Brady Aiken

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #28 prospect in 2018
  Aiken emerged during his senior year of high school as the best player in the 2014 draft class and the Astros made him the No. 1 overall pick. A series of ill-fated events for him has followed. First, when a post-draft physical revealed an elbow issue, the Astros withdrew the $6.5 million offer they had agreed to. Aiken ultimately turned down a reported $5 million offer and chose to pitch for IMG Academy's postgrad team in 2015. He left his first start of the year injured and required Tommy John surgery. The Indians selected him 17th overall in 2015 and he finally made his pro debut the next year. Aiken has struggled in pro ball, especially in 2017, when he ranked second among all minor leaguers with 101 walks in 132 innings with low Class A Lake County. The gap between what evaluators saw from Aiken leading up to the 2014 draft and what they saw in 2017 was striking. His velocity has not returned since having surgery and his fastball sat in the upper 80s and touched 91 with Lake County, down from his prep days when he touched 97 mph and sat in the low 90s. More worryingly, Aiken's control abandoned him in 2017 and he struggled to locate his fastball. His secondary stuff, however, remained solid and helped him battle through many tough outings. His curveball can be a plus offering and his changeup gives him another advanced pitch. Aiken may be able to correct some of his struggles if he gets stronger and more athletic, which would likely help his velocity and consistency. He will enter a critical point in his development in 2018 and there is still optimism that he can bounce back.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #4 prospect in 2017
  Aiken emerged as the best prep player for the 2014 draft, and the Astros made him the No. 1 overall pick. They agreed to sign him for $6.5 million before withdrawing the offer when a post-draft physical revealed an elbow issue. Aiken ultimately turned down a reported $5 million offer and chose to pitch for IMG Academy's postgrad team in 2015. He left his first start of the year and required Tommy John surgery. The Indians selected Aiken 17th overall in 2015, and he finally made his pro debut in 2016. Aiken was slow out of the gate as he returned to playing in competitive games for the first time in more than two years. His fastball velocity, in the upper 80s and reaching 91, was down from what it had been in high school, when he touched 97 mph and sat in the low 90s. But as the summer went on and he got stronger, his velocity ticked up, and he sat in the low 90s at instructional league. His curveball can be a plus offering and his changeup gives him a third promising pitch. At his best, he can locate his fastball well to both sides of the plate and has advanced feel. He has an ideal pitcher's frame, plenty of athleticism and earns praise for his makeup and maturity. After everything Aiken went through, he understandably had some hiccups at the outset of his pro career. After a normal offseason, he should be ready for an assignment to low Class A Lake County.
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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #3 prospect in 2016
  After a strong showing on the summer-showcase circuit and earning the victory in the gold-medal game in the 2013 18U World Cup with Team USA, Aiken emerged as the best high school player in the 2014 class. The Astros made him the No. 1 overall pick and were on track to sign him for $6.5 million until a post-draft physical led to a difference of opinion about the state of his elbow. He ultimately turned down a reported $5 million offer, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick not to sign in more than 30 years. After considerable fallout from the ordeal, he chose to pitch for IMG Academy's post-grad team, only to leave his first 2015 start injured after throwing just 13 pitches. He had Tommy John surgery six days later, leaving him as the biggest wild card in the 2015 draft. The Indians shocked the industry by selecting Aiken 17th overall and signing him to a deal worth slightly more than $2.5 million. Aiken had no physical problems leading up to the 2014 draft and, when he was healthy, had as much promise as anyone in the country. He had been a wellregarded prospect for years, and won the gold medal game in the World Cup with USA Baseball's 18U national team. But he jumped to the front of the draft class when his velocity increased during his senior year. His fastball touched 97 mph and sat in the low 90s. He located the pitch well to both sides of the plate while mixing in a plus curveball, a promising changeup and a developing slider. His curveball is his best secondary pitch thanks to its depth and sharp bite, while his changeup gives him a third potential plus pitch. He has a clean, fluid delivery, an ideal pitcher's frame and plenty of athleticism. Aiken's rehab has progressed on schedule, and he began throwing off flat ground in September. The Indians believe his makeup and work ethic will help him as he continues his recovery. He likely will begin 2016 in extended spring training before spending most of his time at short-season Mahoning Valley.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #22 prospect in 2015 draft
