Zack Bird

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #19 prospect in 2016
  The Braves acquired Bird from the Dodgers in the 2015 deadline deal that also brought Hector Olivera to Atlanta in exchange for prospect Jose Peraza, lefthander Alex Wood and a host of veteran hurlers. The righthander made progress in his fourth pro season and finished the campaign with three starts at Double-A Mississippi in his hometown of Jackson. Bird works off a low- to mid-90s fastball with good movement that has been clocked as high as 96 mph. His secondary offerings are inconsistent. Bird's slider shows promise with its occasional sharp break, and his overhand curveball and changeup are solid pitches when he executes them correctly. He is a flyball pitcher who has averaged 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings as a pro, but he struggles with his command and control, leading to high walk rates and a career 1.46 WHIP. Bird possesses a 6-foot-4, projectable frame and has had difficulty repeating his mechanics, particularly in the lower half of his body. Scouts also have expressed concern about his stiff-shoulder arm action and the overall effort in his delivery, even though he has above-average athleticism. If Bird's control problems continue, he will move to the bullpen, but for 2016 he will return to Mississippi.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #19 prospect in 2015
  Bird struggled while repeating low Class A Great Lakes in 2014, but his stuff and performance looked completely different that August. He sat 89-94 mph early in the season, but by the end he was sitting 93-96 mph and cracked 99. In August, Bird ditched the windup and started to pitch exclusively from the stretch. That simplified his delivery, allowing him to focus on attacking hitters more aggressively, and he posted a 38-to-8 SO/BB ratio in 26 innings in the season's final month. Bird has an electric fastball, but his secondary stuff needs work. His breaking stuff, though still fringy, improved. His changeup is below-average and is a big reason why lefties teed off on him for a .291/.381/.445 line in 207 plate appearances in 2014. Bird's stiff-shouldered arm action concerns some scouts, and his crossfire delivery causes him to finish closed off. That doesn't help his control, which is trending in the right direction but needs to improve. Bird is still raw but has the chance to develop into a back-end starter. If not, his power arm would play well in the bullpen, with high Class A Rancho Cucamonga his next destination.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #21 prospect in 2014
  Bird's father Eugene played defensive back at Southern Mississippi from 1971-73 before the New York Jets drafted him in the 1974 draft, though he never played in the NFL. Zach also could have played at Southern Miss, but he opted instead to sign with the Dodgers for $140,000 as a ninth-round pick in the 2012 draft. One of the youngest players in his draft class, Bird opened the 2013 season as an 18-year-old in the low Class A Midwest League, but he struggled there and the Dodgers demoted him to the Rookie-level Pioneer League, where he threw more strikes but still got hit hard. Bird is a good athlete with a long, lean frame and downhill angle on a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and maxes out at 95. He can cut and sink his fastball, helping him get plenty of groundballs. He doesn't yet have a true out-pitch among his secondary pitches, with a curveball he uses early in counts and a changeup that remains a work in progress. Bird still is learning to repeat his delivery, as he gets out of sync with his mechanics, causing his control to disappear. He made strides with his command in the second half of the 2013 season but still needs work in that regard. He should head back to the Midwest League in 2014.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #19 prospect in 2013
  Bird's father Eugene played defensive back at Southern Mississippi from 1971-73 and was an 11th-round pick of the New York Jets in the 1974 NFL draft, though he never played in the pros. Zach would've followed in his father's footsteps to Southern Miss, but the Dodgers steered him to pro ball with a $140,000 bonus as their ninth-round pick last June. Coaches and scouts who watched Bird in the Rookie-level Arizona League last summer were surprised his name wasn't called sooner. His fastball ranges from 90-96 mph, and he has plenty of projection in his tall, lean frame. His curveball shows plus potential with its sharp break and depth. He's still learning his changeup but does show feel for it. He needs to repeat his delivery better, which could come with added strength. He generates good downhill plane on his fastball and shows an ability to command his curveball. He has already impressed Los Angeles with his pitching IQ, along with how quickly he soaks up instruction. He garners comparisons to former Dodgers prospect James McDonald, though Bird should be able to throw harder. Bird will compete for a spot in the low Class A Great Lakes rotation in 2013, with a stay in extended spring training and assignment to Ogden as the fallback option.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #371 prospect in 2012 draft
