Avery Weems

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #18 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Weems was a sixth-round pick of the White Sox out of Arizona in 2019 and spent his first season as a pro with Rookie-level Great Falls. He caught the eye of scouts during instructional league and was eventually used as part of the two-player package that brought starter Lance Lynn to Chicago. He spent 2021 at High-A Hickory, where his 124 strikeouts ranked as the second most in the organization.
  
  Scouting Report: Weems works with a full four-pitch mix but leans mostly on his fastball and slider. The former sits around 94 mph and has touched up to 98 with excellent horizontal break through the zone. Weems’ slider has earned plus grades from scouts and is a high-spin pitch thrown in the high 80s with hints of the lower 90s. He’ll mix in a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s curveball, but neither compares to his main two weapons. Internal evaluators are split as to whether he belongs in a rotation or should move to the bullpen, but he’ll get a chance to continue down the starter track for the time being.
  
  The Future: Weems’ next stop is Double-A Frisco, where he’ll look to sharpen either his curveball or changeup into the third pitch that will give him the best shot to remain a rotation option.
  
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: After starting his career at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, Weems transferred to Arizona and spent two seasons shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. The White Sox signed him for $10,000 as a senior sign and watched dominate out of the rotation at the Rookie levels. The Rangers acquired Weems with Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn after the 2020 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Weems has taken a jump in pro ball and impressed evaluators with his performance at instructional league prior to the trade. His four-seam fastball sits 90-94 mph and has touched as high as 96. He pairs his heater with a potentially plus, low-80s curveball with 1-to-7 break as well as a mid-80s slider with slurvy shape. He also has a changeup and two-seamer. Weems' holds his velocity late into his outings and has improved his command after struggling with it in college.
  
  THE FUTURE: Weems could be a quick mover through the lower levels of the system. He'll start for now, but questions about his command and consistency have most projecting him as a reliever long-term.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #431 prospect in 2017 draft
  An Arizona commit, Weems is from the northern part of the state, in Flagstaff, where he dominated as a prep. As a freshman, he was a midweek starter as Yavapai won the NJCAA World Series, and he made a leap as a sophomore, tossing five (seven-inning) complete games and striking out 12 per nine. He gets most of his whiffs with either an average fastball, which can sit 87-91 mph and touch 92 at times. His fastball has some sink while his breaking ball, a hard slider, can show some depth and flash above-average. Weems has improved his delivery, staying taller, keeping the ball and down and getting ground ball outs when he isn't missing bats.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Weems was a sixth-round pick of the White Sox out of Arizona in 2019 and spent his first season as a pro with Rookie-level Great Falls. He caught the eye of scouts during instructional league and was eventually used as part of the two-player package that brought starter Lance Lynn to Chicago. He spent 2021 at High-A Hickory, where his 124 strikeouts ranked as the second most in the organization.
  
  Scouting Report: Weems works with a full four-pitch mix but leans mostly on his fastball and slider. The former sits around 94 mph and has touched up to 98 with excellent horizontal break through the zone. Weems’ slider has earned plus grades from scouts and is a high-spin pitch thrown in the high 80s with hints of the lower 90s. He’ll mix in a mid-80s changeup and a low-80s curveball, but neither compares to his main two weapons. Internal evaluators are split as to whether he belongs in a rotation or should move to the bullpen, but he’ll get a chance to continue down the starter track for the time being.
  
  The Future: Weems’ next stop is Double-A Frisco, where he’ll look to sharpen either his curveball or changeup into the third pitch that will give him the best shot to remain a rotation option.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After starting his career at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, Weems transferred to Arizona and spent two seasons shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. The White Sox signed him for $10,000 as a senior sign and watched dominate out of the rotation at the Rookie levels. The Rangers acquired Weems with Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn after the 2020 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Weems has taken a jump in pro ball and impressed evaluators with his performance at instructional league prior to the trade. His four-seam fastball sits 90-94 mph and has touched as high as 96. He pairs his heater with a potentially plus, low-80s curveball with 1-to-7 break as well as a mid-80s slider with slurvy shape. He also has a changeup and two-seamer. Weems' holds his velocity late into his outings and has improved his command after struggling with it in college.
  
  THE FUTURE: Weems could be a quick mover through the lower levels of the system. He'll start for now, but questions about his command and consistency have most projecting him as a reliever long-term.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After starting his career at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, Weems transferred to Arizona and spent two seasons shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. The White Sox signed him for $10,000 as a senior sign and watched dominate out of the rotation at the Rookie levels. The Rangers acquired Weems with Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn after the 2020 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Weems has taken a jump in pro ball and impressed evaluators with his performance at instructional league prior to the trade. His four-seam fastball sits 90-94 mph and has touched as high as 96. He pairs his heater with a potentially plus, low-80s curveball with 1-to-7 break as well as a mid-80s slider with slurvy shape. He also has a changeup and two-seamer. Weems' holds his velocity late into his outings and has improved his command after struggling with it in college.
  
  THE FUTURE: Weems could be a quick mover through the lower levels of the system. He'll start for now, but questions about his command and consistency have most projecting him as a reliever long-term.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: After starting his career at Yavapai (Ariz.) JC, Weems transferred to Arizona and spent two seasons shuffling between the rotation and bullpen. The White Sox signed him for $10,000 as a senior sign and watched dominate out of the rotation at the Rookie levels. The Rangers acquired Weems with Dane Dunning for Lance Lynn after the 2020 season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Weems has taken a jump in pro ball and impressed evaluators with his performance at instructional league prior to the trade. His four-seam fastball sits 90-94 mph and has touched as high as 96. He pairs his heater with a potentially plus, low-80s curveball with 1-to-7 break as well as a mid-80s slider with slurvy shape. He also has a changeup and two-seamer. Weems' holds his velocity late into his outings and has improved his command after struggling with it in college.
  
  THE FUTURE: Weems could be a quick mover through the lower levels of the system. He'll start for now, but questions about his command and consistency have most projecting him as a reliever long-term.