Matt Tabor

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #19 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the third round in 2017 as a projection play, Tabor hasn't taken any massive leaps forward with his stuff but continues to make gradual progress. That included refining a third pitch and his ability to miss bats consistently, and the result was a 2.93 ERA at low Class A Kane County.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Tabor has a lean frame and a clean, athletic delivery. His fastball sits mostly in the low-90s, touching 93 mph, and since he's still maturing physically there remains potential for him to add another tick or two. He focused on his slider in the offseason and turned it into a useable weapon, a pitch that ranged from average to plus. The emphasis on his breaking ball came at the cost of his changeup, though he rediscovered the pitch late in the year to give him a solid three-pitch mix. Most impressive was his control—he walked only 16 batters in 95.1 innings.
  
  THE FUTURE: Most evaluators see Tabor as a potential back-end starter, and he still has work to do to get there. He is likely to open 2020 with high Class A Visalia.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #14 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Tabor didn't have a breakout performance in his first full season as a pro, but coaches say he might have improved from start to finish more than any pitcher in the organization, and he continues to give the club hope he can develop into a big league starter. He didn't miss a ton of bats in the short-season Northwest League, but his clean, repeatable delivery allowed him to fill up the strike zone and he showed good pitchability.
  
  Scouting Report: Tabor doesn't have overpowering stuff, but his fastball improved as the season progressed, going from sitting 90-91 mph to about 93. His changeup is his best secondary offering, a pitch that some say is the best in the organization. The fastball/changeup combo draws comparisons with former Diamondbacks pitcher Chase Anderson. Tabor's breaking ball remains a work in progress. For now, it's a slider, but there are some who would like to see him go back to a curveball, which might work better given his ability to pitch north-south with the fastball.
  
  The Future: Tabor matured as a pitcher in 2018 but still has work to do if he's going to reach his mid-rotation ceiling. He's in line to open the year in low Class A Kane County.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #10 prospect in 2018
  Tabor added size and strength throughout his senior year of high school and jumped from 88-90 mph with his fastball to 90-94 mph. The huge improvement made him a third-round pick last spring, when he signed for $1 million and passed on a college commitment to Elon. Tabor signed later in the process and made just four appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2017. Standing at just 5-foot-11 in the fall before his draft year, Tabor topped out at 91 mph before rapidly growing three inches and bumping 95 mph by the spring. He credits some of the velocity gain to a new long-tossing program he picked up in 2016. Tabor has a clean, athletic delivery that he repeats well and also has a lightning-quick arm. His changeup, which is his best secondary offering, draws comparisons with that of former D-backs righthander Chase Anderson. He threw a curveball in high school but he has since traded that for a slider upon turning pro, and the pitch flashes plus. He has good feel for pitching, sometimes even quick pitching or altering the tempo of his delivery to keep hitters off balance. The D-backs are impressed with Tabor's polish and makeup and see a potential No. 3 starter. He likely will start 2018 in extended spring training before reporting to one of the club's short-season affiliates.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #60 prospect in 2017 draft
  In the summer prior to his senior year, Tabor was thin and undersized, but he was a good athlete with a fast arm. He pitched mostly at 88-90 and ticked up a bit in the fall, pitching more at 89-91. This spring, Tabor has shown the biggest improvement of any prospect in the Northeast. The Elon recruit added significant muscle and grew a bit taller. Tabor's fastball has worked consistently at 90-94 and touched as high as 97 this spring. His best offspeed pitch is his changeup, which shows late tumbling action; Tabor showed feel for the pitch against both lefties and righties on the summer showcase circuit. His breaking ball sometimes shows tight spin and late vertical dive, but he's often on the side of the pitch and doesn't it lacks consistent bite. Tabor has a very athletic, well-coordinated lower half that should allow him to repeat his mechanics as he continues to gain reps and strength. Tabor breaks his hands early in his delivery and has a relatively short arm circle, but he does plunge backwards and roll the ball around as he cocks his arm, giving scouts questions as to how consistently he will be able find hit on his breaking ball.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Northwest League #14 prospect in 2018
  Tabor got bigger and stronger in his draft year, which led to a velocity spike that paid off in the 2017 draft. Tabor threw just 4.2 innings in his pro debut after signing, so this season was his first real chance to show what he could do against pro hitters. In 2018, one of Tabor's biggest lessons was simply toning it down. The team worked with him to learn how to pace himself both before and during games so he could go deeper into games and, eventually, into seasons. His one-two punch is a sinking 89-92 mph fastball and a changeup he shows confidence throwing to both lefties and righties. He complements those two pitches with a hard-darting slider. His delivery is high-effort, but it comes with the deception generated from a high front side. He's a fierce competitor, and was especially excited to face the more talented prospects in the league.

• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Getting more consistency in his delivery this year was the key for Arizona's 2017 third-round pick as he showed better overall command of his arsenal, and he moved up to Double-A Amarillo after four outings at High-A Hillsboro. It's a command profile with an above-average or better changeup being his best pitch.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the third round in 2017 as a projection play, Tabor hasn’t taken any massive leaps forward with his stuff but continues to make gradual progress. That included refining a third pitch and his ability to miss bats consistently, and the result was a 2.93 ERA at low Class A Kane County.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Tabor has a lean frame and a clean, athletic delivery. His fastball sits mostly in the low-90s, touching 93 mph, and since he’s still maturing physically there remains potential for him to add another tick or two. He focused on his slider in the offseason and turned it into a useable weapon, a pitch that ranged from average to plus. The emphasis on his breaking ball came at the cost of his changeup, though he rediscovered the pitch late in the year to give him a solid three-pitch mix. Most impressive was his control—he walked only 16 batters in 95.1 innings.
  
  THE FUTURE: Most evaluators see Tabor as a potential back-end starter, and he still has work to do to get there. He is likely to open 2020 with high Class A Visalia.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Drafted in the third round in 2017 as a projection play, Tabor hasn't taken any massive leaps forward with his stuff but continues to make gradual progress. That included refining a third pitch and his ability to miss bats consistently, and the result was a 2.93 ERA at low Class A Kane County.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Tabor has a lean frame and a clean, athletic delivery. His fastball sits mostly in the low-90s, touching 93 mph, and since he's still maturing physically there remains potential for him to add another tick or two. He focused on his slider in the offseason and turned it into a useable weapon, a pitch that ranged from average to plus. The emphasis on his breaking ball came at the cost of his changeup, though he rediscovered the pitch late in the year to give him a solid three-pitch mix. Most impressive was his control—he walked only 16 batters in 95.1 innings.
  
  THE FUTURE: Most evaluators see Tabor as a potential back-end starter, and he still has work to do to get there. He is likely to open 2020 with high Class A Visalia.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  In the summer prior to his senior year, Tabor was thin and undersized, but he was a good athlete with a fast arm. He pitched mostly at 88-90 and ticked up a bit in the fall, pitching more at 89-91. This spring, Tabor has shown the biggest improvement of any prospect in the Northeast. The Elon recruit added significant muscle and grew a bit taller. Tabor's fastball has worked consistently at 90-94 and touched as high as 97 this spring. His best offspeed pitch is his changeup, which shows late tumbling action; Tabor showed feel for the pitch against both lefties and righties on the summer showcase circuit. His breaking ball sometimes shows tight spin and late vertical dive, but he's often on the side of the pitch and doesn't it lacks consistent bite. Tabor has a very athletic, well-coordinated lower half that should allow him to repeat his mechanics as he continues to gain reps and strength. Tabor breaks his hands early in his delivery and has a relatively short arm circle, but he does plunge backwards and roll the ball around as he cocks his arm, giving scouts questions as to how consistently he will be able find hit on his breaking ball.