Madison Younginer Stats & Scouting Report

IP	7
ERA	6.429
WHIP	2.286
BB/9	5.143
SO/9	5.143

Full name John Madison Younginer IV
Born 11/03/1990 in Augusta, GA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 209 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mauldin
Debut 08/07/2016
Drafted in the 7th round (228th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 (signed for $975,000).

View Draft Report

While Younginer has thrown well this spring, he's been one of the harder players in the country to scout because his high school team has used him as a reliever. That approach has frustrated scouts and might cost Younginer some money. Recruited to Clemson as both a hitter and pitcher, he has one of the best raw arms in the draft. He's athletic and throws two plus pitches: a fastball that has sat in the mid-90s in short relief bursts, with reports of him touching 97, and a power breaking ball in the upper 80s. Both pitches have late life, with the fastball featuring armside run. Younginer has trouble repeating his delivery and some scouts question his arm action, which can get long. He has flashed the makings of a changeup in past showcase action but hasn't used it much this spring. Last year's top South Carolina prep pitcher, Jordan Lyles, had less fastball and much less breaking ball yet was a supplemental first-rounder after a good workout. Younginer could improve his stock considerably in the same manner after being so hard to scout this spring and could go anywhere from the first to the third round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

When the Red Sox gave first-round money ($975,000) to seventh-rounder Younginer in 2009, they knew they were getting one of the most electric arms in the draft but also one that would need plenty of time to develop. He lived up to that reputation during his 2010 pro debut. Younginer consistently threw 92-94 mph fastballs and topped out at 96, but he didn't throw nearly enough quality strikes. His control and command are still works in progress, hampered by a stiff delivery that features hesitation and a long arm action. Boston is working to get him to consistently repeat his mechanics rather than trying to overhaul them. Younginer still is figuring out his secondary pitches as well. After showing a power 12-to-6 curveball in instructional league in 2009, he had a slower bender last summer. His changeup was better than the Red Sox anticipated but still has a ways to go. He also has to figure out how to combat the running game after leading the short-season New York-Penn League by giving up 27 steals in 62 innings. While Younginer looks more like a reliever than a starter in the long run, he does have closer potential. Boston will keep him in the rotation this year in low Class A in order to give him innings to work on his long to-do list.
Younginer had one of the best pure arms in the 2009 draft, and one of the most difficult to see. His high school coach used him primarily as a reliever, making it impossible for scouts to know when he'd pitch, and his lone start drew a crowd of 75 evaluators from big league clubs. Younginer's lack of exposure, combined with his commitment to Clemson and concerns about his arm action, dropped him to the seventh round. Three days before the signing deadline, Boston anted up first-round money ($975,000) to sign him. He's a cousin of Orioles prospect Brandon Snyder. Younginer signed too late to pitch in the minors last summer but wowed scouts in instructional league. One saw him throw his fastball at 94-97 mph with good downhill plane in a matchup against Baltimore first-rounder Matt Hobgood, while another compared him to Justin Verlander and said, "He'll hit 100 mph one day. That's a great fastball and an awesome curveball, just wicked stuff." Younginer throws a power 12-to-6 curveball, and though he had little reason to use a changeup in high school, it's further along than expected. The Red Sox aren't worried about his arm action and won't try to change his mechanics, other than trying to help him find a consistent release point. They'll take their time with his development, and he'll probably make his pro debut in Lowell in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Red Sox spent $975,000 to sign Younginer away from Clemson, and he dazzled in instructional league last fall, running his fastball up to 97 mph and flashing a power curveball. He didn't show that kind of stuff in his pro debut this summer, but his fastball still featured plus velocity at 92-94 mph. Rather than a hammer, his curveball was a big, slow hook that he could throw for strikes, and he tended to leave it up in the zone often. Still growing into his body, Younginer has a funky, rather stiff delivery that features odd pauses and a long, digging arm action. He struggles throwing strikes and holding runners. Nevertheless, his upside is tantalizing and he has plenty of time to develop.