Austin Brice Stats & Scouting Report

IP	8.1
ERA	1.08
WHIP	1.32
BB/9	4.32
SO/9	20.52

Full name Austin Robert Brice
Born 06/19/1992 in Hong Kong, China
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 238 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Northwood
Debut 08/12/2016
Drafted in the 9th round (287th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2010 (signed for $205,000).

View Draft Report

Righthander Brice was the big mover in North Carolina's prep ranks this spring, and area scouts and crosscheckers converged on his small high school to see him face Matt Roberts and Graham High. As the spring went on, Brice had thrown some 93-94 mph fastballs, attracting attention after he sat in the upper 80s earlier. Roberts took Brice deep in that matchup, and Brice's velocity wasn't at its best. His secondary stuff is raw, with his curve ranking ahead of his nascent changeup. Brice has a good pro body at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, with a quick, loose arm contributing to projections that he'll show his good velocity more regularly in the future. He's a solid athlete who could be a good college hitter (as a third baseman) and is at least an average runner, if not a tick above. He's an Appalachian State recruit, but scouts said they wouldn't be surprised if he ended up Pitt CC, the state's best junior-college program.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Brice passed on Appalachian State to sign for $205,000 in 2010, and this is his sixth appearance in the Marlins' Top 30. He's made upward progress the past four. It took six seasons for Brice to get onto the 40-man roster, and in the seventh year, he got to the majors. Brice always has had swing-and-miss stuff, but he started mixing a two-seam fastball at 90-94 mph for ground balls along with a power, downer slider that helps him dominate righthanded hitters (.203 average). He lacked a third pitch to keep lefthanders at bay, although he showed improvement from his career norms (.267 vs. .319 opponent average in 2015). A move to the bullpen midway through the season accelerated his development. His control improved, largely because he stopped nibbling as he did as a starter, while his strikeout rate remained in line with career norms. He's likely in 2017 to be a part of a young Marlins bullpen.
The Marlins made him a ninth-round pick in 2010, and now after six pro seasons he's a member of the 40-man roster after striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings at Double-A Jacksonville in 2015 to rank third in the Southern League. Despite the swing-and-miss stuff, Brice still shows the same mixed results the Marlins have become accustomed to seeing. His velocity ranges from 90-94 mph and he has a hard curveball that grades as above-average, but the biggest change in 2015 was the addition of a power slider, which helped him dominate righthanded hitters, who hit .171 in 234 at-bats. The pitch could become a future plus offering, but his fastball command remains spotty and he doesn't have an out pitch against lefthanded batters. Brice's repertoire and poor control could land him in the bullpen, where his velocity might tick up. He will move to Triple-A New Orleans in 2016.
Signed for $205,000, Brice has become a mainstay of the Top 30 Prospects but hasn't made it out of Class A yet. He retains one of the system's best pitches, a hard curveball that has good 12-to-6 shape and firm velocity around 80 mph when it's at its best. His fastball is a second above-average pitch, sitting 90-94 mph and bumping 95 regularly. He's shown the ability to pull the string on a changeup capably as well. Brice's issues continue to stem from his inability to repeat his delivery and find a consistent release point. While his walk rate of 3.9 per nine innings in 2014 was the best mark of his career, he still gets behind in too many counts. Brice keeps the ball in the ballpark and made progress with his control, but he may lack the command to remain a starter. He'll get a big test at Double-A Jacksonville.
Brice garnered a $205,000 deal as the top-rated high school pitcher from the state of North Carolina in the 2010 draft. Though he led low Class A Greensboro with 122 strikeouts while sharing a rotation spot with Jose Urena in 2012, the Marlins returned Brice to the Grasshoppers in 2013, and his numbers slipped across the board. Long and lean, Brice throws a plus 91-93 mph fastball. He also throws a plus 11-to-5 curve. His changeup can be an average third offering, but he needs to use it more. Brice has trouble repeating his delivery and maintaining a release point, in part because of an inconsistent stride that causes him to open up. He also tends to land on a stiff front leg and leaves pitches up. The Marlins are optimistic that Brice will have solid mid-rotation stuff. He ought to move to high Class A Jupiter in 2014.
The top-rated North Carolina high school pitcher in the 2010 draft, Brice parlayed his raw arm strength into a $205,000 deal as a ninth-round pick. He led Greensboro with 122 strikeouts last year in his full-season debut. To protect his arm the Marlins alternated him with Jose Urena early in the season, with one starting and the other relieving. Brice already shows an ability to spot his fastball, which sits at 91-95 mph and could step up as he learns to pitch. He gets natural spin on a downer curveball that is also a plus pitch at times, though the break gets big and could be tightened up. His changeup needs work but has the potential to become an average third pitch. His command can be erratic, but his control is better than his high walk totals suggest. Brice needs to be more consistent with the release point on all of his pitches. His head also tends to drift left, causing his pitches to flatten out and allowing hitters to see them better. When he keeps his delivery together, he can be dominating. He maintains his poise well. Because he's still learning to pitch, Brice could return to low Class A to open the season. He projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter.
The top-rated North Carolina high school pitcher in the 2010 draft, Brice passed on an Appalachian State scholarship after the Marlins offered him $205,000 as a ninth-round pick. He made six relief appearances after signing but didn't see serious action until last summer. His 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings paced the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, but so did his 33 walks. Brice's plus fastball sits at 92-94 mph, reaching as high as 96. He has a natural feel to spin the ball and throws an above-average curveball in the low 80s with downer action. He's gaining a better feel for his changeup and it could blossom into at least an average offering. Despite his control issues last year, Brice isn't wild. He just hasn't learned how to harness all of his weapons yet, particularly the curve. His arm action is clean and he already has a nice delivery, though he's trying to get a little more compact with his lead arm. He maintains excellent poise on the hill, at times appearing almost stoic. Brice should make his full-season debut at Greensboro this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

Brice pitched briefly in the GCL in 2010 after signing for $205,000 as a ninth-round pick, but the Marlins knew he was raw and sent him back this summer for additional seasoning. He was one of the toughest pitchers to hit in the league, ranking first in strikeouts per nine innings (10.2), but also finished first with 33 walks. After touching 94 mph in high school, Brice sat around 92-94 and maxed out at 96 this year. He also has a hard breaking ball that flashes tough downward action. His changeup is a distant third pitch and his control still needs a lot of work.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Curveball in the Miami Marlins in 2014
Rated Best Curveball in the Miami Marlins in 2012

Career Transactions

RHP Austin Brice retired.
RHP Austin Brice assigned to St. Paul Saints from Wichita Wind Surge.
RHP Austin Brice assigned to Wichita Wind Surge.
Minnesota Twins signed free agent RHP Austin Brice to a minor league contract.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs released RHP Austin Brice.
RHP Austin Brice assigned to Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Austin Brice to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training.
Minnesota Twins signed free agent RHP Austin Brice to a minor league contract.
RHP Austin Brice assigned to St. Paul Saints.
Reno Aces released RHP Austin Brice.