Joe Gatto Stats & Scouting Report

IP	542
ERA	4.749
WHIP	1.555
BB/9	4.185
SO/9	7.97

Full name Joe John Gatto
Born 06/14/1995 in Hammonton, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School St Augustine
Drafted in the 2nd round (53rd overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2014 (signed for $1,200,000).

View Draft Report

Gatto is arguably the most talented New Jersey prep righthander since Rick Porcello (first round) in 2007 and Jason Knapp (second round) in 2008 and possesses all the requisite physical traits to become a successful starter. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound Gatto has an ideal pitcher's body with present strength (especially in his lower half), athleticism and long extremities. Gatto's fastball has sat 89-93 mph this spring, touching 95 with the ball jumping out of his hand from good extension out front. He pitches off his fastball with plus life, getting downhill plane, arm-side run and sink on his groundball-inducing, bat-breaking heater. He shows enough feel for spin and shape to project a slightly above-average curveball. Scouts would like to see him command his curveball better and land it in the zone more frequently. His changeup showed flashes of being an above-average pitch on the showcase circuit and continues to show potential, although it has played below that this spring. Gatto as an easy, deliberate delivery with the raw materials necessary to throw strikes, but his control has not been consistent this spring. Gatto is old for the class and will be 19 a week after the draft, which would make him a draft-eligible sophomore in two years if he ends up at North Carolina.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Gatto threw so poorly at low Class A Burlington in 2016 he was sent back to the Angels complex in Arizona at midseason to rebuild his delivery. He returned to Burlington in 2017 and was visibly a different pitcher, throwing well enough to be promoted to high Class A Inland Empire in early August. Gatto still flashes the best curveball in the system, a pitch with a sharp, late break, and a decent sinking, two-seam fastball that sits 90-93 mph mph. He's effective when he attacks the strike zone and trusts his stuff. Inland Empire pitching coach Mike Wuertz moved Gatto to the opposite side of the rubber last summer, and that allowed his two-seamer to work better. But Gatto is inconsistent with his fastball command--he struck out 101 and walked 59 in 128.2 innings in 2017--and he has been unable to develop his changeup into a serviceable third pitch. He throws too many non-competitive pitches, and some scouts question whether he has the makeup to reach the big leagues as a back-end starter. Gatto may project more as a middle reliever, but still needs to significantly improve his control to get there. He'll start back at Inland Empire in 2018 and try to keep carrying his positive progress forward.
The 2016 season was nothing short of a disaster for Gatto, who previously ranked in the top 10 in the organization every year since being taken by the Angels in the second round in 2014. Gatto made his full-season debut in 2016 at low Class A Burlington and posted a horrific 7.03 ERA in 15 starts. He struggled to command any of his pitches and in June was pulled out and sent to the Angels' minor league complex in Arizona to rebuild his mechanics and delivery from scratch. He worked strictly in side sessions as the coaching staff in Arizona made tweaks to his delivery to get it more athletic and give his offerings more downhill plane. Gatto returned to games during instructional league, pitching every five days. He still flashes the best curveball in the system and has a fastball sitting 92-95 mph. His changeup got better and he used it to get swings-and-misses in instructs. Gatto will likely return to Burlington to start the 2017 season, hoping to build on the strides he made during instructional league. He remains a starter for now, although some evaluators believe he'll ultimately be more effective pitching out of the bullpen.
Gatto netted a $1.2 million bonus after being taken by the Angels in the second round in 2014. He still hasn't reached full-season ball, moving up to Rookie-level Orem in 2015. Gatto stands out for his ideal pitcher's frame with broad shoulders and lower body strength. His delivery is a little stiff, but the ball comes out of his hand easily with good extension. His above-average fastball sits in the low 90s and touched 95 mph in Orem, with a little cutting action. His curveball projects as an above-average pitch but gets loopy at times. The staff at Orem had him working on his changeup, which has some sink but can be inconsistent. He doesn't have separating arm speed, and he struck out just 6.3 batters per nine innings in 2015, but he compensates with an elite groundball rate. Scouts project a move to the bullpen for Gattos unless he improves his delivery and fastball command. He will make his full-season debut in low Class A Burlington in 2016.
The Angels successfully drafted a New Jersey high school product in 2009 with their selection of Mike Trout at No. 25 overall. They will be satisfied if 2014 Jersey prep product Gatto turns into a useful starting pitcher in a few years. He netted $1.2 million to pass up his North Carolina commitment after being taken in the second round. Gatto has an ideal pitcher's body with big hands, long arms and present strength. The ball comes out of his hand easily and with good extension. The Angels saw Gatto's fastball up to 97 mph this spring, though he usually sits in the 90-93 range. A former three-sport prep, he's athletic and has a smooth delivery with easy velocity. He also showed an upper-70s slurvy curveball with power in the spring, but the velocity on both pitches backed up after he signed as he focused on throwing strikes. His curveball has good depth when he's right and projects as an above-average pitch if not a bit better. His changeup can be firm at 82-87 mph but flashed above-average in the past. Gatto finished instructional league in fine form, and since he's old for his high school class--he turned 19 just three days prior to signing--he's headed for low Class A Burlington in 2015.

Draft Prospects

Gatto is arguably the most talented New Jersey prep righthander since Rick Porcello (first round) in 2007 and Jason Knapp (second round) in 2008 and possesses all the requisite physical traits to become a successful starter. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound Gatto has an ideal pitcher's body with present strength (especially in his lower half), athleticism and long extremities. Gatto's fastball has sat 89-93 mph this spring, touching 95 with the ball jumping out of his hand from good extension out front. He pitches off his fastball with plus life, getting downhill plane, arm-side run and sink on his groundball-inducing, bat-breaking heater. He shows enough feel for spin and shape to project a slightly above-average curveball. Scouts would like to see him command his curveball better and land it in the zone more frequently. His changeup showed flashes of being an above-average pitch on the showcase circuit and continues to show potential, although it has played below that this spring. Gatto as an easy, deliberate delivery with the raw materials necessary to throw strikes, but his control has not been consistent this spring. Gatto is old for the class and will be 19 a week after the draft, which would make him a draft-eligible sophomore in two years if he ends up at North Carolina.

Minor League Top Prospects

Gatto signed for $1.2 million as a second-round pick in 2014 but has yet to reach full-season ball. He was Orem's opening night starter and rotation workhorse this season, when he showed the durable body, arm strength and groundball tendencies that give him a chance to be a future starter. Gatto's fastball sat in the low 90s and touched 95 mph with a little cutting action, and the downward angle on the pitch generates an extreme number of groundballs (nearly three for every out in the air). Gatto's curveball flashes above-average potential but still needs improvement, and he started working with a changeup more this summer. He repeated his delivery better after the organization made that a priority for him this year. Scouts don't see a lot of arm speed or a good swing-and-miss pitch, but he has time to deveop on those fronts. Gatto allowed opponents to hit .340, which is the result of him missing up in the zone. "Once he gets his changeup down, he's going to be pretty good," Orem manager Dave Stapleton said.