Lucas Sims

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #14 prospect in 2017
  One of the few remaining prospects from the Frank Wren era, Sims was the 21st overall pick in 2012. After missing two months in 2015 with injuries he suffered in a bus wreck at high Class A Carolina, Sims had a full slate in 2016 that included a disastrous stretch at Triple-A Gwinnett in May and June. However, he regained his dominant form upon his second-half return to Double-A Mississippi and ranked fifth in the minors with 159 strikeouts. A competitive and aggressive righthander with outstanding athleticism, Sims challenges hitters with his plus fastball that sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with armside run. He mixes it well with his above-average 77-79 mph curveball with a hard, late break. His difficulties have centered the slow development of his changeup and his inability to maintain consistent control and focus, leading to 92 walks, the fourth-highest total in the minors in 2016. He has altered his delivery multiple times with varying degrees of success but has not conquered his wildness. Sims may be headed for a relief role at the major league level, potentially as a closer. The Braves will to give him another shot to gain consistency with his third pitch and remain in the rotation at Triple-A in 2017.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #11 prospect in 2016
  Drafted 21st overall in 2012 out of a metro Atlanta high school, Sims returned to the high Class A Carolina League to open the 2015 season after being the youngest player on the circuit on Opening Day 2014. Injured in a team bus wreck in early May, the righthander did not return until July and was promoted to Double-A Mississippi shortly thereafter. Sims is one of the most competitive and aggressive pitchers in the organization. An outstanding all-around athlete, the former shortstop repeats his smooth delivery with consistency and generates a plus fastball with armside run that sits in the low 90s and touches 96 mph. He also commands his curveball that resides in the upper 70s and flashes plus with late break. The feel for his changeup has been inconsistent and the main culprit in his high walk rate, but Sims has shown promising fade and depth when he throws the pitch correctly. He has learned to mix his pitches, works both sides of the plate and can overpower hitters at times with his fastball. Sims continues to make steady improvement toward a potential mid-rotation ceiling. If his changeup continues to develop, he could be even better. A 2016 season split between Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett is likely.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #2 prospect in 2015
  Selected 21st overall in 2012, Sims had his workload restricted by Atlanta during his first two tastes of pro ball . He was the youngest player in the high Class A Carolina League on Opening Day 2014 and it showed with just 4.9 strikeouts per nine innings in the first three months, but he finished strong with a rate of 7.6 in July and August. The competitive Sims made impressive strides in his feel for pitching in the second half of 2014. An athletic pitcher who has fine-tuned his delivery, his best offering is a plus fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s and reaches 96 mph regularly. The pitch has good run, which creates lots of swings and misses. Sims uses the pitch on both sides of the plate and can overpower some hitters with his heater's explosiveness. His slider and curve often blend into a slurvy breaking ball in the upper 70s, and his improved command of the pitch contributed to his late-season success at Lynchburg. He has worked hard on his changeup since signing but shows an inconsistent feel for the pitch. While his overall control is solid, Sims needs to continue to improve his sequencing to get more strikeouts. Sims learned from his mistakes and became a better all-around pitcher. A potential No. 3 starter in the big leagues, he should make the jump to Double-A Mississippi in 2015.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #1 prospect in 2014
  The Braves returned to their roots in 2012 when they drafted Sims, a local high school product with the 21st overall pick. After seeing the Clemson recruit endure a relatively heavy workload during the latter part of his high school career, the Braves were cautious with the righthander after signing him for $1.65 million by limiting him to 34 innings between two Rookie leagues in 2012. The organization continued to err on the side of caution by controlling Sims' innings and relegating him to 10 relief outings for the first six weeks of 2013 at low Class A Rome. He joined the rotation in May and got stronger as he added experience and honed his mechanics. In his last eight starts, beginning on July 23, Sims went 8-0, 1.60, allowing 34 hits and striking out 57 batters in 45 innings. Ranked as the South Atlantic League's No. 9 prospect, he led the loop in opponent average (.203), placed