Asa Lacy Stats & Scouting Report

IP	87
ERA	6.724
WHIP	1.701
BB/9	9.207
SO/9	13.345

Full name Asa Edward Lacy
Born 06/02/1999 in Bryan, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Texas A&M
Drafted in the 1st round (4th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2020 (signed for $6,670,000).

View Draft Report

Lacy entered the year among the top tier of college arms, with only Georgia righthander Emerson Hancock ahead, but performed at such a high level in his first four starts that most clubs now have him as the top arm in the class. Coming out of high school, Lacy was a projectable lefthander who was only just starting to fill out his 6-foot-4 frame. He had good pitchability and a fastball that got into the low 90s, along with a tumbling changeup that showed promise, but no real breaking ball. The Indians drafted him in the 31st round in 2017, but he instead chose to attend Texas A&M, where he has improved across the board and now harnesses some of the best stuff in the country. After filling out to 215 pounds, Lacy has plenty of strength and a fastball that ranges from 90-98 to go along with a wipeout slider, a plus changeup and a power curveball. After posting a 2.13 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 88.2 innings in his first full season as a starter in 2019, Lacy was well on his way to more dominance in 2020. In four starts he struck out 46 batters compared to eight walks and allowed just two earned runs—good for a 0.75 ERA. Previously, scouts had wondered about the quality of Lacy’s slider and whether he could shape develop it into a true swing-and-miss pitch. Lacy answered those questions this spring by unveiling a powerful, 87-90 mph version of the pitch. In fact, some scouts say it’s the best slider they’ve seen from a college lefty since Carlos Rodon in 2014. The pitch doesn’t have quite that depth, but it is a true wipeout offering now. His changeup has long been a reliable weapon, and while he hasn’t thrown it as much this spring, most scouts believe it’s a plus pitch. Lacy’s curveball gives him a fourth pitch that’s at least average and has above-average potential. The one critique of Lacy is his pitch efficiency. He has shown a tendency to pitch into deep counts, which scouts think has inflated his walk rate more than his above-average command would indicate, but he also strikes out plenty of batters and doesn’t allow much contact. Lacy’s delivery is fluid and clean, with good usage of his lower half to drive downhill and above-average deception achieved by hiding the ball behind his body before releasing from a higher three-quarters slot. In addition to all of his pure stuff, scouts love Lacy’s demeanor on the mound, with a stoic, no-nonsense mentality. He should be one of the first two pitchers off the board.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Lacy exploded on the scene at Texas A&M where he starred for three years, posting a combined 2.07 ERA and striking out 224 hitters in 152 innings. Drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2020 and signing for a $6.67 million bonus, the Royals keep waiting for that pitcher with exhilarating pure stuff who was expected to move quickly through the system. Lacy's progress has been impeded by delivery issues caused by shoulder problems in 2021 and ongoing back spasms in 2022, resulting in another lost season despite the presence of elite level stuff.

Scouting Report: When he's right, Lacy delivers his plus-plus fastball in the upper 90s with sharp downward angle and a wipeout slider that gets swings-and-misses in the strike zone. At times this year Lacy experimented with a cutter to get more horizontal movement and shape to the pitch instead of just simplifying his mechanics and using what has worked for him in the past. His changeup has late life, projecting as a plus pitch when he commands it, and his curveball has late bite as well. Lacy's biggest issue is the recurring back issue that caused problems in getting extension and release of the ball, affecting how he was landing and thus causing erratic pitches.

The Future: Lacy will head to spring training hopefully fresh and with no health issues, looking for another shot at Double-A to prove that he's back to being the pitcher the Royals drafted. He not only needs to stay healthy but also become more consistent with his mechanics. If the pitcher that everyone saw at Texas A&M returns, it's top-of-the-rotation potential--but that's a big if.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 70. Curveball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
Track Record: Lacy finally made his pro debut one year after the Royals drafted the hard-throwing southpaw fourth overall out of Texas A&M. After signing with the Royals for a $6,670,000 bonus, Lacy spent 2020 at the alternate training site and opened 2021 at High-A Quad Cities. Expected to move quickly, Lacy instead struggled to a 5.19 ERA and walked more than seven batters per nine innings in an underwhelming season, albeit while flashing exhilarating pure stuff.

Scouting Report: The centerpiece of Lacy’s arsenal is a plus-plus fastball that regularly touches 97-98 mph with sharp downward tilt. His three off-speed pitches all flash plus and get swings and misses in the strike zone. His high-80s slider, which sometimes looks more like a cutter, is a wipeout strikeout pitch against both righthanded and lefthanded batters. His changeup has late life and projects as a plus offering when he commands it, and his curveball has good bite. To improve his below-average control, Lacy needs to keep his feet and head in sync during his delivery in order to maintain a more fluid direction to the plate. But rival scouts are not yet concerned with his struggles to consistently throw strikes because of the quality of his pitches.

