Brad Peacock in the Gio Gonzalez trade last offseason, Cole ranked last in the California League with a 7.82 ERA before he was demoted to low Class A in May. Following a rough first start, he smoothed out his mechanics in Burlington and would have led the Midwest League in ERA (2.07) if he had logged enough innings to qualify. Scouting Report: Cole's fastball ranges from 92-97 mph with some sinking and cutting action. His slurvy curveball lacks consistency because he keeps tinkering with grips for it, but it shows good bite when it's on and he tightened its rotation in instructional league. He has nice feel for his changeup, which has some fade and improved after his demotion. Cole's Cal League problems came because he opened up too quickly in his delivery, dragged his arm and over-rotated, and left pitches up in the strike zone. The A's like how he comes after hitters. The Future: With his power arm, Cole has more upside than any A's pitching prospect and projects as a possible frontline starter. He'll get another crack at Stockton to open 2013.
Background: After signing for a fourth round-record $2 million bonus in August 2010, Cole pitched only one inning at short-season Vermont. An illness caused him to lose weight before the start of spring training in 2011, and the Nationals cautiously kept him in extended spring training until mid-May. He held his own against older competition in the South Atlantic League and got stronger as the year went on. Scouting Report: By the end of the summer, Cole's fastball ranged from 90-98 mph and sat in the mid-90s. He has no fear of attacking hitters with his fastball, and he did a better job commanding the pitch down in the zone as the season progressed. Early on, he tended to rush his delivery, but it became more compact, repeatable and rhythmic during the summer, helping him generate a good downward plane. Cole throws a spike curveball as a chase pitch and is getting better at throwing it for strikes, but Washington plans on having him work on a true curve that would be easier to keep in the zone. He's still learning to trust his changeup. The Future: Cole is still getting stronger physically and has frontline-starter upside, but he'll need to refine his secondary stuff. The Nationals will be patient and figure to send him to high Class A Potomac in 2012.
Background: After signing with the Nationals for a fourth round-record $2 million bonus in August 2010, Cole pitched just one inning in his pro debut. An illness caused him to lose weight before the start of spring training in 2011, and Washington cautiously kept him in extended spring training until mid-May. He held his own against older competition in the South Atlantic League and got stronger as the year went on before joining the A's in the Gio Gonzalez trade in December.Scouting Report: By the end of the summer, Cole's fastball ranged from 90-98 mph and sat in the mid-90s. He has no fear of attacking hitters with his fastball, and he did a better job commanding the pitch down in the zone as the season progressed. Early on, he tended to rush his delivery, but it became more compact, repeatable and rhythmic, helping him generate a good downward plane. Cole throws a spike curveball as a chase pitch and is getting better at throwing it for strikes, and he's going to work on a true curve that will be easier to keep in the zone. He's still learning to trust his changeup.The Future: Cole is still getting stronger physically and has frontline-starter upside, but he'll need to refine his secondary stuff. Oakland will be patient and figures to send him to high Class A Stockton in 2012.