Ryan Cusick Stats & Scouting Report

IP	3
ERA	0
WHIP	1.33
BB/9	9
SO/9	3

Full name Ryan Cusick
Born 11/12/1999 in Sudbury, MA
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Wake Forest
Drafted in the 1st round (24th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2021 (signed for $2,700,000).

View Draft Report

Cusick’s father played college football in Maine, and Cusick himself wouldn’t look out of place on the gridiron with a massive 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. He has the power stuff to back it up and has been a hard thrower since his high school days, when he sat in the 92-94 mph range and touched 97. After three years at Wake Forest, Cusick now has one of the best fastballs in the country, a pitch that sits around 95 mph and has been up into the 100-102 mph range with solid life. Cusick will also flash a plus breaking ball that averages around 80 mph and has slurvey shape that looks more like a slider at times and more like a downer curve at others, but scouts have noted that the pitch is inconsistent—a critique that dates back to his prep days. The pitch itself shows quality spin, movement and bite at times, but Cusick’s usability of the pitch needs to improve. Cusick also throws a firm, upper-80s changeup that has slight fading action at times, but his usage of the pitch is extremely minimal. Cusick posted a 4.24 ERA this spring through 12 starts and 70 innings, with 108 strikeouts (13.9 K/9) to 32 walks (4.1 BB/9). He’s a control-over-command pitcher who can put the fastball over the plate enough, but some evaluators think he hasn’t made enough adjustments in his strike throwing to safely profile as a starter, and instead think he’ll be a power arm out of the bullpen.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/Very High

Track Record: Cusick was a fireballer at Wake Forest whom the Braves drafted no. 24 overall in 2021. They dealt him to the Athletics a year later in 2022 in the Matt Olson trade. Cusick’s tenure in Oakland’s system has not gone well. He dealt with a rib injury in 2022 and walked 66 batters in 100 innings in 2023. Oakland sent Cusick to its Arizona complex to rework his delivery in mid July and he returned to action a month later.

Scouting Report: Cusick once touched triple digits as an amateur, so his diminished velocity early in 2023 was alarming. He made changes to his delivery prior to the season in an attempt to work more downhill and improve his strike-throwing. His heater dipped to 92-94 mph as a result. He worked on restoring the ride-cut characteristics of his fastball in Arizona and his velocity bounced back to the 95-97 mph range by the end of the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. At its best, Cusick’s heater should play well at the top of the zone, although he struggles to spot it there. He has the potential to throw two distinct breaking balls with solid-average or above-average potential and occasionally throws a below-average low-90s changeup.

The Future: The A’s may continue to give Cusick a chance to start, but a future as a two-pitch power reliever in the middle innings seems increasingly likely.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 40
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The 6-foot-6 Cusick touched triple-digits at Wake Forest and the Braves drafted him 24th overall in 2021, signing him for $2.7 million. He dominated Low-A hitters in six subsequent starts that year. Cusick was one of four players the A's acquired in exchange for Matt Olson in March of 2022. A rib injury limited Cusick to just 41 innings with Double-A Midland, where he never got on track and walked 6.6 batters per nine innings.

Scouting Report: Scouts loved Cusick's power potential in college but harbored concerns about his inconsistent command. That assessment has held true so far as a pro. His plus fastball sat more in the 95-97 mph range in 2022 and the metric-savvy righthander worked with the A's to tweak the grip on his fastball to restore some induced vertical break. He's still working to find a consistent feel for his breaking ball. The Braves worked with Cusick to throw a harder, vertically-breaking slider. The pitch sat 85-86 and has above-average potential, but was inconsistent in both shape and command. He rarely turns to his firm, low-90s changeup that needs considerable refinement. There's some reliever risk in Cusick's delivery, although his injury may have contributed to his strike-throwing woes in 2022.

The Future: Cusick needs to develop his changeup and throw more strikes to remain a starter. Otherwise, he profiles as a potential high-leverage reliever. He could return to Double-A Midland to start 2023, when the A's hope he regains the form he showed that made him a first-round pick.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 40
Track Record: The Braves drafted Wake Forest lefthander Jared Shuster in 2020 and went back to the Demon Deacons pitching well in 2021. The Braves drafted Cusick with the 24th overall pick after he showed arguably the best fastball in the draft class as Wake’s top starter and signed him for $2.7 million. Cusick reported to Low-A Augusta after signing and had a standout pro debut, posting a 2.76 ERA with 34 strikeouts against just four walks in 16.1 innings.