The Future: After four starts in the Arizona Fall League, where he showed loud stuff with very high strikeout and high walk rates, Lacy will be ready to move up to Double-A in 2022.
Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.

TRACK RECORD: Lacy cemented his status as the top pitcher in the 2020 draft with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 24 innings for Texas A&M before the season shut down. The Royals, ecstatic he was still available, drafted him fourth overall and signed him for $6.67 million. Lacy reported to the alternate training site but missed a couple of weeks due to an eye issue. He returned to participate in the instructional league program at Kauffman Stadium.

SCOUTING REPORT: Lacy earned frequent plaudits as the best college lefthander scouts had seen in years. A big, physical southpaw at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he comfortably works 92-96 mph and touches 98 with solid ride on his fastball. Lacy’s slider is his strikeout pitch. It’s an 87-90 mph wipeout offering that neither righthanded nor lefthanded batters can touch. His changeup flashes plus potential and his curveball was even better than expected in camp, flashing plus as well. All of Lacy’s stuff plays up with the deception he generates from a fluid, downhill delivery. His command is more average than plus, but he throws strikes and his stuff overpowers hitters even without precise command.

THE FUTURE: Lacy has front-of-the-rotation potential and could move quickly to the majors.

Draft Prospects

Lacy entered the year among the top tier of college pitchers, with only Georgia righthander Emerson Hancock ahead, but he performed at such a high level in his four starts that most clubs now view him as the best pitcher in the draft class. A 31st-round pick of the Indians out of high school, Lacy has filled out his projectable 6-foot-4 frame and now harnesses some of the best stuff in the country. After filling out to 215 pounds, Lacy's fastball ranges from 90-98 mph to go with a wipeout slider, a plus changeup and a power curveball. After posting a 2.13 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 88.2 innings in his first full season as a starter in 2019, Lacy was well on his way to more dominance in 2020. In four starts he struck out 46 batters compared to eight walks and allowed just two earned runs—good for a 0.75 ERA. Scouts previously wondered about the quality of Lacy’s slider, but answered those questions this spring by unveiling a powerful, 87-90 mph version of the pitch. Some now say it’s the best slider they’ve seen from a college lefty since Carlos Rodon in 2014. Lacy's changeup has long been a reliable weapon, and while he hasn’t thrown it as much this spring, most scouts believe it’s a plus pitch as well. Lacy’s curveball gives him a fourth pitch that’s at least average and has above-average potential. The one critique of Lacy is his pitch efficiency. He has a tendency to pitch into deep counts, which has inflated his walk rate more than his above-average command would indicate, but he strikes out plenty of batters and doesn’t allow much contact. Lacy’s delivery is fluid and clean, with good usage of his lower half to drive downhill and above-average deception. In addition to his pure stuff, scouts love Lacy’s stoic, no-nonsense demeanor on the mound. He should be one of the first two pitchers selected.
Scouts circled Lacy's name at the 2016 Area Code Games, where his fastball reached bumped 90 mph and he showed flashes with a tumbling, low-80s changeup. He found a little bit more velocity at the WWBA Championships in the fall and continued to fill in his 6-foot-4 frame over the winter. Lacy shows advanced pitchability, showing the feel to locate his stuff down in the strike zone. He hides the ball well at his back hip and gets downward plane on his fastball from a higher three-quarter arm slot that stems from an exaggerated spine tilt towards his glove side. Ultimately, he's likely to pitch with an average or slightly better fastball and an above-average changeup. Ultimately, he'll have to continue making progress with his breaking ball to have an effective third offering. Committed to Texas A&M, Lacy is a projection play and could pique a team's interest in the top five rounds, or he could become an immediate contributor for the Aggies if he is unsignable where teams value him.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Lacy exploded on the scene at Texas A&M where he starred for three years, posting a combined 2.07 ERA and striking out 224 hitters in 152 innings. Drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2020 and signing for a $6.67 million bonus, the Royals keep waiting for that pitcher with exhilarating pure stuff who was expected to move quickly through the system. Lacy's progress has been impeded by delivery issues caused by shoulder problems in 2021 and ongoing back spasms in 2022, resulting in another lost season despite the presence of elite level stuff.

Scouting Report: When he's right, Lacy delivers his plus-plus fastball in the upper 90s with sharp downward angle and a wipeout slider that gets swings-and-misses in the strike zone. At times this year Lacy experimented with a cutter to get more horizontal movement and shape to the pitch instead of just simplifying his mechanics and using what has worked for him in the past. His changeup has late life, projecting as a plus pitch when he commands it, and his curveball has late bite as well. Lacy's biggest issue is the recurring back issue that caused problems in getting extension and release of the ball, affecting how he was landing and thus causing erratic pitches.

