Drafted in the 3rd round (92nd overall) by the New York Yankees in 2015 (signed for $950,000).
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The fact that Finley is advanced for a high school pitcher should come as no surprise. His father David played professionally and has been a scout for 25 years, including a stint as the Red Sox's director of player personnel and national crosschecker. (He's currently with the Dodgers.) Rancho Bernardo remains a prep powerhouse, and Finley came out of the gate in tremendous fashion, including a 20-strikeout game in which his fastball touched 93 mph. Even when his heater sits in the 88-91 range, as it often does, Finley can pitch off it because he gets good extension out front, hides the ball well and has an above-average spin rate, according to TrackMan data. That helps him get swings and misses and flyball outs. Finley has good control of the fastball and can get strikeouts with it or his advanced curveball, which is inconsistent but projects as a future plus pitch. He seemed to back up bit in early May, losing some velocity and relying more heavily on the curve as he reached a personal high for innings pitched. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is committed to Southern California.
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Finley announced himself to the 2015 draft class with a 20-strikeout game in which he hit 93 mph with his fastball. His father, David, played professionally and is the Dodgers' vice president of amateur and international scouting. The Yankees signed him away from Southern California with a $950,000 bonus. Finley pitches primarily in the 88-92 mph range but gets good extension to make his fastball play up. He couples the pitch with a power curveball that projects as plus but currently is inconsistent. The Yankees would like to see Finley drive the curveball down in the zone more often. He didn't need a changeup in high school and is currently learning one in pro ball. He never went more than three innings in his debut, so his innings will be watched closely in 2016, either at low Class A Charleston or short-season Staten Island.
Draft Prospects
The fact that Finley is advanced for a high school pitcher should come as no surprise. His father David played professionally and has been a scout for 25 years, including a stint as the Red Sox's director of player personnel and national crosschecker. (He's currently with the Dodgers.) Rancho Bernardo remains a prep powerhouse, and Finley came out of the gate in tremendous fashion, including a 20-strikeout game in which his fastball touched 93 mph. Even when his heater sits in the 88-91 range, as it often does, Finley can pitch off it because he gets good extension out front, hides the ball well and has an above-average spin rate, according to TrackMan data. That helps him get swings and misses and flyball outs. Finley has good control of the fastball and can get strikeouts with it or his advanced curveball, which is inconsistent but projects as a future plus pitch. He seemed to back up bit in early May, losing some velocity and relying more heavily on the curve as he reached a personal high for innings pitched. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is committed to Southern California.
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