Wyatt Strahan

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #16 prospect in 2016
  Strahan walked 4.6 batters per nine innings in three years at Southern California, inhibiting his ability to produce results even with solid stuff. He has significantly improved his command and control in pro ball. Strahan has slowed down his between-pitch tempo and the overall rhythm of his delivery. He always will rack up walks because his 91-93 mph two-seam fastball has lots of movement, but at his best, he can pitch off his heater because of its extreme sink and movement and back it up with a 12-to-6, latebreaking curveball. Both garner tick above-average grades. Strahan can touch 95 mph with his fastball, but at that velocity it's much straighter and more hittable. His changeup also improved at low Class A Dayton in 2015. It's still a fringe-average offering, but his slowed-down motion helped aid the deception of his changeup because now he maintains arm speed and locates it better. Strahan will turn 23 early in the 2016 season, so if he does well at high Class A Daytona, the Reds could speed up his ascent with a midseason promotion. A future slide to the bullpen remains a possibility.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #23 prospect in 2015
  Coming into his junior year, Strahan looked nearly undraftable because he had walked more batters than he had struck out. But he managed to improve both his stuff and control in 2014. Strahan can generate swings and misses with his four-seam fastball at 94-96 mph up in the zone, but he's at his best when he's throwing his two-seamer at 92-93 with above-average sink. He mixes a slow, early-count curveball for a strike and a harder curve that is a two-strike chase pitch that flashes plus. His changeup is a below-average but useable pitch. Strahan's upright delivery isn't free and easy, and he finishes with pronounced recoil. Some scouts see a future power reliever, but the Reds will let Strahan start at low Class A Dayton.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #94 prospect in 2014 draft
  Strahan has intrigued scouts with his arm strength and physicality since his high school days, but his control held him back in his first two collegiate seasons, during which he posted a combined 63-59 strikeout-to-walk mark. His feel for pitching took a step forward in the fall, when he generated some buzz among scouts for touching 97 mph and flashing a good breaking ball. He has held down a job in USC's weekend rotation all spring, going 4-4, 3.59 with 69 strikeouts and 34 walks in 83 innings. His fastball sits comfortably at 92-93 mph and regularly touches 95-96. He has a physical build at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, with broad shoulders and a strong lower half, but he has a short stride and an upright delivery, which hinders his command and leads to some long-term durability concerns. He flashes a plus curveball with 11-to-5 break that has more depth when he throws it in the high 70s, but can reach 82-83 mph. Some scouts also say his changeup flashes average, but he uses it sparingly. His delivery and lack of fine command likely make him a better fit in a relief role at the next level.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pioneer League #8 prospect in 2014
  Strahan overcame control problems in his first two college seasons to become Southern California's Friday night starter this year, and he parlayed a strong Pacific-12 Conference campaign into a $558,700 bonus. He served as No. 1 starter for league-champion Billings in his pro debut, though he never threw more than four innings in a start after logging 104 for the Trojans in the spring. Strahan has a tall, durable frame with broad shoulders and is working to improve his direction to the plate. His money pitch is a good hard curveball in the 80-82 mph range. It's a plus offering with good depth, and Billings manager Dick Schofield praised his natural feel for the pitch. Strahan throws a 90-93 mph fastball with good sink, and his 80 mph changeup is an average pitch with deception and sink. The tilt he gets on his pitches from his high three-quarters arm slot allows him to consistently keep the ball down, and Strahan didn't allow a home run while recording a strong 2.3 groundout/airout ratio.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Coming into his junior year, Strahan looked nearly undraftable because he had walked more batters than he had struck out. But he managed to improve both his stuff and control in 2014. Strahan can generate swings and misses with his four-seam fastball at 94-96 mph up in the zone, but he's at his best when he's throwing his two-seamer at 92-93 with above-average sink. He mixes a slow, early-count curveball for a strike and a harder curve that is a two-strike chase pitch that flashes plus. His changeup is a below-average but useable pitch. Strahan's upright delivery isn't free and easy, and he finishes with pronounced recoil. Some scouts see a future power reliever, but the Reds will let Strahan start at low Class A Dayton.