  Bird's father Eugene lettered at Southern Miss, and the raw Bird was expected to follow his dad to Hattiesburg. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder has touched 92 mph and has a projectable frame that scouts like. He's inexperienced, which shows in his inconsistent delivery and control as well as little things like fielding. He has his share of athletic ability, throws a curveball around 70 mph that could use more power but has fair shape, and the makings of a changeup.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Midwest League #15 prospect in 2014
  Much like Amir Garrett, Bird has the kind of frame with which scouts can quickly fall in love. He's got long arms, long and skinny legs and plenty of height at 6-foot-4 to get downhill angle on his fastball. It's Bird's fastball that stands out. He kept adding velocity as the season ground on, going from 90-93 mph early in the season to 94-96 and touching 99 in August. He has improved his slider to the point where it's a usable second pitch. His changeup continues to improve, but it's still a fringy pitch that he can't control. Bird's delivery leaves him closed off as he finishes his motion, but if he continues to refine his control, he has the makings of a No. 4 starter with a solid fallback position of being a power reliever.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #7 prospect in 2013
  Bird passed up a scholarship offer to Southern Mississippi, where his father played collegiately, to sign with the Dodgers for $140,000 last year. He started this season in the low Class A Midwest League by running up a 5.10 ERA and 50-45 K-BB ratio before being sent to Ogden in late June. On the heels of extensive side work with pitching coach Scott Radinsky, Bird significantly improved his command and pitched well in his last five Pioneer League starts, notching a 3.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 27 innings. He has an effective four-pitch mix, with a fastball in the 89-93 mph range that tops off around 95. Bird?s heater, which a rival manager described as ?easy cheddar,? is a live pitch that he can cut or sink. He?s at his best when he relies more on the slider and keeps it down in the zone. Bird?s changeup and curveball are also quality pitches, with the latter more of a get-ahead pitch instead of a put-away pitch. While his command got better through the season, Bird can still improve on that front. With a long, lean frame, he has to add strength to maintain his stuff long-term.
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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #19 prospect in 2012
  Los Angeles may have gotten one of the better bargains in this year's draft in Bird, who draws comparisons to another Dodgers draft pick from the past, James McDonald. Bird signed for $140,000 in the ninth round, but scouts who saw him in Arizona said he should have gone in the second or third round. Bird has very good movement on an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and should add velocity once he gains more strength. "I've never seen anyone at this age that had such good swing-and-miss stuff," Dodgers manager Matt Martin said. Bird has the makings of a good curveball, while his changeup is still a work in progress. He pitches with good downhill plane, and when he's able to repeat his delivery he's very tough to hit. He's a fierce competitor who takes a very cerebral approach to the game, closely observing opposing hitters when he's not on the mound.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Bird struggled while repeating low Class A Great Lakes in 2014, but his stuff and performance looked completely different that August. He sat 89-94 mph early in the season, but by the end he was sitting 93-96 mph and cracked 99. In August, Bird ditched the windup and started to pitch exclusively from the stretch. That simplified his delivery, allowing him to focus on attacking hitters more aggressively, and he posted a 38-to-8 SO/BB ratio in 26 innings in the season's final month. Bird has an electric fastball, but his secondary stuff needs work. His breaking stuff, though still fringy, improved. His changeup is below-average and is a big reason why lefties teed off on him for a .291/.381/.445 line in 207 plate appearances in 2014. Bird's stiff-shouldered arm action concerns some scouts, and his crossfire delivery causes him to finish closed off. That doesn't help his control, which is trending in the right direction but needs to improve. Bird is still raw but has the chance to develop into a back-end starter. If not, his power arm would play well in the bullpen, with high Class A Rancho Cucamonga his next destination.