Ty Blach

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #6 prospect in 2017
  One of the more durable starters in the minors, Blach has exceeded 100 innings in each of his past six seasons, stretching back to his sophomore year at Creighton. He topped 160 in both 2015 and 2016 at Triple-A Sacramento. A September callup, Blach provided a 2016 season highlight when he outdueled the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw on Oct. 1 with eight scoreless innings to sew up the Giants' playoff spot. Blach repeated the Pacific Coast League in 2016 and improved across the board, notably by inducing batters to chase out of the zone more frequently and sequencing better to allow less hard contact. He has long been a favorite of Giants coaches for his intelligent approach to pitching and his excellent work ethic. He lacks a plus pitch, but his changeup is above-average and his control allows him to keep hitters off balance. He hits his spots with average stuff, has above-average control, keeps the ball in the park, holds baserunners and is an excellent fielder. Blach has also gained strength to the point where his fastball is now an average 91-92 mph rather than the 89-90 he showed when he signed. He tightened his curveball in 2016, making the formerly loopy pitch sharper, albeit still fringe-average. His slider is a fringe-average pitch without the bite to be an out pitch. Blach profiles as a No. 5 starter and will compete in 2017 with more tenured pitchers for a spot in the big league rotation.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #20 prospect in 2016
  The Giants don't have a pitcher more durable or more reliable than Blach, a 2012 fifth-round pick who joined the 40-man roster in November. He averaged 100 innings a year in his three seasons at Creighton, topping out at an NCAA Division I-best 21 starts and 120 innings as a junior. He has been just as durable as a pro, making every scheduled start during his three-year career. Durability is Blach's best attribute, and his combination of plus control and fringy stuff didn't play well in 2015 when he advanced to Triple-A Sacramento and the hitter's parks of the Pacific Coast League. He tries to work ahead of hitters by mixing four pitches, but only his changeup grades as above-average. Blach's low-80s changeup has good late fade to generate weak contact, but PCL hitters saw too many comfortable at-bats once they figured out that he was always in the zone with his fringe-average 88-92 mph fastball and below-average slider and curveball. As one might expect from a smart pitcher with fringy stuff, Blach fields his position well--he recorded a perfect fielding percentage in 2015--works quickly and holds baserunners. Blach has a ceiling as a No. 5 starter, but he still has plenty to prove.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #7 prospect in 2015
  The Giants had a pretty good idea of what they were getting in Blach, a very durable, very successful three-year starter at Creighton. Three years later, Blach has been exactly what was expected. He's painted corners at two different levels. He doesn't dominate, but he's very consistent. He worked through the fifth inning in 22 of his 25 starts and one of the others was a game where he was pulled because of a rain delay. Blach's stuff is pretty much what it was when he signed--an 89-92 mph fastball that will touch 94 when he humps up, mixed with an 81-83 mph plus change with good late sink and a pair of fringe-average breaking balls. His slow curveball is best early in counts when hitters are looking for something to rip. His slurvy slider is a useful pitch he can use to backdoor hitters or to get them to chase out of the zone. Blach's delivery seems to have multiple parts but he repeats it, and its awkwardness adds deception. Blach's walk rate climbed last year, because against more advanced hitters he found he had to nibble more often. He works fast, keeping his defense on its toes, which helps since he puts them to work. Blach's lack of swing-and-miss stuff means he'll have to be very precise when he reaches the big leagues. He is durable, throws strikes and mixes pitches, giving him a chance to be a solid back-end starter.
• 
  Ranked San Francisco Giants #8 prospect in 2014
  A Colorado high school product, Blach spent three years in Creighton's rotation, shouldering a heavy load in 2012 when he led the nation with 21 starts and ranked 12th with 120 innings pitched. The Giants signed him for $224,500, then gave him the rest of the year off. He jumped to high Class A San Jose for his pro debut and led the California League in ERA en route to pitcher of the year honors. Blach has a true four-pitch mix and is a perfectionist when it comes to location, often expressing dissatisfaction with a pitch even when he gets a good result. He led the Cal League with 1.2 walks per nine innings and profiles as a command lefty. He can spot both sides of the plate with both his two-seamer as well as a four-seamer that sits at 89-90 mph and tops out at 94. He likes to throw his backfoot slider to righthanded hitters and can bury a solid-average curve with two strikes, but his changeup is his best offspeed pitch. It has some fade and his herky-jerky motion adds deception. Blach was the oldest and least heralded of the five prospects who began the season in the rotation at San Jose but quickly became the ace. He doesn't profile as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, but his combination of smarts and command should work at higher levels, starting at Double-A Richmond in 2014.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #194 prospect in 2012 draft
  Blach has been a steady starter at Creighton for three years, claiming a role in the weekend rotation as a freshman, winning 10 games in 2011 and leading NCAA Division I with 18 regular-season starts this spring. Though his stuff hasn't been quite as crisp as it was a year ago, he finished the regular season with a streak of 18 innings without an earned run. Blach's stuff isn't overwhelming, though in a down year for college lefthanders he's attractive as a southpaw who commands three average pitches. His fastball sits at 89-92 mph and occasionally hits 94. His changeup is more effective than his breaking ball, a hybrid between a curveball and a slider that usually arrives at 80-82 mph. There isn't room for projection in his 6-foot-1, 200-pound frame, so he's pretty much a finished projection, but as a potential No. 4 starter he could come off the board around the fifth round.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked California League #15 prospect in 2013
  Blach flew under the radar coming into the year, making his pro debut as part of a San Jose staff laden with prospects. Yet he arguably outshone all of them by capturing the league ERA title and leading all qualified pitchers in walk rate (1.2 per nine innings). Blach?s stuff doesn?t overwhelm, but he has four quality pitches and no glaring weaknesses. His fastball sits at 90-91 mph, but he can reach back for 93-94 when he has to. He mixes both two- and four-seamers to give his fastball different movement. Blach?s changeup has the most upside of his secondary pitches, featuring nice fading action at 81-83 mph. He also has a downer curveball and tilting slider he can backfoot to righthanded hitters. Blach can locate all his pitches, and he?s cognizant of which ones he has working on a given day and adapting his game plan accordingly. His delivery can be somewhat herky-jerky, but he?s able to repeat out of the windup and varies his looks to control the running game. His work ethic and preparation earned high marks.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Blach has exceeded 100 innings each of his past six seasons, stretching back to his sophomore year at Creighton. He topped 160 in both 2015 and 2016 at Triple-A Sacramento. A September callup, Blach provided a highlight when he outdueled the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw on Oct. 1 with eight scoreless innings to sew up the Giants' playoff spot. Scouting Report: Blach repeated the Pacific Coast League in 2016 and improved across the board, notably by inducing batters to chase out of the zone more frequently and sequencing better. He has long been a favorite of Giants coaches for his intelligent approach to pitching and his excellent work ethic. He lacks a plus pitch, but his changeup is above-average and his control allows him to keep hitters off balance. He hits his spots with average stuff, has above-average control, keeps the ball in the park, holds baserunners and is an excellent fielder. Blach has also gained strength to the point where his fastball is now an average 91-92 mph. He tightened his curveball in 2016, making the formerly loopy pitch sharper, albeit still fringe-average. His slider is a fringe-average pitch without the bite to be an out pitch.
  
  The Future: Blach profiles as a No. 5 starter and will compete in 2017 with more tenured pitchers for a spot in the big league rotation.