second in wins (12) and ERA (2.62) and finished fourth in strikeouts (134). A shortstop as well as pitcher at Brookwood High, Sims has plus athleticism that allows him to repeat his delivery with relative ease. He struggled shortly after signing with his mechanics and finding a consistent release point, but he has fine-tuned those after working with the organization's pitching coaches. Sims challenges hitters and works off his fastball, which he spots on both sides of the plate. The pitch resides at 93-95 mph with good run, leading to many swings and misses in the SAL. The consistency of his slurvy, mid-70s curveball tends to come and go, but it has a tight spin and sharp break and was deemed the best breaking ball in the SAL by league managers. The biggest step Sims took in 2013 centered on the development of his changeup, which has the makings of a plus pitch. He learned early in the season about the importance of maintaining control of all his pitches and did an excellent job of improving as the season progressed. He has a great presence on the mound and follows in the footsteps of longtime Braves star (and 1990 first-rounder) Chipper Jones with his "necessary arrogance" and confidence on the field. Rumors have persisted that the Braves would move Sims to the bullpen, rumors that spread like a crush in a middle school lunchroom when he opened the 2013 season in the Rome bullpen. His successful second-half shift to the rotation should put those whipsers to rest, as he finished strong and accomplished the organization's goals. The Braves would prefer him to put in full seasons at high Class A Lynchburg and Double-A Mississippi over the next two years as he continues his development as a potential No. 2 starter in an Atlanta rotation that already features many homegrown arms.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #5 prospect in 2013
  The 21st overall pick in the 2012 draft, Sims represents a return to the Braves' tradition of selecting local high school products and high-ceiling pitchers. Atlanta kept him on a tight pitch count after he turned down a Clemson commitment to sign for $1.65 million, yet he still struck out 39 in 34 pro innings. Though Sims struggled at times with his mechanics and release point during his pro debut, his arm works well and generates above-average velocity. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph with good running action. His velocity could continue to increase as he gains strength and becomes more efficient in his delivery. His 73-78 mph curveball has tight spin and is a plus pitch. Sims' changeup wasn't effective last summer, but he has shown solid feel for it in the past. He'll need to learn to do a better job of repeating his delivery so he can throw more strikes. He's an excellent athlete for a pitcher--he also played shortstop in high school--which should help him accomplish that goal. A potential contributor in the front half of a major league rotation, Sims should spend his first full pro season at low Class A Rome. The Braves' pitching depth in the upper levels means they can give him as much time as he needs to develop.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #29 prospect in 2012 draft
  Sims has been a factor in this draft class since being invited to USA Baseball's 16U trials in 2010, and he pitched last summer in the Prospect Classic for the 18U team, tossing a scoreless inning against the Collegiate National Team. Sims has been the most consistent high school pitcher in Georgia this spring, pushing him up toward the back of the first round. He has a fairly clean arm action and no obvious or significant mechanical issues. Sims consistently flashed three plus pitches this spring, including a fastball that has touched 97 mph at times and generally sits in the 90-93 mph range. He struggles at times to finish his pitches out front, causing him to leave his stuff up in the zone. Sims throws his slider with power in the low 80s, and at times it has good depth as well. He has the ability to spin a breaking ball, and he's shown a solid curveball as well that's about 10 mph slower than his slider. A Clemson recruit, Sims figures to squeeze into the back of the first round thanks to his present stuff and track record.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked International League #18 prospect in 2017
  After walking 6.6 batters per nine innings during his first Triple-A stop last year, Sims cut that rate to 2.8 this year while striking out 10.3 per nine and posting a 3.75 ERA to earn his first big league callup on Aug. 1. Hit hard as a starter in Atlanta, Sims moved to the bullpen after running up a 5.73 ERA and .293 opponent average. Sims still has a chance to start but faces questions about how well his fastball--which sits in the low 90s--will play at the big league level without steps forward from his other offerings. He throws a firm upper-80s slider/cutter, an upper-70s curveball with little depth but late break and a mid-80s changeup that needs work.