Scouting Report: A massive, 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander, Cusick has thrown hard since his prep days in Connecticut. His fastball sits in the upper 90s and touches 102 mph with life, making it a dominant, plus-plus pitch that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. His fastball command has underwhelmed at times, but the pitch is overpowering enough to dominate hitters even without pinpoint accuracy. Cusick threw both a curveball and slider in college, but the Braves have emphasized throwing hard, vertical sliders with several of their pitching prospects. Cusick’s slider flashes above-average and will be a focus early next year, with his average curveball and firm, below-average changeup options for another pitch down the road. Cusick showed below-average control throughout his college career, but a simplified approach in pro ball yielded average control in his debut.

The Future: Cusick is tentatively slated to begin 2022 at High-A Rome. He has mid-rotation potential with the fallback of a hard-throwing reliever.

Draft Prospects

Cusick’s father played college football in Maine, and Cusick himself wouldn’t look out of place on the gridiron with a massive 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. He has the power stuff to back it up and has been a hard thrower since his high school days, when he sat in the 92-94 mph range and touched 97. After three years at Wake Forest, Cusick now has one of the best fastballs in the country, a pitch that sits around 95 mph and has been up into the 100-102 mph range with solid life. Cusick will also flash a plus breaking ball that averages around 80 mph and has slurvey shape that looks more like a slider at times and more like a downer curve at others, but scouts have noted that the pitch is inconsistent—a critique that dates back to his prep days. The pitch itself shows quality spin, movement and bite at times, but Cusick’s usability of the pitch needs to improve. Cusick also throws a firm, upper-80s changeup that has slight fading action at times, but his usage of the pitch is extremely minimal. Cusick posted a 4.24 ERA this spring through 12 starts and 70 innings, with 108 strikeouts (13.9 K/9) to 32 walks (4.1 BB/9). He’s a control-over-command pitcher who can put the fastball over the plate enough, but some evaluators think he hasn’t made enough adjustments in his strike throwing to safely profile as a starter, and instead think he’ll be a power arm out of the bullpen.
Listed at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, Cusick is a strong, physical righthander who received positive reviews for remaking his body over the winter. Cusick's fastball has touched 97 mph in the past, although he more regularly sits in the 92-94 mph range. He shows feel for a slider, although the pitch remains inconsistent. Cusick's control is currently below-average and his overall feel to pitch is lacking. He has a starter's build, but scouts see him more as a reliever right now. He is committed to Wake Forest, where developing his offspeed offerings and improving his command should be his primary focuses.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The 6-foot-6 Cusick touched triple-digits at Wake Forest and the Braves drafted him 24th overall in 2021, signing him for $2.7 million. He dominated Low-A hitters in six subsequent starts that year. Cusick was one of four players the A's acquired in exchange for Matt Olson in March of 2022. A rib injury limited Cusick to just 41 innings with Double-A Midland, where he never got on track and walked 6.6 batters per nine innings.

Scouting Report: Scouts loved Cusick's power potential in college but harbored concerns about his inconsistent command. That assessment has held true so far as a pro. His plus fastball sat more in the 95-97 mph range in 2022 and the metric-savvy righthander worked with the A's to tweak the grip on his fastball to restore some induced vertical break. He's still working to find a consistent feel for his breaking ball. The Braves worked with Cusick to throw a harder, vertically-breaking slider. The pitch sat 85-86 and has above-average potential, but was inconsistent in both shape and command. He rarely turns to his firm, low-90s changeup that needs considerable refinement. There's some reliever risk in Cusick's delivery, although his injury may have contributed to his strike-throwing woes in 2022.

The Future: Cusick needs to develop his changeup and throw more strikes to remain a starter. Otherwise, he profiles as a potential high-leverage reliever. He could return to Double-A Midland to start 2023, when the A's hope he regains the form he showed that made him a first-round pick.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 40
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: The 6-foot-6 Cusick touched triple-digits at Wake Forest and the Braves drafted him 24th overall in 2021, signing him for $2.7 million. He dominated Low-A hitters in six subsequent starts that year. Cusick was one of four players the A's acquired in exchange for Matt Olson in March of 2022. A rib injury limited Cusick to just 41 innings with Double-A Midland, where he never got on track and walked 6.6 batters per nine innings.

