Joe Palumbo Stats & Scouting Report

IP	19
ERA	9.474
WHIP	1.842
BB/9	5.211
SO/9	12.316

Full name Joseph Anthony Palumbo
Born 10/26/1994 in Stony Brook, NY
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Saint John The Baptist
Debut 06/08/2019
Drafted in the 30th round (910th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2013.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

TRACK RECORD: After making his major league debut in 2019, Palumbo made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career in 2020, though as a reliever. As has been the case in his past chances in the majors, it didn't last long because of a health issue.

SCOUTING REPORT: For every step forward Palumbo takes, he seems to take two back with health issues. He arrived for spring training in 2020 having gained weight and strength and was healthy for summer camp. However, a significant bout with ulcerative colitis ended his season after only two appearances. Palumbo has a 92-94 mph fastball and a 77-80 mph curveball that makes life hard on lefthanded hitters. His third pitch is an average changeup. But he hasn't put it all together in the majors, in part because of below-average control and largely due to injury and a lack of reps since having Tommy John surgery in 2017. Durability is a major concern as he enters his age-26 season.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo can manage his ulcerative colitis and find a way to maintain his weight and strength, he will contribute in 2021. The stuff is there to be a quality pitcher, but health remains an issue.
TRACK RECORD: Palumbo didn't generate much attention during his first few seasons in the minors after signing for $32,000 as a 30th-round pick. He broke out as a prospect in 2016, but missed most of the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018 and got his first taste of the major leagues in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: Palumbo operates off a plus fastball from the left side, sitting 91-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. He has a short arm stroke and conceals the ball well in his delivery, which helps his fastball sneak up on hitters. When Palumbo gets ahead in the count he can put hitters away with his 77-80 mph curveball, a plus pitch that dives underneath barrels. He gained more confidence in his changeup in 2019 and it flashes as an average pitch. Palumbo has been a solid strike-thrower for most of his minor league career and projects to have average control. Entering his age-25 season, Palumbo has never topped 100 innings in a season, and given his medical history, there's durability risk with him handling a starter's full season workload.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo proves durable, he has the stuff and control to be a solid No. 4 starter. He will get a chance to hold down a spot in the back of the Rangers' rotation in 2020.
Track Record: Palumbo didn't do much to distinguish himself as a 30th-round pick in his first three seasons with the Rangers, but he had a breakout season in 2016 to emerge as a legitimate prospect. After three starts in 2017, however, Palumbo went down for the year with Tommy John surgery. He returned in June 2018 and by the end of the season looked like same pitcher he was before TJ.

Scouting Report: As the season progressed, so did Palumbo's fastball. It started at 90-92 mph early in the season and ramped up to touch 95 with more frequency later in the year. Palumbo throws frequent strikes with his fastball and it gets on hitters faster than they anticipate with his short arm stroke and cross-body delivery adding deception. His curveball was erratic in early outings coming back from surgery, but by the end of the year it was a more reliable, swing-and-miss offering that graded as plus. Palumbo has shown good feel for a changeup that has the potential to be an average pitch as well, although coming back from surgery he went with a fastball-heavy approach.

The Future: Likely ticketed for Double-A to open 2019, Palumbo could make his major league debut by the end of the season. If he proves to be durable enough to handle a starter's role, he has a chance to develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter.
Signed for $32,000 as a 30th-round pick from a Long Island high school, Palumbo did little to stand out in his first three seasons. That changed in 2016, as he moved from the low Class A Hickory bullpen to the starting rotation at midseason. Palumbo was the talk of the high Class A Carolina League in April, but after just three starts he went down for the year with Tommy John surgery and isn't expected to return to game action until June 2018. Had Palumbo stayed healthy all season, he could have had a case as the organization's top pitching prospect. His fastball parks in the low-90s and reaches 96 mph, with his short arm stroke and crossfire delivery adding deception. Palumbo throws a lot of strikes with his fastball and misses a lot of bats with his curveball, a plus pitch with tight spin and sharp, late action. Palumbo's changeup is a fringe-average pitch with average potential, but he mostly has leaned on his fastball/curveball combination. Palumbo looked like a potential midrotation starter early in the 2017 season, but the TJ clouds his status and he won't get a full season's workload until 2019 at the earliest.
Palumbo has transformed himself from organizational filler to become one of the system's best pitching prospects. Signed for $32,000 as a 30th-rounder out of a Long Island high school, he never generated much attention during his first three pro seasons. He opened 2016 as the low Class A Hickory closer, often working two to three inning stints. He was so effective that he moved to the rotation at the end of July. Getting stronger and improving his command helped Palumbo significantly in 2016, when he showed the three-pitch mix to start. He pitches off a low-90s fastball that touches 96 mph with the ability to hold his velocity even after he moved into the rotation. He has a short arm stroke that makes his fastball sneak up on hitters faster than they expect, while his cross-body mechanics further enhance his deception. Palumbo has improved his ability to command his plus curveball, a tight-spinning pitch with late break that is a big reason for his high strikeout rate. Palumbo's changeup flashes average, and he isn't afraid to mix it in against lefthanded hitters. His delivery is fairly simple and he's a solid strike-thrower. Palumbo will move on to the high Class A rotation in 2017, where he needs to prove he has the stuff to remain a starter over a full workload and isn't just a one-year fluke.

