Bryan Abreu Stats & Scouting Report

IP	78.1
ERA	3.1
WHIP	1.16
BB/9	3.68
SO/9	11.83

Full name Bryan Enrique Abreu
Born 04/22/1997 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 07/31/2019

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Fastball: 55. Slider: 70. Changeup: 30. Curveball: 60. Control: 40.

TRACK RECORD: Abreu was a $40,000 signing at 16 out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 who spent two years in the Dominican Summer League and didn’t reach full-season ball until his fifth minor league season. His stock has climbed since then, and he made his big league debut as a reliever in a 2019 September callup. Abreu struggled in four relief appearances for Houston at the start of 2020 before the Astros sent him down to their alternate training site in Corpus Christi.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu pitches at 92-95 mph with the ability to dial it up to 97, but his money-maker is his breaking stuff. He has an innate feel to spin a pair of swing-and-miss pitches with his mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball. His slider, which he threw more than any other pitch in 2020, earns plus to plus-plus grades, with hard, late break and two-plane depth. That same tight spin shows up with his curveball, a plus pitch that’s similar to his slider but with more top-to-bottom shape. He rarely uses his well below-average changeup. Below-average control has hampered Abreu, whose upper and lower halves get disconnected in his delivery.

THE FUTURE: If Abreu can straighten out his control problems, he has the stuff to pitch in the middle of a rotation.
TRACK RECORD: The Astros added Abreu to the 40-man roster after the 2018 season even though he had just 38 innings above short-season ball. A year later, he left from high Class A to the big leagues, making eight relief appearances as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu's high rpm breaking ball is a work of art. It morphs between a hard, mid-80s curve with a short 12-to-6 break and a similarly hard mid-80s slider that dives down and away from righthanded hitters. It's a plus-plus pitch that gets swings-and-misses. The arm speed and effort to spin such a dominating breaker has also ensured he's always had below-average control as he struggles to sync his arm and his lower half. His release point is inconsistent. His 93-97 mph plus fastball is relatively true, but has enough velocity to be effective when he spots it well. He has thrown a below-average change, but didn't use it once he moved to the bullpen.

THE FUTURE: Abreu has a chance to start if given time to try to fix his control issues, but the Astros have a bigger need right now for him to be a potential high-leverage reliever. He has the stuff to pitch in the eighth or the ninth, but his poor control could hold him back.
Track Record: The Astros excel at finding low-cost pitchers on the international market. Abreu is another prime example. He sat 84-86 mph before he signed, but he showed an ability to spin a breaking ball. The Astros have watched him fill out and blossom. He jumped to the Midwest League in 2018 and finished with 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Scouting Report: Abreu is now a broad-shouldered, athletic righthander. He can run his plus, four-seam fastball up to 96 mph and he sits 93-94 mph. He is generally around the zone with his fastball, but his command needs refinement. He falls off the mound to the first base side, which affects his fringe-average control. Abreu's curveball is already the best in the organization. It has 12-to-6 shape, excellent depth and elite rotation at more than 3,000 revolutions per minute. He throws his curve for strikes, and it eludes bats even in the strike zone. Abreu also mixes in a slider and changeup, but both are below-average pitches.

The Future: Abreu's two-pitch combo would move quickly as a reliever, but he has the frame, intelligence and aptitude to start. Added to the 40-man roster, he's ready for high Class A Fayetteville.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Curveball in the Houston Astros in 2020
Rated Best Curveball in the Houston Astros in 2019

Scouting Reports

Fastball: 55. Slider: 70. Changeup: 30. Curveball: 60. Control: 40.

TRACK RECORD: Abreu was a $40,000 signing at 16 out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 who spent two years in the Dominican Summer League and didn’t reach full-season ball until his fifth minor league season. His stock has climbed since then, and he made his big league debut as a reliever in a 2019 September callup. Abreu struggled in four relief appearances for Houston at the start of 2020 before the Astros sent him down to their alternate training site in Corpus Christi.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu pitches at 92-95 mph with the ability to dial it up to 97, but his money-maker is his breaking stuff. He has an innate feel to spin a pair of swing-and-miss pitches with his mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball. His slider, which he threw more than any other pitch in 2020, earns plus to plus-plus grades, with hard, late break and two-plane depth. That same tight spin shows up with his curveball, a plus pitch that’s similar to his slider but with more top-to-bottom shape. He rarely uses his well below-average changeup. Below-average control has hampered Abreu, whose upper and lower halves get disconnected in his delivery.

THE FUTURE: If Abreu can straighten out his control problems, he has the stuff to pitch in the middle of a rotation.
Fastball: 55. Slider: 70. Changeup: 30. Curveball: 60. Control: 40.

TRACK RECORD: Abreu was a $40,000 signing at 16 out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 who spent two years in the Dominican Summer League and didn’t reach full-season ball until his fifth minor league season. His stock has climbed since then, and he made his big league debut as a reliever in a 2019 September callup. Abreu struggled in four relief appearances for Houston at the start of 2020 before the Astros sent him down to their alternate training site in Corpus Christi.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu pitches at 92-95 mph with the ability to dial it up to 97, but his money-maker is his breaking stuff. He has an innate feel to spin a pair of swing-and-miss pitches with his mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball. His slider, which he threw more than any other pitch in 2020, earns plus to plus-plus grades, with hard, late break and two-plane depth. That same tight spin shows up with his curveball, a plus pitch that’s similar to his slider but with more top-to-bottom shape. He rarely uses his well below-average changeup. Below-average control has hampered Abreu, whose upper and lower halves get disconnected in his delivery.

THE FUTURE: If Abreu can straighten out his control problems, he has the stuff to pitch in the middle of a rotation.
TRACK RECORD: The Astros added Abreu to the 40-man roster after the 2018 season even though he had just 38 innings above short-season ball. A year later, he left from high Class A to the big leagues, making eight relief appearances as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu’s high rpm breaking ball is a work of art. It morphs between a hard, mid-80s curve with a short 12-to-6 break and a similarly hard mid-80s slider that dives down and away from righthanded hitters. It’s a plus-plus pitch that gets swings-and-misses. The arm speed and effort to spin such a dominating breaker has also ensured he’s always had below-average control as he struggles to sync his arm and his lower half. His release point is inconsistent. His 93-97 mph plus fastball is relatively true, but has enough velocity to be effective when he spots it well. He has thrown a below-average change, but didn’t use it once he moved to the bullpen.

THE FUTURE: Abreu has a chance to start if given time to try to fix his control issues, but the Astros have a bigger need right now for him to be a potential high-leverage reliever. He has the stuff to pitch in the eighth or the ninth, but his poor control could hold him back.
TRACK RECORD: The Astros added Abreu to the 40-man roster after the 2018 season even though he had just 38 innings above short-season ball. A year later, he left from high Class A to the big leagues, making eight relief appearances as a September callup.

SCOUTING REPORT: Abreu's high rpm breaking ball is a work of art. It morphs between a hard, mid-80s curve with a short 12-to-6 break and a similarly hard mid-80s slider that dives down and away from righthanded hitters. It's a plus-plus pitch that gets swings-and-misses. The arm speed and effort to spin such a dominating breaker has also ensured he's always had below-average control as he struggles to sync his arm and his lower half. His release point is inconsistent. His 93-97 mph plus fastball is relatively true, but has enough velocity to be effective when he spots it well. He has thrown a below-average change, but didn't use it once he moved to the bullpen.

THE FUTURE: Abreu has a chance to start if given time to try to fix his control issues, but the Astros have a bigger need right now for him to be a potential high-leverage reliever. He has the stuff to pitch in the eighth or the ninth, but his poor control could hold him back.