The Future: Lacy will head to spring training hopefully fresh and with no health issues, looking for another shot at Double-A to prove that he's back to being the pitcher the Royals drafted. He not only needs to stay healthy but also become more consistent with his mechanics. If the pitcher that everyone saw at Texas A&M returns, it's top-of-the-rotation potential--but that's a big if.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 70. Curveball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Lacy exploded on the scene at Texas A&M where he starred for three years, posting a combined 2.07 ERA and striking out 224 hitters in 152 innings. Drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2020 and signing for a $6.67 million bonus, the Royals keep waiting for that pitcher with exhilarating pure stuff who was expected to move quickly through the system. Lacy's progress has been impeded by delivery issues caused by shoulder problems in 2021 and ongoing back spasms in 2022, resulting in another lost season despite the presence of elite level stuff.

Scouting Report: When he's right, Lacy delivers his plus-plus fastball in the upper 90s with sharp downward angle and a wipeout slider that gets swings-and-misses in the strike zone. At times this year Lacy experimented with a cutter to get more horizontal movement and shape to the pitch instead of just simplifying his mechanics and using what has worked for him in the past. His changeup has late life, projecting as a plus pitch when he commands it, and his curveball has late bite as well. Lacy's biggest issue is the recurring back issue that caused problems in getting extension and release of the ball, affecting how he was landing and thus causing erratic pitches.

The Future: Lacy will head to spring training hopefully fresh and with no health issues, looking for another shot at Double-A to prove that he's back to being the pitcher the Royals drafted. He not only needs to stay healthy but also become more consistent with his mechanics. If the pitcher that everyone saw at Texas A&M returns, it's top-of-the-rotation potential--but that's a big if.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 70. Curveball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 60. Control: 30
BA Grade: 60/High

August Update: Now back from the injured list, Lacy continues to struggle throwing strikes, although his stuff still gets raves.

Track Record: Lacy finally made his pro debut one year after the Royals drafted the hard-throwing southpaw fourth overall out of Texas A&M. After signing with the Royals for a $6,670,000 bonus, Lacy spent 2020 at the alternate training site and opened 2021 at High-A Quad Cities. Expected to move quickly, Lacy instead struggled to a 5.19 ERA and walked more than seven batters per nine innings in an underwhelming season, albeit while flashing exhilarating pure stuff.

Scouting Report: The centerpiece of Lacy&#39s arsenal is a plus-plus fastball that regularly touches 97-98 mph with sharp downward tilt. His three off-speed pitches all flash plus and get swings and misses in the strike zone. His high-80s slider, which sometimes looks more like a cutter, is a wipeout strikeout pitch against both righthanded and lefthanded batters. His changeup has late life and projects as a plus offering when he commands it, and his curveball has good bite. To improve his below-average control, Lacy needs to keep his feet and head in sync during his delivery in order to maintain a more fluid direction to the plate. But rival scouts are not yet concerned with his struggles to consistently throw strikes because of the quality of his pitches.

The Future: After four starts in the Arizona Fall League, where he showed loud stuff with very high strikeout and high walk rates, Lacy will be ready to move up to Double-A in 2022.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 50
Track Record: Lacy finally made his pro debut one year after the Royals drafted the hard-throwing southpaw fourth overall out of Texas A&M. After signing with the Royals for a $6,670,000 bonus, Lacy spent 2020 at the alternate training site and opened 2021 at High-A Quad Cities. Expected to move quickly, Lacy instead struggled to a 5.19 ERA and walked more than seven batters per nine innings in an underwhelming season, albeit while flashing exhilarating pure stuff.

Scouting Report: The centerpiece of Lacy’s arsenal is a plus-plus fastball that regularly touches 97-98 mph with sharp downward tilt. His three off-speed pitches all flash plus and get swings and misses in the strike zone. His high-80s slider, which sometimes looks more like a cutter, is a wipeout strikeout pitch against both righthanded and lefthanded batters. His changeup has late life and projects as a plus offering when he commands it, and his curveball has good bite. To improve his below-average control, Lacy needs to keep his feet and head in sync during his delivery in order to maintain a more fluid direction to the plate. But rival scouts are not yet concerned with his struggles to consistently throw strikes because of the quality of his pitches.

The Future: After four starts in the Arizona Fall League, where he showed loud stuff with very high strikeout and high walk rates, Lacy will be ready to move up to Double-A in 2022.
Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.

