Graeme Stinson

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #84 prospect in 2019 draft
  A physical, 6-foot-5, 260-pound lefthander, Stinson entered the 2019 season as the top-ranked pitcher in the 2019 class. His standing was in large part due to a plus fastball in the mid- to upper 90s as well a wipeout, 81-85 mph slider that was a plus-plus offering at its best. Stinson showed this premium pure stuff with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team last summer, but scouts were looking forward to seeing what he could do in a starting role over a full season this spring. During his first two seasons with the Blue Devils, 22 of Stinson's 35 appearances came in relief. And while he did post back-to-back seasons of more than 14 strikeouts per nine innings, teams wanted to see him hold his stuff in a full-time starting role while also improving his strike-throwing ability. Instead, things went about as poorly as they could have gone for Stinson. He pitched infrequently in the preseason and looked like he was still getting stretched out during the first month of the season. The results of his first three games were fine from a statistical perspective, but his stuff was no where close to what he had shown previously. His fastball was routinely in the upper 80s and even ticked down into the 84-86 mph range later in his already brief starts, and his slider lacked the power it had previously shown. In all, Stinson made five starts in February and March--posting a 4.58 ERA in 19.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and nine walks--but he hasn't pitched since his last outing on March 15. Because of that, teams are struggling to figure out what to do with him on draft boards. At his best, Stinson drew comparisons to White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon--in regards to both his physicality and pure stuff--and the former N.C. State lefthander was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. But even when Stinson was throwing well, scouts had reservations about how he would manage his body moving forward, his overall athleticism and the lack of a legitimate third pitch. As it stands, there's plenty of risk in taking Stinson in the first or even second round because of his shortened season and medical concerns. But at some point, a team might want to gamble on the upside and hope he returns to form.
• Ranked #271 prospect in 2016 draft
  One of several Duke commits in the BA500, Stinson has a chance to develop into a cog in the Blue Devils' rotation. He's big and strong (6-foot-5, 230 pounds), and he's lefthanded. Stinson struggled with his command at times as a rising senior last summer, but showed upper 80s velocity and tickled the low 90s at his best. This spring, his body was in better shape and he showed improved velocity and flashed an average slider and feel for a changeup. He's still far from his ceiling as an inning-eating southpaw starter, but he has shown potential with three pitches. Stinson is a strong student and believed to be a difficult sign away from Duke.

• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A physical, 6-foot-5, 260-pound lefthander, Stinson entered the 2019 season as the top-ranked pitcher in the 2019 class. His standing was in large part due to a plus fastball in the mid- to upper 90s as well a wipeout, 81-85 mph slider that was a plus-plus offering at its best. Stinson showed this premium pure stuff with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team last summer, but scouts were looking forward to seeing what he could do in a starting role over a full season this spring. During his first two seasons with the Blue Devils, 22 of Stinson's 35 appearances came in relief. And while he did post back-to-back seasons of more than 14 strikeouts per nine innings, teams wanted to see him hold his stuff in a full-time starting role while also improving his strike-throwing ability. Instead, things went about as poorly as they could have gone for Stinson. He pitched infrequently in the preseason and looked like he was still getting stretched out during the first month of the season. The results of his first three games were fine from a statistical perspective, but his stuff was no where close to what he had shown previously. His fastball was routinely in the upper 80s and even ticked down into the 84-86 mph range later in his already brief starts, and his slider lacked the power it had previously shown. In all, Stinson made five starts in February and March--posting a 4.58 ERA in 19.2 innings with 26 strikeouts and nine walks--but he hasn't pitched since his last outing on March 15. Because of that, teams are struggling to figure out what to do with him on draft boards. At his best, Stinson drew comparisons to White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon--in regards to both his physicality and pure stuff--and the former N.C. State lefthander was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. But even when Stinson was throwing well, scouts had reservations about how he would manage his body moving forward, his overall athleticism and the lack of a legitimate third pitch. As it stands, there's plenty of risk in taking Stinson in the first or even second round because of his shortened season and medical concerns. But at some point, a team might want to gamble on the upside and hope he returns to form.