ProfileHt.: 5'11" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School
San Diego State
Drafted in the 6th round (188th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2015 (signed for $200,000).
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While he stands a listed 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Derby has a chance to get drafted decently thanks to his knack for missing bats. He's done it for three years for the Aztecs, closing as a freshman and logging more than 100 innings the last two seasons as a starter. he got the save in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game, then beat Dillon Tate less than a week later in regional play, tossing a complete game. He ranked fifth in the country in strikeouts entering regional play with 131 in 103 innings (11.45 K/9). Derby has touched 94-95 mph in the past but usually pitches at 89-92 as a starter, working up and down with his fairly straight fastball, then can get them out with a hard, slurry slider, good mid-70s curveball and solid-average changeup.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
San Diego State recruited Derby as a two-way player, but his career quickly took off on the mound--he was an all-Mountain West Conference performer all three years he was there, serving as the Aztecs' closer as a freshman and later as their Friday ace. He finished his college career with a flourish, throwing a complete game to beat Dillon Tate and UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA tournament before signing with Oakland for $200,000. Especially given the organization he's in, Derby is often compared to Sonny Gray, another undersized college righthander. Derby doesn't have Gray's stuff, but he does have similar athleticism and the ability to get the most out of his frame. He gets plenty of run on his 90-92 mph fastball and can bump 94, though that movement gets to a point where he can have a tough time controlling it. His hard slider looked like his best secondary pitch in the spring, but the A's were more enamored with his changeup, giving it above-average grades, and he can mix in a solid curveball as well. He's generally a solid strike-thrower, but he has a tendency to get ahead of hitters and then start nibbling, running up his pitch count. He has enough polish to jump straight to high Class A Stockton to open his first full pro season.
Draft Prospects
While he stands a listed 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Derby has a chance to get drafted decently thanks to his knack for missing bats. He's done it for three years for the Aztecs, closing as a freshman and logging more than 100 innings the last two seasons as a starter. he got the save in the Mountain West Conference tournament championship game, then beat Dillon Tate less than a week later in regional play, tossing a complete game. He ranked fifth in the country in strikeouts entering regional play with 131 in 103 innings (11.45 K/9). Derby has touched 94-95 mph in the past but usually pitches at 89-92 as a starter, working up and down with his fairly straight fastball, then can get them out with a hard, slurry slider, good mid-70s curveball and solid-average changeup.
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