TRACK RECORD: Lacy cemented his status as the top pitcher in the 2020 draft with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 24 innings for Texas A&M before the season shut down. The Royals, ecstatic he was still available, drafted him fourth overall and signed him for $6.67 million. Lacy reported to the alternate training site but missed a couple of weeks due to an eye issue. He returned to participate in the instructional league program at Kauffman Stadium.

SCOUTING REPORT: Lacy earned frequent plaudits as the best college lefthander scouts had seen in years. A big, physical southpaw at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he comfortably works 92-96 mph and touches 98 with solid ride on his fastball. Lacy's slider is his strikeout pitch. It's an 87-90 mph wipeout offering that neither righthanded nor lefthanded batters can touch. His changeup flashes plus potential and his curveball was even better than expected in camp, flashing plus as well. All of Lacy's stuff plays up with the deception he generates from a fluid, downhill delivery. His command is more average than plus, but he throws strikes and his stuff overpowers hitters even without precise command.

THE FUTURE: Lacy has front-of-the-rotation potential and could move quickly to the majors.
Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.

TRACK RECORD: Lacy cemented his status as the top pitcher in the 2020 draft with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 24 innings for Texas A&M before the season shut down. The Royals, ecstatic he was still available, drafted him fourth overall and signed him for $6.67 million. Lacy reported to the alternate training site but missed a couple of weeks due to an eye issue. He returned to participate in the instructional league program at Kauffman Stadium.

SCOUTING REPORT: Lacy earned frequent plaudits as the best college lefthander scouts had seen in years. A big, physical southpaw at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he comfortably works 92-96 mph and touches 98 with solid ride on his fastball. Lacy’s slider is his strikeout pitch. It’s an 87-90 mph wipeout offering that neither righthanded nor lefthanded batters can touch. His changeup flashes plus potential and his curveball was even better than expected in camp, flashing plus as well. All of Lacy’s stuff plays up with the deception he generates from a fluid, downhill delivery. His command is more average than plus, but he throws strikes and his stuff overpowers hitters even without precise command.

THE FUTURE: Lacy has front-of-the-rotation potential and could move quickly to the majors.
Fastball: 70. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Curveball: 55. Control: 55.

TRACK RECORD: Lacy cemented his status as the top pitcher in the 2020 draft with a 0.75 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 24 innings for Texas A&M before the season shut down. The Royals, ecstatic he was still available, drafted him fourth overall and signed him for $6.67 million. Lacy reported to the alternate training site but missed a couple of weeks due to an eye issue. He returned to participate in the instructional league program at Kauffman Stadium.

SCOUTING REPORT: Lacy earned frequent plaudits as the best college lefthander scouts had seen in years. A big, physical southpaw at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, he comfortably works 92-96 mph and touches 98 with solid ride on his fastball. Lacy’s slider is his strikeout pitch. It’s an 87-90 mph wipeout offering that neither righthanded nor lefthanded batters can touch. His changeup flashes plus potential and his curveball was even better than expected in camp, flashing plus as well. All of Lacy’s stuff plays up with the deception he generates from a fluid, downhill delivery. His command is more average than plus, but he throws strikes and his stuff overpowers hitters even without precise command.

THE FUTURE: Lacy has front-of-the-rotation potential and could move quickly to the majors.
Lacy entered the year among the top tier of college pitchers, with only Georgia righthander Emerson Hancock ahead, but he performed at such a high level in his four starts that most clubs now view him as the best pitcher in the draft class. A 31st-round pick of the Indians out of high school, Lacy has filled out his projectable 6-foot-4 frame and now harnesses some of the best stuff in the country. After filling out to 215 pounds, Lacy's fastball ranges from 90-98 mph to go with a wipeout slider, a plus changeup and a power curveball. After posting a 2.13 ERA with 130 strikeouts in 88.2 innings in his first full season as a starter in 2019, Lacy was well on his way to more dominance in 2020. In four starts he struck out 46 batters compared to eight walks and allowed just two earned runs—good for a 0.75 ERA. Scouts previously wondered about the quality of Lacy’s slider, but answered those questions this spring by unveiling a powerful, 87-90 mph version of the pitch. Some now say it’s the best slider they’ve seen from a college lefty since Carlos Rodon in 2014. Lacy's changeup has long been a reliable weapon, and while he hasn’t thrown it as much this spring, most scouts believe it’s a plus pitch as well. Lacy’s curveball gives him a fourth pitch that’s at least average and has above-average potential. The one critique of Lacy is his pitch efficiency. He has a tendency to pitch into deep counts, which has inflated his walk rate more than his above-average command would indicate, but he strikes out plenty of batters and doesn’t allow much contact. Lacy’s delivery is fluid and clean, with good usage of his lower half to drive downhill and above-average deception. In addition to his pure stuff, scouts love Lacy’s stoic, no-nonsense demeanor on the mound. He should be one of the first two pitchers selected.