Scouting Report: Scouts loved Cusick's power potential in college but harbored concerns about his inconsistent command. That assessment has held true so far as a pro. His plus fastball sat more in the 95-97 mph range in 2022 and the metric-savvy righthander worked with the A's to tweak the grip on his fastball to restore some induced vertical break. He's still working to find a consistent feel for his breaking ball. The Braves worked with Cusick to throw a harder, vertically-breaking slider. The pitch sat 85-86 and has above-average potential, but was inconsistent in both shape and command. He rarely turns to his firm, low-90s changeup that needs considerable refinement. There's some reliever risk in Cusick's delivery, although his injury may have contributed to his strike-throwing woes in 2022.

The Future: Cusick needs to develop his changeup and throw more strikes to remain a starter. Otherwise, he profiles as a potential high-leverage reliever. He could return to Double-A Midland to start 2023, when the A's hope he regains the form he showed that made him a first-round pick.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 40
BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: The Braves drafted Wake Forest lefthander Jared Shuster in 2020 and went back to the Demon Deacons pitching well in 2021. The Braves drafted Cusick with the 24th overall pick after he showed arguably the best fastball in the draft class as Wake&#39s top starter and signed him for $2.7 million. Cusick reported to Low-A Augusta after signing and had a standout pro debut, posting a 2.76 ERA with 34 strikeouts against just four walks in 16.1 innings.

Scouting Report: A massive, 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander, Cusick has thrown hard since his prep days in Connecticut. His fastball sits in the upper 90s and touches 102 mph with life, making it a dominant, plus-plus pitch that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. His fastball command has underwhelmed at times, but the pitch is overpowering enough to dominate hitters even without pinpoint accuracy. Cusick threw both a curveball and slider in college, but the Braves have emphasized throwing hard, vertical sliders with several of their pitching prospects. Cusick&#39s slider flashes above-average and will be a focus early next year, with his average curveball and firm, below-average changeup options for another pitch down the road. Cusick showed below-average control throughout his college career, but a simplified approach in pro ball yielded average control in his debut.

The Future: Cusick is tentatively slated to begin 2022 at High-A Rome. He has mid-rotation potential with the fallback of a hard-throwing reliever.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 50. Slider: 55. Changeup: 40. Control: 50
Track Record: The Braves drafted Wake Forest lefthander Jared Shuster in 2020 and went back to the Demon Deacons pitching well in 2021. The Braves drafted Cusick with the 24th overall pick after he showed arguably the best fastball in the draft class as Wake’s top starter and signed him for $2.7 million. Cusick reported to Low-A Augusta after signing and had a standout pro debut, posting a 2.76 ERA with 34 strikeouts against just four walks in 16.1 innings.

Scouting Report: A massive, 6-foot-6, 235-pound righthander, Cusick has thrown hard since his prep days in Connecticut. His fastball sits in the upper 90s and touches 102 mph with life, making it a dominant, plus-plus pitch that gets swings and misses in the strike zone. His fastball command has underwhelmed at times, but the pitch is overpowering enough to dominate hitters even without pinpoint accuracy. Cusick threw both a curveball and slider in college, but the Braves have emphasized throwing hard, vertical sliders with several of their pitching prospects. Cusick’s slider flashes above-average and will be a focus early next year, with his average curveball and firm, below-average changeup options for another pitch down the road. Cusick showed below-average control throughout his college career, but a simplified approach in pro ball yielded average control in his debut.

The Future: Cusick is tentatively slated to begin 2022 at High-A Rome. He has mid-rotation potential with the fallback of a hard-throwing reliever.
Cusick's father played college football in Maine, and Cusick himself wouldn't look out of place on the gridiron with a massive 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. He has the power stuff to back it up and has been a hard thrower since his high school days, when he sat in the 92-94 mph range and touched 97. After three years at Wake Forest, Cusick now has one of the best fastballs in the country, a pitch that sits around 95 mph and has been up into the 100-102 mph range with solid life. Cusick will also flash a plus breaking ball that averages around 80 mph and has slurvey shape that looks more like a slider at times and more like a downer curve at others, but scouts have noted that the pitch is inconsistent—a critique that dates back to his prep days. The pitch itself shows quality spin, movement and bite at times, but Cusick's usability of the pitch needs to improve. Cusick also throws a firm, upper-80s changeup that has slight fading action at times, but his usage of the pitch is extremely minimal. Cusick posted a 4.24 ERA this spring through 12 starts and 70 innings, with 108 strikeouts (13.9 K/9) to 32 walks (4.1 BB/9). He's a control-over-command pitcher who can put the fastball over the plate enough, but some evaluators think he hasn't made enough adjustments in his strike throwing to safely profile as a starter, and instead think he'll be a power arm out of the bullpen.