A.J. Blubaugh Stats & Scouting Report

IP	124.2
ERA	3.83
WHIP	1.35
BB/9	3.68
SO/9	9.24

Full name Alan Joseph Blubaugh
Born 07/04/2000 in Mansfield, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Drafted in the 7th round (223rd overall) by the Houston Astros in 2022 (signed for $172,500).

View Draft Report

For the second consecutive season, Blubaugh earned the Horizon League relief pitcher of the year award. The Wisconsin-Milwaukee righthander served as both a starter and reliever for the Panthers this spring, with 16 appearances out of the pen and seven starts. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound redshirt sophomore pitches up in the zone effectively with a 90-93 mph fastball that presents quicker than its velocity. He complements it with an excellent 80-82 mph changeup with late diving action. Blubaugh will mix in an average curveball to give the hitter a different look, as spin isn’t a big part of his game. The ability to locate all of his pitches at any time in the count separates him from most righthanded arms with a higher velocity fastball. With just 16 walks in 52.2 innings pitched, batters struggled figuring out Blubaugh’s repertoire and approach, hitting just .208 against him this spring. Blubaugh projects to be a multi-role arm at the next level.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: Blubaugh spent three years at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, winning Horizon League relief pitcher of the year in 2021 and 2022, as well as consecutive first team all-conference selections. Blubaugh was selected by the Astros in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, signing for a below-slot bonus of $172,500. Blubaugh was assigned to High-A Asheville to begin 2023, appearing in 22 games and typically going 3-4 innings in a piggyback fashion with another starter. Blubaugh was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi on Aug. 26, making four appearances before participating in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting Report: Blubaugh has an athletic build with prototypical size for a starter and a clean, athletic operation. He mixes four pitches from a high-three quarters slot. His fastball sits 91-93 mph touching 94 with ride and run. Blubaugh’s slider, curveball and changeup are used at a similar rate, with his changeup outperforming the two breaking balls. Blubaugh’s changeup sits 81-83 mph with some tumble and fade and is his best swing-and-miss pitch. Blubaugh throws two sweepy breaking balls in a traditional sweeper slider which sits 79-81 mph and a mid-70s curveball with two-plane break. Blubaugh’s slider is his primary secondary against righthanded batters, and he uses the changeup and curveball heavily against lefties. He shows above-average command of his fastball but fringe-average command of his secondaries.

The Future: Blubaugh has a chance to start if he improves command of his secondaries. If not, he could find more velocity and long-term success as a reliever.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50

Draft Prospects

School: Wisconsin-Milwaukee Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 22
For the second consecutive season, Blubaugh earned the Horizon League relief pitcher of the year award. The Wisconsin-Milwaukee righthander served as both a starter and reliever for the Panthers this spring, with 16 appearances out of the pen and seven starts. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound redshirt sophomore pitches up in the zone effectively with a 90-93 mph fastball that presents quicker than its velocity. He complements it with an excellent 80-82 mph changeup with late diving action. Blubaugh will mix in an average curveball to give the hitter a different look, as spin isn’t a big part of his game. The ability to locate all of his pitches at any time in the count separates him from most righthanded arms with a higher velocity fastball. With just 16 walks in 52.2 innings pitched, batters struggled figuring out Blubaugh’s repertoire and approach, hitting just .208 against him this spring. Blubaugh projects to be a multi-role arm at the next level.

Career Transactions

RHP A.J. Blubaugh assigned to Sugar Land Space Cowboys from Corpus Christi Hooks.
Houston Astros invited non-roster RHP A.J. Blubaugh to spring training.
RHP A.J. Blubaugh assigned to Asheville Tourists from Fayetteville Woodpeckers.