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  Ranked Southern League #18 prospect in 2016
  The Braves may be best known for stockpiling first-round power arms through trades with other organizations--think Max Fried, Sean Newcomb and Touki Toussaint--but they're actually developing one of their own in Sims, the 21st overall pick in 2012 who hails from suburban Atlanta. Sims experienced a seasons of extremes in 2016. At Mississippi to begin the year he struck out 41 percent of the batters he faced through three starts to earn a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. International League batters rang Sims' bell (7.56 ERA, 12 home runs in 50 innings), but he returned to the SL on June 26 and continued to excel at missing bats and limiting hits. He ranked fifth in the minors with 159 strikeouts. The issue for Sims will be control--he walked 5.4 batters per nine innings in the SL--and finding a third pitch to stay in the rotation. A thick-bodied righthander who bumps 97 mph and sits 93-95, he isn't afraid to challenge batters with his plus-plus fastball. He uses it as a strikeout pitch and also to set up an above-average, high-70s curveball that now flashes plus more frequently than it once did. Feel for a changeup continues to elude Sims, which coupled with poor control leads many to project him to the bullpen, where he could be a high-leverage power arm.
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  Ranked Carolina League #7 prospect in 2014
  A strong August left scouts with a better opinion of Sims, the 21st overall pick in the 2012 draft. He went 1-2, 2.88 with 25 strikeouts in 34 innings in his final month, and the difference was noticeable. Sims was more consistent with his curveball late in the season and did a better job throwing the right pitches at the right times. His fastball remains a low- to mid-90s offering. "He threw the ball very well in the second half, and he's very willing to learn," Lynchburg manager Luis Salazar said. "He has the pitches, but getting better at pitch selection is the big thing with him. Then he'll be in the big leagues in a couple of years. He has an explosive fastball and a good breaking ball and changeup." Potomac manager Tripp Keister saw an improved Sims as the year went along. "He's gotten a better feel for a changeup," he said, "and he still commands his fastball."
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #9 prospect in 2013
  Without doubt, Rome had the best group of prospects of any Braves affiliate. Sims, an athletic righthander, led the way with an SAL-leading .203 opponent average. He also ranked among the top five in ERA, WHIP, strikeouts and wins. Sims has a relatively clean, if sometimes effortful, delivery that uncorks lively 91-94 mph fastballs. His secondary stuff is less advanced. His breaking ball still is inconsistent but has improved to where some scouts see it as a future average pitch. His changeup also is currently a below-average pitch but shows promise of being a useful change-of-pace once he improves his feel. Sims? fastball was enough to dominate SAL competition and on his best nights, when he had two of his three pitches working, he was a frightening matchup.
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  Ranked National League #6 prospect in 2012
  In what seemingly used to be an annual rite, the Braves selected a Georgia high school talent with their top pick in June, drafting Sims 21st overall and signing him for $1.65 million. Atlanta hadn't taken a Peach State product in the first round since Jason Heyward in 2007. A two-way standout in high school, Sims already throws a 91-92 mph fastball that tops out at 95 and a plus 77-78 mph curveball. His changeup gives him a chance for a third-above average pitch. He struggled with walks and to command his changeup because of what one manager deemed a funky arm action, but most observers believe Sims has the athleticism and desire to work through his mechanical issues and stay in the rotation.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #57 prospect in 2014

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The 21st overall pick in the 2012 draft, Sims represents a return to the Braves' tradition of selecting local high school products and high-ceiling pitchers. Atlanta kept him on a tight pitch count after he turned down a Clemson commitment to sign for $1.65 million, but he struck out 39 in 34 pro innings. Scouting Report: Though Sims struggled at times with his mechanics and release point during his pro debut, his arm works well and generates above-average velocity. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95 mph with good running action. His velocity could continue to increase as he gains strength and becomes more efficient in his delivery. His 73-78 mph curveball has tight spin and is a plus pitch. Sims' changeup wasn't effective last summer, but he has shown solid feel for it in the past. He'll need to learn to do a better job of repeating his delivery so he can throw more strikes. He's an excellent athlete for a pitcher--he also played shortstop in high school--which should help him accomplish that goal. The Future: A potential contributor in the front half of a major league rotation, Sims should spend his first full pro season at low Class A Rome. The Braves' pitching depth in the upper levels means they can give him as much time as he needs to develop.