  Aiken jumped to the front of the 2014 draft class when his velocity ticked up during his senior season at Cathedral Catholic High in San Diego. The Astros selected him first overall and worked out an agreement to sign him for $6.5 million. That fell apart after a difference of opinion of what an MRI of his elbow taken in a post-draft physical showed, and Aiken ultimately turned down a reported $5 million deal, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick not to sign in more than 30 years. After considerable fallout from the ordeal, Aiken chose to pitch for IMG Academy's postgrad team along with Jacob Nix, whose own deal with the Astros was scuttled when Aiken's deal fell apart. Aiken threw just 13 pitches in his first start for IMG, however. He exited the game with an injury and had Tommy John surgery six days later. Aiken had no physical problems leading up to the 2014 draft and, when he was healthy, had as much promise as anyone. His fastball touched 97 mph and sat in the low 90s. He located the pitch well to both sides of the plate while mixing in a plus curveball, a promising changeup and a developing slider. He has a clean, fluid delivery, an ideal pitcher's frame and plenty of athleticism. Now, however, Aiken won't be able to pitch again until 2016 and is the biggest wildcard in the draft. What teams think of his medical reports and the deal that can be struck will determine when and where he goes.
• Ranked #1 prospect in 2014 draft
  Aiken's advanced feel for pitching and lean, projectable body have made him a big-name prospect for years, but he became a no-doubt, top-of-the-draft talent when his velocity jumped this spring. Aiken's fastball sat in the 88-91 mph range and topped out at 92 on the showcase circuit last summer, but he spent the winter working out, and he made waves by running his heater up to 97 in an early-spring showdown against Alex Jackson's crosstown Rancho Bernardo High team. He has sat at 92-93 mph this spring, regularly touching 96, and spots his fastball well at the knees to both sides of the plate. His curveball was already a solid-average pitch last summer at 73-75 mph, but one scout called it "silly good" this spring, a 77-78 hammer with depth and sharp bite. Aiken also has good feel for a changeup, giving him a third potential plus pitch, and some scouts say his slider is another promising offering, though his curve is his calling card. A former football quarterback early in his high school years, Aiken is a standout athlete with an ideal pitcher's frame (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and a fluid delivery with minimal effort. He stands out most for his extraordinary ability to command his entire repertoire. The UCLA commit also draws plaudits for his intelligence and ability to make adjustments.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Arizona Complex League #5 prospect in 2016
  Picked by the Astros in 2014 with the No. 1 overall pick, Aiken did not sign after Houston lowered its signing bonus offer due to medical concerns. The San Diego native instead enrolled in the post-graduate program at IMG Academy but tore his UCL in his first start, requiring Tommy John surgery.Despite the injury, Cleveland selected Aiken 17th overall in 2015 just three months after his surgery, signing him for $2,513,280. Aiken made his pro debut on the first day of the AZL season. The rust was evident in nine appearances, but he stayed healthy and went on to pitch better after an August promotion to short-season Mahoning Valley. Aiken's arm speed has not completely come back. His fastball sits 88-89 mph and touches 91. Most impressive was his ability to get so much spin on his breaking ball so soon after surgery, with solid depth on a low-70s curveball that helped him get swings and misses. "He's been through a lot and overcome a lot of situations," Indians manager Anthony Medrano said. "He's a great kid, a competitor and wants to get better. The arm strength is building . . . next year is going to be a real eye-opener for him"

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #71 prospect in 2016

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Aiken emerged as the best prep player for the 2014 draft, and the Astros made him the No. 1 overall pick. They agreed to sign him for $6.5 million before withdrawing the offer when a post-draft physical revealed an elbow issue. Aiken ultimately turned down a reported $5 million offer and chose to pitch for IMG Academy's postgrad team in 2015. He left his first start of the year and required Tommy John surgery. The Indians selectedAiken 17th overall in 2015, and he finally made his pro debut in 2016. Scouting Report: Aiken was slow out of the gate as he returned to playing in competitive games for the first time in more than two years. His fastball velocity, in the upper 80s and reaching 91, was down from what it had been in high school. But as the summer went on and he got stronger, his velocity ticked up, and he sat in the low 90s at instructional league. His curveball can be a plus offering and his changeup gives him a third promising pitch. At his best, he can locate his fastball well to both sides of the plate and has advanced feel. He has an ideal pitcher's frame, plenty of athleticism and earns praise for his makeup and maturity.
  
  The Future: Aiken understandably had some hiccups at the outset of his pro career. After a normal offseason, he should be ready for an assignment to low Class A Lake County.