Jarred Cosart

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Houston Astros #7 prospect in 2013
  Signed by the Phillies for $550,000 in 2008, Cosart quickly emerged as one of their more electric arms. Houston targeted him and Singleton in the 2011 Hunter Pence trade, but blisters interrupted his first full season with the Astros in 2012. He rallied late, allowing no earned runs in five of his last 10 starts, then threw well in the Arizona Fall League despite poor numbers. Cosart has a live, quick arm that produces a hard sinker that sits at 94-97 mph and touched 99 in the AFL. His fastball has excellent life down in the zone, which produces plenty of ground balls but makes the pitch tough to control. He excels at keeping the ball in the park, and he nearly got as many double plays (18) as he allowed extra-base hits (26) in 2012. Cosart throws his curveball with power, reaching 81-82 mph with good shape, and his solid straight changeup plays off his fastball well. Better command of his curveball would produce the strikeouts expected of a pitcher with such electric stuff. Cosart has shown flashes of brilliance but not consistency. While Houston intends to keep developing him as a starter, many scouts believe he'll wind up a closer. He's slated for the Triple-A rotation to start 2013.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #2 prospect in 2012
  Shortly after Cosart starred in the 2011 Futures Game--he missed the 2010 contest with elbow tenderness--the Astros acquired him from the Phillies in the Hunter Pence deal. Promoted to Corpus Christi after the trade, he allowed one run or less in five of his seven Double-A starts. Some scouts describe Cosart's delivery as maximum effort, while Houston prefers to call it energetic. All sides agree his quick arm and athleticism produce electric stuff. "You see this little guy out there and then--wham!--the ball explodes out of his hand," said one scout. Cosart's fastball sits around 95 mph and touches 98, and his curveball has excellent shape and upper-70s power when it's on. He also flashes a plus changeup that he throws with good arm speed. Cosart needs to add some strength and control his delivery in order to throw more strikes, which helps explain why someone with dominant stuff averaged a modest 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2011. Some scouts question his durability because of his wiry build and high-effort delivery. Cosart has the stuff to be a No. 1 starter, though he may lack the command, consistency and durability to be a true ace
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #4 prospect in 2011
  Negotiations between Cosart's father Joe and Phillies brass went down to the wire during an American Legion game that ended less than an hour before the 2008 signing deadline, with the team prying Cosart away from a Missouri commitment for a $550,000 bonus in the 38th round. A talented two-way player, he broke Clear Creek High's batting average record (.506) previously set by Jay Buhner. Shoulder and back pain delayed his pro debut in 2009, and a tender elbow shut him down in mid-2010 and kept him out of the Futures Game. Cosart is tall and lean, and scouts regard his arm as one of the most electric in the minor leagues. His fastball sits at 94-98 mph, usually at the top end of that range, with good life. His 77-79 mph curveball is a solid-average pitch, while his low-80s changeup is a work in progress. His command is advanced for his age and lively stuff. The biggest concern with Cosart is his health, though his arm action and delivery raise no red flags. His maturity and work ethic also have been called into question. Cosart pitched without pain in instructional league and should be able to begin the 2011 season in high Class A. He has the potential to become a No. 1 starter or closer--if he can stay healthy.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #8 prospect in 2010
  Noted for his bat as much as for his arm in high school, Cosart committed to Missouri as a two-way player. The Phillies drafted him in the 38th round as a summer follow, then paid him $550,000 after seeing him dominate American Legion competition. His father negotiated the deal in the stands during a Legion game in Enid, Okla. The Phillies love Cosart's pitcher's frame, athleticism and quick arm. He generates the hand speed to have a power fastball and to spin a potentially above-average breaking ball. His fastball sits at 92-94 mph while touching 96, and there should be more velocity in there as he fills out. His 12-to-6 curveball is presently average but should be a plus pitch as it gains consistency. A lack of maturity has held Cosart back. He needs to prepare better in the offseason as well as between starts, and he must improve his work ethic. Shoulder soreness delayed his pro debut until July, and he needs innings to hone his command. His changeup is in its nascent stages. With Trevor May and Cosart on hand, the Phillies were more comfortable parting with Jason Knapp's power arm in the Cliff Lee deal. Cosart has front-of-the-rotation potential and is a breakout candidate for 2010. He'll make his full-season debut at Lakewood.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #23 prospect in 2009
