Zack Godley Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Zachary Thomas Godley
Born 04/21/1990 in Bamberg, SC
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 250 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Tennessee
Debut 07/23/2015
Drafted in the 10th round (288th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2013 (signed for $35,000).

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Godley has been an important part of head coach Dave Serrano's reconstruction project at Tennessee. He transferred in after his freshman season at Spartanburg (S.C.) Methodist JC and served as a middle reliever for a year before becoming the team's No. 1 starter under Serrano in 2012. He was a workhorse as a senior, going 5-7, 3.49 with 108 innings and six complete games. Godley throws strikes with his fastball and has proved durable at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. His fastball sits 88-90 mph and he fills up the bottom half of the strike zone. His curveball is fringe-average and flashes better. His changeup was a solid-average to plus pitch in 2012 but backed up in 2013 as his curve improved. Godley hit 95 mph as a reliever and probably fits better in that role as a pro.

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A 10th-round pick from Tennessee by the Cubs in 2013, Godley began his pro career as a reliever. Chicago traded him to the Diamondbacks in December 2014 as one of two minor league pitchers exchanged for Miguel Montero. The D-backs thought Godley had starter potential, and they were right. He advanced from high Class A Visalia to the big leagues in his first season with the organization in 2015. He made his major league debut on July 23 against the Brewers, earning the win with six shutout innings. Godley generates plenty of movement on all four of his pitches, though that sometimes results in command issues. He pounds the zone with both a cutting four-seam fastball and a tailing two-seamer that both sit 89-92 mph and touch 94. His cutter is his out pitch that he uses more often than the sinker, and his breaking ball could be called either a slider or a curveball with hard action. Godley uses a Vulcan grip on his 78-84 mph changeup, giving it the down action and late movement of a split-finger fastball. He has good mound presence, repeats his delivery and competes well. Godley projects as a back-end starter or swingman, with a chance to log innings for the D-backs in 2016.

Godley has been an important part of head coach Dave Serrano's reconstruction project at Tennessee. He transferred in after his freshman season at Spartanburg (S.C.) Methodist JC and served as a middle reliever for a year before becoming the team's No. 1 starter under Serrano in 2012. He was a workhorse as a senior, going 5-7, 3.49 with 108 innings and six complete games. Godley throws strikes with his fastball and has proved durable at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. His fastball sits 88-90 mph and he fills up the bottom half of the strike zone. His curveball is fringe-average and flashes better. His changeup was a solid-average to plus pitch in 2012 but backed up in 2013 as his curve improved. Godley hit 95 mph as a reliever and probably fits better in that role as a pro.

Godley labored in relative anonymity for two years as a reliever in the Cubs system before a trade last offseason brought him to the Diamondbacks. Given a chance to start again--he'd been a staff ace in college at Tennessee--Godley blossomed, tearing up the Cal League at Visalia to earn a promotion to Double-A Mobile. He eventually made his big league debut on July 23. "He had great mound presence," Bakersfield manager Eddie Menchaca said. " 'You're not going to get me. I'm going to get you.' And then he had the pitches." Godley sits 91-92 mph and peaks at 94, but fastball movement is his biggest strength. Visalia manager J.R. House, a former big league catcher, said it's tough just to play catch with Godley because of the late movement he generates. He can throw a cutting four-seamer or a tailing two-seamer. Godley repeats his delivery easily and pounds the strike zone with his fastball and slider, his out pitch. He also features a below-average changeup he uses ssparingly.

Godley labored in relative anonymity for two years as a reliever in the Cubs system before a trade last offseason brought him to the Diamondbacks. Given a chance to start again--he'd been a staff ace in college at Tennessee--Godley blossomed, tearing up the Cal League at Visalia to earn a promotion to Double-A Mobile. He eventually made his big league debut on July 23. "He had great mound presence," Bakersfield manager Eddie Menchaca said. " 'You're not going to get me. I'm going to get you.' And then he had the pitches." Godley sits 91-92 mph and peaks at 94, but fastball movement is his biggest strength. Visalia manager J.R. House, a former big league catcher, said it's tough just to play catch with Godley because of the late movement he generates. He can throw a cutting four-seamer or a tailing two-seamer. Godley repeats his delivery easily and pounds the strike zone with his fastball and slider, his out pitch. He also features a below-average changeup he uses ssparingly.