Minor League Top Prospects

First-round pick Dillon Tate was supposed to be Hickory's ace, while Palumbo was ticketed to serve as a versatile lefty reliever. While Tate's stuff backed up and he eventually was traded to the Yankees, Palumbo went from being Hickory's closer to being its best starter in a seven-game, late-season stint in the rotation. The skinny lefthander, a Long Island prep and 30th-round pick in 2013, demonstrated starter traits even as a reliever. Palumbo has three average or better pitches in his 90-94 mph fastball that touches 96, a plus curveball and a potentially average changeup. Palumbo is especially tough on lefties. He held them to a .149 average this season. Working as a reliever, he led the SAL field with a .198 opponent average and 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Palumbo has a fallback option as a power reliever, but his clean, simple delivery gives the Rangers a reason to let him work as a starter.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Curveball in the Texas Rangers in 2020

Scouting Reports

TRACK RECORD: After making his major league debut in 2019, Palumbo made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career in 2020, though as a reliever. As has been the case in his past chances in the majors, it didn't last long because of a health issue.

SCOUTING REPORT: For every step forward Palumbo takes, he seems to take two back with health issues. He arrived for spring training in 2020 having gained weight and strength and was healthy for summer camp. However, a significant bout with ulcerative colitis ended his season after only two appearances. Palumbo has a 92-94 mph fastball and a 77-80 mph curveball that makes life hard on lefthanded hitters. His third pitch is an average changeup. But he hasn't put it all together in the majors, in part because of below-average control and largely due to injury and a lack of reps since having Tommy John surgery in 2017. Durability is a major concern as he enters his age-26 season.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo can manage his ulcerative colitis and find a way to maintain his weight and strength, he will contribute in 2021. The stuff is there to be a quality pitcher, but health remains an issue.
TRACK RECORD: After making his major league debut in 2019, Palumbo made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career in 2020, though as a reliever. As has been the case in his past chances in the majors, it didn't last long because of a health issue.

SCOUTING REPORT: For every step forward Palumbo takes, he seems to take two back with health issues. He arrived for spring training in 2020 having gained weight and strength and was healthy for summer camp. However, a significant bout with ulcerative colitis ended his season after only two appearances. Palumbo has a 92-94 mph fastball and a 77-80 mph curveball that makes life hard on lefthanded hitters. His third pitch is an average changeup. But he hasn't put it all together in the majors, in part because of below-average control and largely due to injury and a lack of reps since having Tommy John surgery in 2017. Durability is a major concern as he enters his age-26 season.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo can manage his ulcerative colitis and find a way to maintain his weight and strength, he will contribute in 2021. The stuff is there to be a quality pitcher, but health remains an issue.
TRACK RECORD: Palumbo didn’t generate much attention during his first few seasons in the minors after signing for $32,000 as a 30th-round pick. He broke out as a prospect in 2016, but missed most of the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018 and got his first taste of the major leagues in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: Palumbo operates off a plus fastball from the left side, sitting 91-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. He has a short arm stroke and conceals the ball well in his delivery, which helps his fastball sneak up on hitters. When Palumbo gets ahead in the count he can put hitters away with his 77-80 mph curveball, a plus pitch that dives underneath barrels. He gained more confidence in his changeup in 2019 and it flashes as an average pitch. Palumbo has been a solid strike-thrower for most of his minor league career and projects to have average control. Entering his age-25 season, Palumbo has never topped 100 innings in a season, and given his medical history, there’s durability risk with him handling a starter’s full season workload.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo proves durable, he has the stuff and control to be a solid No. 4 starter. He will get a chance to hold down a spot in the back of the Rangers’ rotation in 2020.
TRACK RECORD: Palumbo didn't generate much attention during his first few seasons in the minors after signing for $32,000 as a 30th-round pick. He broke out as a prospect in 2016, but missed most of the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2018 and got his first taste of the major leagues in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: Palumbo operates off a plus fastball from the left side, sitting 91-94 mph with the ability to reach 96. He has a short arm stroke and conceals the ball well in his delivery, which helps his fastball sneak up on hitters. When Palumbo gets ahead in the count he can put hitters away with his 77-80 mph curveball, a plus pitch that dives underneath barrels. He gained more confidence in his changeup in 2019 and it flashes as an average pitch. Palumbo has been a solid strike-thrower for most of his minor league career and projects to have average control. Entering his age-25 season, Palumbo has never topped 100 innings in a season, and given his medical history, there's durability risk with him handling a starter's full season workload.

THE FUTURE: If Palumbo proves durable, he has the stuff and control to be a solid No. 4 starter. He will get a chance to hold down a spot in the back of the Rangers' rotation in 2020.
All the arrows were pointing up on Palumbo in April 2017, until Tommy John surgery erased the rest of his season. He made his return this year in late June in the Rookie-level Arizona League, and he’s back on track with two starts so far for high Class A Down East. While Palumbo still has to prove his durability (he’s a former reliever whose career-high for innings in a season is 96.1), the early reports on his stuff have been positive, with a low-90s fastball up to 95 mph and flashing a good curveball.
Background: Palumbo has transformed himself from organizational filler to become one of the system's best pitching prospects. Signed for $32,000 as a 30th-rounder out of a Long Island high school, he never generated much attention during his first three pro seasons. He opened 2016 as the low Class A Hickory closer, often working two to three inning stints. He was so effective that he moved to the rotation at the end of July. Scouting Report: Getting stronger and improving his command helped Palumbo significantly in 2016, when he showed the three-pitch mix to start. He pitches off a low-90s fastball that touches 96 mph with the ability to hold his velocity even after he moved into the rotation. He has a short arm stroke that makes his fastball sneak up on hitters faster than they expect, while his cross-body mechanics further enhance his deception. Palumbo has improved his ability to command his plus curveball, a tight-spinning pitch with late break that is a big reason for his high strikeout rate. Palumbo's changeup flashes average, and he isn't afraid to mix it in against lefthanded hitters. His delivery is fairly simple and he's a solid strike-thrower.

The Future: Palumbo will move on to the high Class A rotation in 2017, where he needs to prove he has the stuff to remain a starter over a full workload and isn't just a one-year fluke.