T.J. Zeuch

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #24 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Zeuch became the highest draft pick ever from Pittsburgh's program when the Blue Jays selected him with the No. 21 overall pick in 2016. Injuries to Zeuch's lower back and hamstring limited him to 65.2 innings in 2017, but he showed excellent durability in 2018 with Double-A New Hampshire.
  
  Scouting Report: Zeuch's best pitch is is sinker, which he drops on hitters with steep, downhill plane. The pitch has plus velocity in the low to mid-90s and heavy sink, inducing a ton of groundballs and weak contact. He throws a lot of strikes, getting quick, efficient outs by pounding the zone and keeping the ball on the ground. Zeuch's weakness is is lack of a swing-and-miss pitch. His curveball and slider are fringy, with neither looking like it will be a legitimate out-pitch. He also throws a fringe-average changeup.
  
  The Future: Zeuch's secondaries and add considerable risk to his profile, though scouts highest on him think he has enough offspeed stuff to develop into a back-end starter. He's ready for Triple-A in 2019.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #12 prospect in 2018
  The Blue Jays drafted Zeuch with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2016 draft, making him the highest draft pick from Pittsburgh's program. In Zeuch's first full season, a lower back injury followed by another one to his hamstring caused Zeuch to miss June and July, limiting him to just 65.2 innings during the regular season before getting another 18.1 innings in the Arizona Fall League. Batters have a difficult time elevating the ball against Zeuch. He pounds the strike zone from a steep downhill angle with a heavy sinker at 92-94 mph and the ability to reach 97. That pitch helps him generate a high groundball rate, though he doesn't have a plus secondary pitch to consistently get swing-and-misses. His mid-80s slider and upper-70s curveball are both average pitches, while his changeup is a tick below-average. Zeuch did a better job of incorporating his lower half into his delivery by the end of the season, and working to improve his strength and mobility will be priorities to help his durability.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #8 prospect in 2017
  The Royals drafted Zeuch in 2013 out of an Ohio high school in the 31st round, and he became the highest draft pick in the history of Pittsburgh's program. He signed for $2.175 million as the 21st overall pick. Zeuch's father Tim pitched two games in 1980 for the independent Victoria (B.C.) Mussels. Zeuch had one of the best fastballs in the draft class. He pitches off his plus fastball, which has armside run as well as heavy sinking life at its best. He'll touch 97 mph but usually sits in the 93-94 range. He uses his size well, leveraging his 6-foot-7 frame to drive the ball downhill and get solid extension out in front. He repeats his delivery well for a tall pitcher and should have average major league command. He throws a solid-average curveball with 12-to-6 shape from his high three-quarters release point that's his preferred secondary pitch, but he also can throw strikes with his average slider and fringe-average changeup. Toronto again landed one of the top college starters in the draft while picking in the 20s. A potential No. 3 starter, Zeuch has a higher ceiling and more power than 2015 first-rounder Jon Harris and should join Harris in high Class A Dunedin's rotation in 2017.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #20 prospect in 2016 draft
  Zeuch established himself as a prospect to follow with a strong freshman campaign, and then he develop into the ace of Pitt's staff as a sophomore. He missed the beginning of this spring with a groin injury, but got off to a strong start when he did take the mound. Zeuch's best pitch is his fastball, which sits at 92-94 and sometimes touches higher. Zeuch's extra large, 6-foot-7 frame allows him to generate solid extension towards home plate, making his pitches even more difficult for hitters to pick up out of his hand. His fastball also shows both sink and arm-side run, making it an effective ground ball-inducing pitch. His offspeed pitches, a slider and changeup, receive fringe-average grades from scouts, but he has solid command of his arsenal and repeats his delivery well. The development of his offspeed pitches will dictate his ultimate ceiling.
• Ranked #453 prospect in 2013 draft
  Mason has two of Ohio's better prep pitching prospects in righthanders Andrew McDonald and Zeuch. They helped the Comets win their first 26 games through district championship play and crack the Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association Top 25. McDonald has more present stuff, but scouts prefer Zeuch because he's more projectable. The 6-foot-7, 210-pounder is athletic for his size and can boost his fastball to 92 mph. He usually pitches at 87-90 mph and shows feel for spinning his curveball. Some evaluators think he'll have more success with his slider, and both his breaking balls are inconsistent. Though it's unclear how high the Pittsburgh recruit will be drafted, at least one club has crosschecked him.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Royals drafted Zeuch in 2013 out of an Ohio high school in the 31st round, and he became the highest draft pick in the history of Pittsburgh's program. He signed for $2.175 million as the 21st overall pick. Zeuch's father Tim pitched two games in 1980 for the independent Victoria (B.C.) Mussels. Scouting Report: Zeuch had one of the best fastballs in the draft class. He pitches off his plus fastball, which has armside run as well as heavy sinking life at its best. He'll touch 97 mph but usually sits in the 93-94 range. He uses his size well, leveraging his 6-foot-7 frame to drive the ball downhill and get solid extension out in front. He repeats his delivery well for a tall pitcher and should have average major league command. He throws a solid-average curveball with 12-to-6 shape from his high three-quarters release point that's his preferred secondary pitch, but he also can throw strikes with his average slider and fringe-average changeup. The Future: Toronto again landed one of the top college starters in the draft while picking in the 20s. A potential No. 3 starter, Zeuch has a higher ceiling and more power than 2015 first-rounder Jon Harris and should join Harris in high Class A Dunedin's rotation in 2017.