Austin Wright
| IP | 412 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.391 |
| WHIP | 1.502 |
| BB/9 | 4.937 |
| SO/9 | 8.301 |
- Full name Austin T. Wright
- Born 09/26/1989 in Schaumburg, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Mississippi
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Drafted in the 8th round (271st overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 (signed for $125,000).
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Austin Wright has teased scouts for years as a first baseman/lefthander and was a 23rd-round pick twice--in 2008, out of an Illinois high school by the Pirates, and last year, by the Red Sox out of Chipola (Fla.) JC. He has never quite fulfilled his promise, but he's still likely to be drafted in the first 10 rounds because of his size (6-foot-4, 234 pounds) and his fastball, which at times sits in the low 90s, touching 94. His curveball gives him another average pitch to attack hitters. He threw more strikes this season than he had in junior college, but they weren't always quality strikes, and SEC hitters batted .293 against him.
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After a strong 2012, Wright took enough of a tumble in 2013 for the Phillies to cut the cord on his future as a starter and instead take their chances on him as a lefty reliever. His results out of the bullpen were modest (4.96 ERA, 1.7 SO/BB ratio) but better than his rotation work (6.06 ERA, 1.2 SO/BB) at Double-Reading. The results weren't much better in the Arizona Fall League, where Wright surrendered 16 hits and six walks in 11 frames with Peoria. He utilizes a max-effort delivery and throws across his body, sporting a 90-93 mph fastball that has sink and tail. He failed to command it as his walk rate skyrocketed, and when he fell behind, hitters teed off. Wright gave up more home runs (13) in 94 innings than he did (11) in 148 innings in 2012. The Phillies like his slurvy, three-quarters curveball, which should serve him well in relief. His changeup, which sits between 78-80 mph, features sinking action but lags behind his heater and hook. In need of a rebound year, Wright's spring training in 2014 will determine whether he head back to Reading or moves up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. -
Wright was considered somewhat of a tease as an amateur. His arm strength from the left side always piqued scouts' interest, but they were concerned about his command and makeup. The Pirates drafted him out of an Illinois high school in 2008 and the Red Sox took him out of Chipola (Fla.) JC in 2010, but he declined to sign and went to Mississippi. The Phillies signed him for $125,000 as an eighth-rounder in 2011. Wright has exceeded expectations so far, jumping to high Class A in his first full pro season and winning Florida State League pitcher of the year honors. Wright's fastball sits at 90-94 mph but seems harder thanks to his quirky, up-tempo delivery with a short, quick arm circle. He has one of the system's best curveballs, a 77-80 mph late-breaking downer. He too frequently guides his changeup, but it shows above-average potential, especially when he lets it loose. Wright often gets strikeout-happy and piles up hefty pitch and walk totals, and he would benefit from being more aggressive early in the count. His iffy command led to 17 wild pitches, tops in the FSL. The Phillies will continue developing him as a starter, though he might be best served as a multi-inning reliever who can get outs against both lefties and righties. He'll move to Double-A in 2013. -
Wright was on the prospect radar for a long time as an amateur, getting drafted in the 23rd round twice (out of an Illinois high school by the Pirates, and out of Chipola, Fla., JC by the Red Sox) before the Phillies took him in the eighth round last June. Amateur scouts considered Wright a tease, as he showed interesting arm strength and stuff but raised concerns about his command and makeup. Signed for $125,000, he seemed to turn a corner in his pro debut, posting solid numbers and reaching low Class A. Wright's fastball operates at 90-93 mph, and he has a sharp, late-breaking low-80s curveball that almost looks like a slider. Despite not throwing many changeups in college, he shows some feel for the pitch. Wright needs to work on throwing quality strikes and repeating his delivery. He has the stuff to move quickly, especially in a bullpen role, and he has the upside of a set-up man. If his changeup looks good during spring training, Philadelphia will allow him to develop as a starter. Like Mike Stutes and Vance Worley did coming out of the 2008 draft, Wright has a chance to begin his first full pro season in Double-A.