  The Phillies gave Cosart more money than any of their pitchers in the 2008 draft other than Knapp, their second-rounder who got $40,000 more than Cosart's $550,000 bonus. Cosart helped make this one of the organization's deepest draft classes in years, as they spent $6.7 million on the group. While he's somewhat slightly built, he has projection in his frame and one of the quickest arms in the organization. He topped out at 92 mph in the spring and was more noted in Texas' high school ranks as a hitter, as he broke Jay Buhner's Clear Creek High record for batting. A two-way Missouri signee, Cosart had Phillies scouts following him the last two summers. They saw him hit 96 last fall, then saw it again this summer as Cosart played American Legion ball. He was at 95-96 with his fastball the day before the signing deadline, and the Phillies liked his arm and live body enough to pay such a lofty bonus. Cosart's delivery includes a pause that the Phillies will work to smooth over, and his breaking ball and changeup are in their early stages, though he has shown the ability to spin a curve at times. His athletic ability and arm strength make him an intriguing project. The Phillies drafted enough depth to take it slow with Cosart, who may not pitch full-season ball until 2010.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #11 prospect in 2013
  Cosart was at the vanguard of the Astros? overhaul, reaching Houston in July. While many scouts had long speculated he would need to move to the bullpen, Cosart set a career high by making 27 starts and 28 appearances between Triple-A and the majors. His fastball gets into the mid-90s, sitting at 93-96 mph, and he keeps the ball down, making him difficult to elevate. He throws his curveball with power in the upper 70s and it remains an above-average pitch. His changeup improved and helped him handle lefthanded batters more effectively. Cosart still tends to overthrow and speed up his delivery, costing him command, and his walk rate of 4.8 per nine innings was a career high. ?He?s got two wipeout pitches with his fastball and his breaking ball,? Bundy said. ?He gets after you.?
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  Ranked Texas League #19 prospect in 2012
  When the Astros began their full-scale rebuilding project in mid-2011, Cosart was one of the first prospects brought into the organization. Part of a package from the Phillies for Hunter Pence, Cosart battled blister problems this season but reached Triple-A by the end of July. Cosart has easy, electric stuff, with a fastball that can sit at 96-97 mph and peaks at 98 mph. He also throws a power curveball with 11-to-5 break and an average changeup. Cosart's results don't always match up with his stuff, however, because he doesn't have great feel for pitching and struggles with the consistency of his mechanics and his command. Scouts say that his arm action is tough to repeat and can be tracked by hitters, so he lacks deception. With his pure stuff, though, he could be a dynamic bullpen arm if he can't make it as a starter.
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  Ranked Arizona Fall League #16 prospect in 2012
  Acquired from the Phillies along with Jonathan Singleton in 2011, Cosart continued to display impressive stuff but unimpressive results, going 0-3, 6.50 this fall with a 15 strikeouts and nine walks over 18 innings (six starts). Coming off a good season. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Cosart shows elite arm speed, sitting 94-96 mph with his fastball, touching 99 mph. He mixes in a plus low-80s curveball with late, sharp break and an average changeup with good arm speed. While the stuff impresses, scouts continue to raise concerns over his control issues and inability to miss bats, with some projecting that a move to the bullpen may be necessary in the future.
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  Ranked Florida State League #9 prospect in 2011
  Cosart went 6-3, 2.83 through the FSL all-star break before getting hit hard in the second half of June and July. He recovered to throw seven shutout innings on July 28, one day before he and Singleton became the centerpieces of the package the Phillies used to pry Pence away from the Astros. Cosart had the strongest arm in Clearwater's prospect-heavy rotation, capable of pitching in the mid-90s and peaking at 99 mph with his fastball. He gets jumpy with his mechanics at times, but he spins a quality curveball when he stays over his back side in his delivery. His changeup has some sink and grades ahead of his curve at this point. Some observers project Cosart to fit better as a closer than as a starter. His delivery has some effort and he throws across his body, though he does get good angle on his pitches. He has yet to show much durability, missing time with elbow tenderness in 2010 and fading in the second half this year.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #7 prospect in 2010
  Cosart was the hardest thrower among the Lakewood starters, with his fastball registering as high as 98 mph. That velocity comes with effort in his delivery, however. He has yet to pitch a full pro season, missing part of 2009 with shoulder soreness and getting shut down this June with elbow issues. "He pounds the strike zone and has excellent command," a National League scout said. "But I have concerns about his delivery. It's unorthodox and there's a lot of violence. As hard as he throws, I'd like to see him clean up his mechanics." Besides his fastball, Cosart also operates with a solid curveball and changeup. He has good athleticism but will have to work harder in order to reach his potential.
