Walker Weickel
| IP | 564 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.739 |
| WHIP | 1.426 |
| BB/9 | 3.399 |
| SO/9 | 7.133 |
- Full name Charles Walker Weickel
- Born 11/14/1993 in Orlando, FL
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Olympia
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Drafted in the C-A round (55th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2012 (signed for $2,000,000).
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Weickel answered USA Baseball's call several times in his high school career and stuck with the 18U national team last November after many other pitchers bailed on the program. Weickel was the best pitcher on the 18U team that won the Pan American championships gold medal. Tall and lanky at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Weickel grew almost two inches in the last year and uses his frame to pitch downhill with a heavy fastball. He also has feel for a curveball and changeup and uses pitch stuff in a mature manner. His stuff was down this spring, as he often pitched with a fastball in the upper 80s rather than the low 90s heat he showed in the past. Scouts said the ball wasn't coming out of his hands the way it had in the past, even though Weickel never lost for his undefeated Olympia High club. His curveball also needs more power, as he often threw it in the 68-72 mph range. Weickel's advocates point to his angle, track record and his late growth spurt as reasons for optimism. If he can regain some body control and if his strength can catch up to his frame, Weickel could still develop into a mid-rotation starter with three average-to-plus offerings. But that involves a lot of projection right now, perhaps dropping Weickel into the supplemental or second round.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Among players drafted by the Padres in 2012, only seventh overall pick Max Fried received a higher bonus than Weickel, who signed for $2 million as the 55th selection. Lean, 6-foot-6 and broad-shouldered, he tantalizes scouts with his frame, clean arm action and potential for two plus pitches. Weickel made the low Class A Fort Wayne rotation in 2013, though he stumbled to the most bloated ERA (5.04) and WHIP (1.52) among the club's primary starters. Pro scouts still like his arm strength and projectability but question his feel to pitch. Weickel sits 91-92 mph with vicious sink at times and has topped out at 95, but he struggles to maintain rhythm in his delivery, particularly from the stretch. He snaps off plus mid-70s curveballs early in starts, but he can lose feel and rotation on the pitch when his arm angle creeps too high. Weickel has shown a developing feel for a changeup, though it's a third pitch now. His overall profile suggests a ceiling along the lines of a No. 4 starter if he can iron out his command. -
Weickel grew nearly two inches to 6-foot-6 between his junior and senior years of high school, evoking body comparisons with a young Adam Wainwright with his tall, lean, broad-shouldered build. His velocity backed up in the spring leading up to the draft, throwing some teams off his scent, but the Padres were excited to land him with the 55th overall pick, signing him for $2 million. San Diego believes Weickel's downturn in stuff can be attributed to a lack of body control as he learned to pitch with additional height. They love his arm action, delivery and heavy sinking fastball that ranges from 90-93 mph and bumps 95. He can spin a breaking ball, but he'll need to add power to his low-70s curveball, and throw his changeup more often to improve his feel for the pitch. Scouts who like Weickel project his fastball, curve and changeup to be average or better, with his feel for pitching serving as separators that could make him a mid-rotation starter.
Draft Prospects
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Weickel answered USA Baseball's call several times in his high school career and stuck with the 18U national team last November after many other pitchers bailed on the program. Weickel was the best pitcher on the 18U team that won the Pan American championships gold medal. Tall and lanky at 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Weickel grew almost two inches in the last year and uses his frame to pitch downhill with a heavy fastball. He also has feel for a curveball and changeup and uses pitch stuff in a mature manner. His stuff was down this spring, as he often pitched with a fastball in the upper 80s rather than the low 90s heat he showed in the past. Scouts said the ball wasn't coming out of his hands the way it had in the past, even though Weickel never lost for his undefeated Olympia High club. His curveball also needs more power, as he often threw it in the 68-72 mph range. Weickel's advocates point to his angle, track record and his late growth spurt as reasons for optimism. If he can regain some body control and if his strength can catch up to his frame, Weickel could still develop into a mid-rotation starter with three average-to-plus offerings. But that involves a lot of projection right now, perhaps dropping Weickel into the supplemental or second round.
