Zach Linginfelter

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #25 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Linginfelter logged a 5.64 ERA at Tennessee in 2019, but he also struck out more than a batter per inning and showed flashes of excellence. The Angels drafted him in the ninth round and signed him for $150,800. He did not pitch for an affiliate after signing, but was a full participant in the 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The big-bodied Linginfelter has plenty of stuff. His four-seam fastball sits 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph, and he's experimenting with a two-seam fastball that has a little bit of run. His short, late-breaking curveball in the mid-80s looks promising, though his upper 80s slider and a firm changeup, which has some split-finger action, are works in progress. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter moving forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Linginfelter will remain in the rotation for now. His fastball-slider mix and his bulldog mentality on the mound may make him better suited for the bullpen.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #171 prospect in 2019 draft
  A bout of mononucleosis ruined Linginfelter's chances to be a top draft pick coming out of high school in 2016, and the Nationals' 19th-round selection last year wasn't enough to buy him out of returning to Knoxville for his junior season. This spring, Linginfelter has been very up and down. After two years working primarily out of the bullpen, he moved into Tennessee's weekend rotation in 2019. He showed moments of greatness--including striking out 13 batters in six dominating, shutout innings against Indiana early this season. But he also had three other outings in which he was knocked out before the fourth inning began, which explains his 5.16 ERA. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter going forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone. He can sit 92-95 mph and touch 97 mph with his plus fastball. His mid-80s slider and changeup are both average pitches with his breaking ball flashing above-average and even plus at times with power and depth. His control is average as he can find the strike zone, but his command lags far behind that. He frequently catches too much of the zone, which explains why he's given up 10 home runs this year. Some scouts say he would be best off to move directly to the bullpen in pro ball, where his fastball and slider would potentially play as plus pitches. But a team with a long-term view may see him as a big, 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander who just needs plenty of time to develop consistency.
• Ranked #166 prospect in 2018 draft
  Linginfelter has bounced back and forth between the bullpen and rotation for Tennessee, but when he's repeating his somewhat energetic delivery, he can dominate. He did just that in a late-season start against Missouri, when he struck out 14 in seven innings. Linginfelter's 92-97 mph fastball is explosive enough to overpower hitters. It has good late life and some arm-side run. He'll also mix in an average breaking ball at times. But at other times the velocity tails off, largely because of delivery issues, the fastball straightens out and he struggles to find the strike zone. Linginfelter's below-average control did improve as the season wore on and his final numbers (3-4, 3.93 with 71 strikeouts and 38 walks in 55 innings) could entice a team to pay the draft-eligible sophomore. It's more likely than not he'll make it back to Tennessee for one more year. With some more refinement, he could go much higher in next year's draft.
• Ranked #107 prospect in 2016 draft
  One of the more physical righthanders in the class at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Linginfelter established himself on the showcase circuit with his firm fastball, which routinely sits in the low 90s, bumping as high as 95 at its best. His second pitch is a curveball, which shows slurvy break from a three-quarters arm slot. At its best, Lingfelter's breaking ball plays as an average pitch. He has a thick, sturdy frame and an athletic delivery with a high leg kick and an online landing. His arm action is on the longer side and it includes a curled wrist in the back, giving some evaluators concerns about his ability to repeat his arm slot and find a consistent release for his breaking ball. He had mono early in the spring and did not show the progress scouts hoped for, but evaluators saw him plenty on the showcase circuit and few players have his physicality and track record against elite competition. He is committed to Tennessee.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Linginfelter logged a 5.64 ERA at Tennessee in 2019, but he also struck out more than a batter per inning and showed flashes of excellence. The Angels drafted him in the ninth round and signed him for $150,800. He did not pitch for an affiliate after signing, but was a full participant in the 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The big-bodied Linginfelter has plenty of stuff. His four-seam fastball sits 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph, and he's experimenting with a two-seam fastball that has a little bit of run. His short, late-breaking curveball in the mid-80s looks promising, though his upper 80s slider and a firm changeup, which has some split-finger action, are works in progress. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter moving forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Linginfelter will remain in the rotation for now. His fastball-slider mix and his bulldog mentality on the mound may make him better suited for the bullpen.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Linginfelter logged a 5.64 ERA at Tennessee in 2019, but he also struck out more than a batter per inning and showed flashes of excellence. The Angels drafted him in the ninth round and signed him for $150,800. He did not pitch for an affiliate after signing, but was a full participant in the 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The big-bodied Linginfelter has plenty of stuff. His four-seam fastball sits 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph, and he's experimenting with a two-seam fastball that has a little bit of run. His short, late-breaking curveball in the mid-80s looks promising, though his upper 80s slider and a firm changeup, which has some split-finger action, are works in progress. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter moving forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Linginfelter will remain in the rotation for now. His fastball-slider mix and his bulldog mentality on the mound may make him better suited for the bullpen.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Linginfelter logged a 5.64 ERA at Tennessee in 2019, but he also struck out more than a batter per inning and showed flashes of excellence. The Angels drafted him in the ninth round and signed him for $150,800. He did not pitch for an affiliate after signing, but was a full participant in the 2020 instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: The big-bodied Linginfelter has plenty of stuff. His four-seam fastball sits 94-95 mph and touches 98 mph, and he's experimenting with a two-seam fastball that has a little bit of run. His short, late-breaking curveball in the mid-80s looks promising, though his upper 80s slider and a firm changeup, which has some split-finger action, are works in progress. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter moving forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone.
  
  THE FUTURE: Linginfelter will remain in the rotation for now. His fastball-slider mix and his bulldog mentality on the mound may make him better suited for the bullpen.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A bout of mononucleosis ruined Linginfelter's chances to be a top draft pick coming out of high school in 2016, and the Nationals' 19th-round selection last year wasn't enough to buy him out of returning to Knoxville for his junior season. This spring, Linginfelter has been very up and down. After two years working primarily out of the bullpen, he moved into Tennessee's weekend rotation in 2019. He showed moments of greatness--including striking out 13 batters in six dominating, shutout innings against Indiana early this season. But he also had three other outings in which he was knocked out before the fourth inning began, which explains his 5.16 ERA. Repetition and consistency are key for Linginfelter going forward. He has a great arm, but his delivery too often falls apart as he closes himself off and loses feel for the strike zone. He can sit 92-95 mph and touch 97 mph with his plus fastball. His mid-80s slider and changeup are both average pitches with his breaking ball flashing above-average and even plus at times with power and depth. His control is average as he can find the strike zone, but his command lags far behind that. He frequently catches too much of the zone, which explains why he's given up 10 home runs this year. Some scouts say he would be best off to move directly to the bullpen in pro ball, where his fastball and slider would potentially play as plus pitches. But a team with a long-term view may see him as a big, 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander who just needs plenty of time to develop consistency.