John Doxakis

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis picked the perfect time for a breakout. A consistent performer at Texas A&M, he had been viewed as a soft-tosser. But he started throwing 91-93 mph more often as a junior, which turned him into a second-round pick in a pitching-poor 2019 draft class.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even with improved velocity, Doxakis pitches with a below-average fastball, though his funky delivery makes it hard to square up. He sits around 90 mph, though his fastball has quality life and he can run it and cut it. His ability to dot corners with above-average command and plus control lets his fastball work, and it sets up his above-average mid-80s slider. It has two-plane break and he's shown he can use it against lefties and righties. His fringy changeup will need to get better as he climbs the ladder.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis is yet another crafty Rays lefty whose fastball plays better than the radar gun readings would indicate. If he can continue to add further velocity, he has back-end starter potential.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #22 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis pitched his way into the second round with a strong 2019, showing excellent control and improved fastball velocity.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Doxakis' improved arm speed helped both his now average fastball (he now sits 89-92 mph and touches 94, an increase of 2-3 mph) and his slider. Doxakis' slider has morphed from a slow, below-average pitch in 2018 to a harder, 84-85 mph two-planer he can back foot to righthanded hitters and can induce chases from lefties. His changeup is a fringe-average pitch as well. All of them are more effective because of his ability to dot the corners with plus control and above-average command.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis throws harder, but he doesn't throw hard. His ability to locate his fastball and get his slider in on righthanded hitters gives him a solid chance to be a durable, productive starter. Whether he starts there or in Bowling Green, he should spend a good bit of 2020 at high Class A Charlotte.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #53 prospect in 2019 draft
  A 6-foot-4 lefthander, Doxakis doesn't have the biggest stuff, but when it comes to strike-throwing and deception, he's among the best in the country. He works with a below-average or fringe-average fastball that spends more time in the upper 80s than low 90s, an average slider and a solid changeup that might be his best pitch. He has a rigid yet funky delivery that makes things more difficult for hitters, particularly given his ability to spot all of his pitches. After walking 2.8 batters per nine innings as a sophomore in 2018, Doxakis cut his walk rate by more than half (1.12 walks per nine) through his first nine starts in 2019 and also started striking out more batters. He's added more physicality in his junior season, particularly in his lower half, but he projects as more of a back-of-the-rotation starter given his lack of pure stuff.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #13 prospect in 2019
  Doxakis was dominant before the draft and kept that positive momentum going into his time with short-season Hudson Valley. Not known for blowing pitches past hitters, Doxakis works with deception and a good feel for pitching. The lefthander had a strong month of August, allowing just two earned runs in 16 innings across his five appearances. "This is a guy that is very advanced for his age and knows how to approach each hitter," one NYPL manager said. The lefty works with a fastball that tops out at 94 mph. His best secondary pitch is his slider, which plays up due to his funky yet deceptive delivery in which he throws from a low. three-quarter arm slot. His changeup lags behind his other two offerings but shows signs of maybe developing into an average offering in the future. Doxakis' feel to pitch and three-pitch mix make for a ceiling of a mid- to back-end starter.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis picked the perfect time for a breakout. A consistent performer at Texas A&M, he had been viewed as a soft-tosser. But he started throwing 91-93 mph more often as a junior, which turned him into a second-round pick in a pitching-poor 2019 draft class.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even with improved velocity, Doxakis pitches with a below-average fastball, though his funky delivery makes it hard to square up. He sits around 90 mph, though his fastball has quality life and he can run it and cut it. His ability to dot corners with above-average command and plus control lets his fastball work, and it sets up his above-average mid-80s slider. It has two-plane break and he's shown he can use it against lefties and righties. His fringy changeup will need to get better as he climbs the ladder.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis is yet another crafty Rays lefty whose fastball plays better than the radar gun readings would indicate. If he can continue to add further velocity, he has back-end starter potential.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis picked the perfect time for a breakout. A consistent performer at Texas A&M, he had been viewed as a soft-tosser. But he started throwing 91-93 mph more often as a junior, which turned him into a second-round pick in a pitching-poor 2019 draft class.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Even with improved velocity, Doxakis pitches with a below-average fastball, though his funky delivery makes it hard to square up. He sits around 90 mph, though his fastball has quality life and he can run it and cut it. His ability to dot corners with above-average command and plus control lets his fastball work, and it sets up his above-average mid-80s slider. It has two-plane break and he's shown he can use it against lefties and righties. His fringy changeup will need to get better as he climbs the ladder.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis is yet another crafty Rays lefty whose fastball plays better than the radar gun readings would indicate. If he can continue to add further velocity, he has back-end starter potential.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis pitched his way into the second round with a strong 2019, showing excellent control and improved fastball velocity.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Doxakis’ improved arm speed helped both his now average fastball (he now sits 89-92 mph and touches 94, an increase of 2-3 mph) and his slider. Doxakis’ slider has morphed from a slow, below-average pitch in 2018 to a harder, 84-85 mph two-planer he can back foot to righthanded hitters and can induce chases from lefties. His changeup is a fringe-average pitch as well. All of them are more effective because of his ability to dot the corners with plus control and above-average command.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis throws harder, but he doesn’t throw hard. His ability to locate his fastball and get his slider in on righthanded hitters gives him a solid chance to be a durable, productive starter. Whether he starts there or in Bowling Green, he should spend a good bit of 2020 at high Class A Charlotte.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Doxakis pitched his way into the second round with a strong 2019, showing excellent control and improved fastball velocity.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Doxakis' improved arm speed helped both his now average fastball (he now sits 89-92 mph and touches 94, an increase of 2-3 mph) and his slider. Doxakis' slider has morphed from a slow, below-average pitch in 2018 to a harder, 84-85 mph two-planer he can back foot to righthanded hitters and can induce chases from lefties. His changeup is a fringe-average pitch as well. All of them are more effective because of his ability to dot the corners with plus control and above-average command.
  
  THE FUTURE: Doxakis throws harder, but he doesn't throw hard. His ability to locate his fastball and get his slider in on righthanded hitters gives him a solid chance to be a durable, productive starter. Whether he starts there or in Bowling Green, he should spend a good bit of 2020 at high Class A Charlotte.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A 6-foot-4 lefthander, Doxakis doesn't have the biggest stuff, but when it comes to strike-throwing and deception, he's among the best in the country. He works with a below-average or fringe-average fastball that spends more time in the upper 80s than low 90s, an average slider and a solid changeup that might be his best pitch. He has a rigid yet funky delivery that makes things more difficult for hitters, particularly given his ability to spot all of his pitches. After walking 2.8 batters per nine innings as a sophomore in 2018, Doxakis cut his walk rate by more than half (1.12 walks per nine) through his first nine starts in 2019 and also started striking out more batters. He's added more physicality in his junior season, particularly in his lower half, but he projects as more of a back-of-the-rotation starter given his lack of pure stuff.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Doxakis was dominant before the draft and kept that positive momentum going into his time with short-season Hudson Valley. Not known for blowing pitches past hitters, Doxakis works with deception and a good feel for pitching. The lefthander had a strong month of August, allowing just two earned runs in 16 innings across his five appearances. "This is a guy that is very advanced for his age and knows how to approach each hitter," one NYPL manager said. The lefty works with a fastball that tops out at 94 mph. His best secondary pitch is his slider, which plays up due to his funky yet deceptive delivery in which he throws from a low. three-quarter arm slot. His changeup lags behind his other two offerings but shows signs of maybe developing into an average offering in the future. Doxakis' feel to pitch and three-pitch mix make for a ceiling of a mid- to back-end starter.