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #4 prospect in 2009
  Cosart fell to the 38th round of the 2008 draft after asking for third-round money, and the Phillies signed him late in the summer for $550,000. Though he broke Jay Buhner's Clear Creek High (League City, Texas) record for batting average with a .506 mark as a senior, Philadelphia was more interested in Cosart's loose, quick arm that produced mid-90s fastballs. Cosart made his pro debut this summer while battling minor shoulder issues. He didn't have any trouble dominating GCL hitters with a fastball that sat at 93-94 mph and a true 12-to-6 curveball. He has a lean 6-foot-3, 180-pound build and works from a three-quarters arm slot. He's still learning to throw a changeup. Other than that, he simply needs more experience and consistency.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #50 prospect in 2012
• Ranked Baseball America's #70 prospect in 2011

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: Signed by the Phillies for $550,000 in 2008, Cosart quickly emerged as one of their more electric arms. Houston targeted him and Singleton in the 2011 Hunter Pence trade, but blisters interrupted his first full season with the Astros in 2012. He rallied late, allowing no earned runs in five of his last 10 starts, then threw well in the Arizona Fall League despite poor numbers. Scouting Report: Cosart has a live, quick arm that produces a hard sinker that sits at 94-97 mph and touched 99 in the AFL. His fastball has excellent life down in the zone, which produces plenty of ground balls but makes the pitch tough to control. He excels at keeping the ball in the park, and he nearly got as many double plays (18) as he allowed extra-base hits (26) in 2012. Cosart throws his curveball with power, reaching 81-82 mph with good shape, and his solid straight changeup plays off his fastball well. Better command of his curveball would produce the strikeouts expected of a pitcher with such electric stuff. The Future: Cosart has shown flashes of brilliance but not consistency. While Houston intends to keep developing him as a starter, many scouts believe he'll wind up a closer. He's slated for the Triple-A rotation to start 2013.
• August, 2012 Scouting Report
  Acquired from the Phillies along with Jonathan Singleton in 2011, Cosart continued to display impressive stuff but unimpressive results, going 0-3, 6.50 this fall with a 15 strikeouts and nine walks over 18 innings (six starts). Coming off a good season. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Cosart shows elite arm speed, sitting 94-96 mph with his fastball, touching 99 mph. He mixes in a plus low-80s curveball with late, sharp break and an average changeup with good arm speed. While the stuff impresses, scouts continue to raise concerns over his control issues and inability to miss bats, with some projecting that a move to the bullpen may be necessary in the future.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Shortly after Cosart starred in the 2011 Futures Game--he missed the 2010 contest with elbow tenderness--the Astros acquired him from the Phillies in the Hunter Pence deal. Promoted to Corpus Christi after the trade, he allowed one run or less in five of his seven Double-A starts. Scouting Report: Some scouts describe Cosart's delivery as max effort, while Houston prefers to call it energetic. All sides agree his quick arm and athleticism produce electric stuff. "You see this little guy out there and then--wham!--the ball explodes out of his hand," said one scout. Cosart's fastball sits around 95 mph and touches 98, and his curveball has excellent shape and upper-70s power when it's on. He also flashes a plus changeup that he throws with good arm speed. Cosart needs to add some strength and control his delivery in order to throw more strikes, which helps explain why someone with dominant stuff averaged a modest 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 2011. Some scouts question his durability. The Future: Cosart has the stuff to be a No. 1 starter, though he may lack the command, consistency and durability to be a true ace. Ticketed for Double-A to start 2012, he could be a closer in the Brad Lidge mold if starting doesn't work out.