Nick Tepesch Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Nicholas James Tepesch
Born 10/12/1988 in Kansas City, MO
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Missouri
Debut 04/09/2013
Drafted in the 14th round (436th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2010 (signed for $400,000).

View Draft Report

If Tepesch hadn't angled for a seven-figure bonus, he would have gone in the first three rounds of the 2007 draft coming out of high school. He was seen as the next in the recent line of Missouri first-round pitchers--Max Scherzer, Aaron Crow, Kyle Gibson--and while he won't get chosen that high, he still offers intriguing upside. He's a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder whose arm works well, and he added polish in the Cape Cod League last summer and with the Tigers this spring. He opened the season pitching in the high 80s, but his fastball has settled in at 90-92 mph and touched 94. He can run his fastball into the mid-90s, but has found better command and success not trying to max out his velocity. Tepesch's secondary pitches are getting better but still need work. His curveball is his No. 2 offering but is inconsistent, and he has made the most strides with his changeup this spring. He also throws a cutter. In part because of his size, Tepesch has a long arm action that makes it easier for hitters to pick up his pitches. He's still a work in progress, but he's also showing improvement.

Top Rankings

Tepesch floated a seven-figure bonus demand coming out of high school in 2007, which pushed him to the 28th round of the draft. He declined to sign with the Red Sox and instead attended Missouri, where he was supposed to be the next in line following Tigers first-round pitchers Max Scherzer, Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson. Tepesch didn't live up to that standard, though he did get an over-slot $400,000 bonus after sliding to the 14th round of the 2010 draft. His solid performance in Double-A during the second half of 2012 leads some club officials to believe that he could make an impact on the big league pitching staff in 2013. Because he doesn't throw 95 mph, however, he flies under the radar. Tepesch's strengths include durability and a knack for throwing four pitches for strikes, reading swings and locating the ball down in the zone consistently. He sits at 91-92 mph and muscles up to 94 on occasion, though he typically allows the late sinking action on his fastball to do the heavy lifting. Tepesch's high-70s curveball and high-80s cutter continue to improve each season--they're borderline plus pitches--and have come a long way in his two pro seasons. His diving changeup and two-plane slider are average pitches more often than not. Tepesch has mid-rotation upside and could be next in line to get a look in the Rangers rotation.