Chandler Shepherd Stats & Scouting Report

Full name James Chandler Shepherd
Born 08/25/1992 in Ashland, KY
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Kentucky
Debut 08/13/2019
Drafted in the 13th round (404th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2014.

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Shepherd, who was a five-sport letterman in high school, set a Kentucky high school record for consecutive scoreless innings (46) as a sophomore before Tommy John surgery as a junior. He has been a consistent performer in the summers as a collegian, ranking as the top prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate League following his freshman year and earning all-star distinction in the Cape Cod League last summer. But after he began the year in the Kentucky rotation he moved to the bullpen, and he doesn't have any consistent plus offerings. Shepherd, who has touched 94 mph in short stints, has a quick arm and hides the ball well and mostly works at 88-91 from an easy delivery, getting natural arm-side run to his fastball. He offers a four-pitch mix. His top secondary offering is a curveball that flashes above-average. Both his slider and changeup show average potential. He commands his fastball better than his secondary stuff. The athletic 6-foot-2, 185-pounder has a toned body with room to get stronger.

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In his first pro season in 2015, Shepherd showed the sort of strike-throwing ability with a three-pitch mix that allowed him to perform well out of the bullpen at two Class A levels (62-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio) and the Arizona Fall League. He carried that success into a dominant start to the 2016 campaign at Double-A Portland, where he posted a 1.80 ERA and held opponents to a .139 average while striking out 11.7 per nine innings. Shepherd's numbers were less impressive after a midyear promotion to Triple-A Pawtucket, with his strikeout rate falling off by roughly a half. Still, he continued to throw strikes with a three-pitch mix of a low-90s fastball, a curveball that has gotten swings and misses and a changeup. Shepherd's command is above-average, and with adjustments to his pitch sequencing, he could have a future as a middle-relief option.

Shepherd, who was a five-sport letterman in high school, set a Kentucky high school record for consecutive scoreless innings (46) as a sophomore before Tommy John surgery as a junior. He has been a consistent performer in the summers as a collegian, ranking as the top prospect in the Perfect Game Collegiate League following his freshman year and earning all-star distinction in the Cape Cod League last summer. But after he began the year in the Kentucky rotation he moved to the bullpen, and he doesn't have any consistent plus offerings. Shepherd, who has touched 94 mph in short stints, has a quick arm and hides the ball well and mostly works at 88-91 from an easy delivery, getting natural arm-side run to his fastball. He offers a four-pitch mix. His top secondary offering is a curveball that flashes above-average. Both his slider and changeup show average potential. He commands his fastball better than his secondary stuff. The athletic 6-foot-2, 185-pounder has a toned body with room to get stronger.