Jandel Gustave

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Houston Astros #28 prospect in 2018
  When the Astros signed Gustave, they knew they were getting a special arm, and a long-term project. In his first two seasons, Gustave walked 67 batters in only 45 innings. But he started to figure out how to repeat his delivery and get in the vicinity of the strike zone. Gustave had finally gotten to the point where he could help the Astros' big league bullpen--he'd earned a spot during the second half of 2016 and broke camp with the team in 2017. But only five outings into the season he was shut down with elbow soreness that led to Tommy John surgery in June 2017. He will likely not pitch significant innings again until 2019. If he comes back to his pre-injury form, his 95-100 mph plus-plus fastball with run and hard, cutting slider give him a pair of plus pitches. The slider is more of a weak-contact offering. Gustave's control and command are still below-average, but his stuff is good enough that he has the ability to pitch in high leverage situations.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #18 prospect in 2017
  When the Astros signed Gustave, they knew they were getting a great arm with a near complete lack of control. It took him five seasons to make it to full-season ball, at a point where he was just becoming Rule 5 draft eligible. In the two seasons since, he's made massive strides with his control, which now grades as fringe-average, and he reached the majors as a reliever in 2016. He has scrapped the full windup he used to use, replacing it with a much-simplified motion. Gustave's 97.1 mph average fastball velocity ranked 13th among all major league pitchers in 2016. He throws from a low three-quarters arm slot, which helps generate excellent sink on his fastball. His high-80s slider is also a plus pitch with cutter action and late, tight movement. Those two pitches give Gustave a chance to be an impact reliever if he can throw enough strikes.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #18 prospect in 2016
  Left unprotected in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, Gustave was picked by the Royals, but Kansas City decided that as much as it loved his fastball, they couldn't keep him on the roster with his well below-average control. Sometimes prospects struggle in their return to the minors after a taste of the big league life as a Rule 5 pick. To Gustave's credit, he had no problems handling a return to the minors and a jump to Double-A. Upon returning to the Astros, Gustave allowed only one run in six April appearances. At his best, he was dominant, and the high-90s fastball is a double-plus offering--he touched 102 mph. Gustave's control is still below-average, but it's the lack of feel for his slider that is keeping him from being big league ready. Thanks to his exceptional arm speed he can flash a double-plus slider but it's too often a hittable, below-average offering. Gustave took a step forward in 2015. The Astros added him to the 40-man roster to avoid exposing him to the Rule 5 draft again. He has closer potential if it all comes together, but his hope for now is to become a usable big league reliever at some point in 2016.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #30 prospect in 2015
  The long-limbed, lean Gustave finally reached full-season ball with the Astros in 2014, his fifth pro season, before the Royals snagged him in the Rule 5 draft in December. He possesses a fastball that clips triple-digits. Gustave went back to the bullpen when he returned from an oblique injury in late August. It was in relief that he touched 100 mph and sat 95-98. Gustave's control improved this season as he trimmed his walk rate to 3.3 per nine innings, an immense improvement from his career ratio of 6.7. He is limited to a reliever ceiling because he lacks dependable secondary offerings. Scouts say he needs more tilt on the slider to make it an effective swing-and-miss pitch. His delivery is clean, but he lacks a feel for repeating his release point and arm slot. Gustave faces long odds of sticking in a stacked Royals bullpen.
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  Ranked Houston Astros #27 prospect in 2014
  Scouts who caught a day of Astros instructional league in 2013 left amazed at the number of lower-level power arms the organization is developing. But in a system that has multiple pitchers who can tickle triple digits, Gustave reaches that lofty realm more than almost anyone. Gustave took a significant step forward in 2013, as his control went from a shotgun spread to more of a rifle with a bad sight. He still misses his target, but now it's more likely to be by inches rather than feet. Gustave sits at 95-98 mph from a relatively easy delivery. He throws a below-average 87-88 mph slider with excellent velocity, but he needs to develop more tilt. His firm, below-average changeup needs more separation from his fastball. His extreme rawness, shaky secondary stuff and poor control could present challenges when it comes to retiring low Class A hitters at Quad Cities in 2014. But with an 80 fastball and no clear delivery flaws that will prevent him improving his control, the Astros will be happy to be patient with him.

• December, 2015 Scouting Report
  Left unprotected in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, Gustave was picked by the Royals, but Kansas City decided that as much as it loved his fastball, they couldn't keep him on the roster with his well below-average control. Sometimes prospects struggle in their return to the minors after a taste of the big league life as a Rule 5 pick. To Gustave's credit, he had no problems handling a return to the minors and a jump to Double-A. Upon returning to the Astros, Gustave allowed only one run in six April appearances. At his best, he was dominant, and the high-90s fastball is a double-plus offering--he touched 102 mph. Gustave's control is still below-average, but it's the lack of feel for his slider that is keeping him from being big league ready. Thanks to his exceptional arm speed he can flash a double-plus slider but it's too often a hittable, below-average offering. Gustave took a step forward in 2015. The Astros added him to the 40-man roster to avoid exposing him to the Rule 5 draft again. He has closer potential if it all comes together, but his hope for now is to become a usable big league reliever at some point in 2016.