Chad Dallas

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #14 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Dallas spent his freshman season at Panola (Texas) JC, before transferring to Tennessee. He enjoyed success over two seasons with the Volunteers, striking out 143 batters and walking just 26 in 124.1 innings. Dallas was selected by the Blue Jays in the fourth round of the 2021 draft but didn’t debut until the following spring. He spent all of his 2022 season at High-A Vancouver and returned there to begin 2023, but his improved physique and stuff saw him earn promotion to Double-A New Hampshire after five starts.
  
  Scouting Report: Dallas mixes a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, cutter and a changeup. His primary pitch is his mid-80s slider, which sees heavier usage than his fastball. Dallas’ slider is a true sweeper that sits 84-85 mph with 13-14 inches of horizontal break, and he shows easy plus command of the pitch. His fastball sits 92-94 mph with average ride and cut. Dallas generates lots of bad contact against his fastball but does not generate many whiffs. He mixes a curveball at 81-82 mph with two-plane break and a cutter sitting 89-91 mph. Dallas’ firm upper-80s changeup is thrown just a few times a game and isn’t a major part of his repertoire. He shows average command of his pitch mix, with a knack for consistently landing his slider in the zone.
  
  The Future: Dallas is an undersized starter with a shot at a back-of-the-rotation role.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 30 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 50
• 
  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #20 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A standout for Tennessee in the regionals, Dallas started the Volunteers’ opening game of the College World Series against Virginia, after leading the team in wins and strikeouts during the 2021 season. His three-year collegiate career spanned a two year stint at Tennessee after spending his freshman season at Panola JC in Carthage, Texas.
  
  Scouting Report: Dallas is an athletic pitcher, with an up-tempo delivery, and a smooth motion toward the plate despite some effort due to the pace. He delivers the ball from a high three-quarter slot, with a short, fast arm action, a heavy drop and drive operation and a strong leg block, that portends potential velocity gains to be had. Dallas works off of a four pitch mix that features above-average spin. His four-seam fastball has moderate hop, sitting 91-94 mph, touching 96 mph at peak, and is used primarily to set up his trio of secondaries early in counts. His horizontal breaking slider has good velocity sitting in the mid-80s, touching as high as 89 mph, and is his best swing and miss pitch by a wide margin. He shows excellent command of the pitch, and can throw it for strikes or exaggerate the shape to induce chases off the plate glove side. His low-80s curveball is used interchangeably with his slider, featuring 11-5 shape and heavier downward drop than his slider. The pitch is his primary secondary against lefthanded hitters, and is an effective, but not overpowering offering. He throws a low-90s cutter that produced good results in limited 2021 usage.
  
  The Future: Dallas has all the ingredients of a potential back-end starter, with upside to add more velocity to his fastball. Excellent feel for spin, and command of his secondaries drive his profile.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #114 prospect in 2021 draft
  A transfer from Panola (Texas) JC, Dallas led Tennessee with 21.1 innings in the shortened 2020 season and posted a 2.53 ERA in the process. While he didn’t quite hold opposing teams to that sterling mark this spring, Dallas did impress over 15 starts and 90.2 innings, with a 4.27 ERA and standout strikeout and walk numbers. He struck out 106 batters (10.5 K/9) and walked 19 (1.9 BB/9) and had the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio among SEC pitchers who started 10 or more games. He’s been mostly a three-pitch arm this spring, with an average fastball that sits in the 91-93 mph range but has been up to 97, with both a curveball and a slider—pitches he improved over the offseason. The curve is a hard downer in the 79-81 mph range that is effective against righties and lefties, while the slider sits in the mid 80s with late and hard bite that makes it an effective swing-and-miss offering inside and out of the zone. Dallas has flashed a mid-80s changeup as well, but he rarely uses it and it’s a distinct fourth pitch at the moment. Dallas’ arm action gets a bit lengthy in the back with some plunging action, but he’s been a strong strike-thrower for two years now and scouts have confidence he can start at the next level, with the sort of breaking stuff that should be able to miss pro bats.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A standout for Tennessee in the regionals, Dallas started the Volunteers’ opening game of the College World Series against Virginia, after leading the team in wins and strikeouts during the 2021 season. His three-year collegiate career spanned a two year stint at Tennessee after spending his freshman season at Panola JC in Carthage, Texas.
  
  Scouting Report: Dallas is an athletic pitcher, with an up-tempo delivery, and a smooth motion toward the plate despite some effort due to the pace. He delivers the ball from a high three-quarter slot, with a short, fast arm action, a heavy drop and drive operation and a strong leg block, that portends potential velocity gains to be had. Dallas works off of a four pitch mix that features above-average spin. His four-seam fastball has moderate hop, sitting 91-94 mph, touching 96 mph at peak, and is used primarily to set up his trio of secondaries early in counts. His horizontal breaking slider has good velocity sitting in the mid-80s, touching as high as 89 mph, and is his best swing and miss pitch by a wide margin. He shows excellent command of the pitch, and can throw it for strikes or exaggerate the shape to induce chases off the plate glove side. His low-80s curveball is used interchangeably with his slider, featuring 11-5 shape and heavier downward drop than his slider. The pitch is his primary secondary against lefthanded hitters, and is an effective, but not overpowering offering. He throws a low-90s cutter that produced good results in limited 2021 usage.
  
  The Future: Dallas has all the ingredients of a potential back-end starter, with upside to add more velocity to his fastball. Excellent feel for spin, and command of his secondaries drive his profile.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  A transfer from Panola (Texas) JC, Dallas led Tennessee with 21.1 innings in the shortened 2020 season and posted a 2.53 ERA in the process. While he didn't quite hold opposing teams to that sterling mark this spring, Dallas did impress over 15 starts and 90.2 innings, with a 4.27 ERA and standout strikeout and walk numbers. He struck out 106 batters (10.5 K/9) and walked 19 (1.9 BB/9) and had the fourth-best strikeout-to-walk ratio among SEC pitchers who started 10 or more games. He's been mostly a three-pitch arm this spring, with an average fastball that sits in the 91-93 mph range but has been up to 97, with both a curveball and a slider—pitches he improved over the offseason. The curve is a hard downer in the 79-81 mph range that is effective against righties and lefties, while the slider sits in the mid 80s with late and hard bite that makes it an effective swing-and-miss offering inside and out of the zone. Dallas has flashed a mid-80s changeup as well, but he rarely uses it and it's a distinct fourth pitch at the moment. Dallas' arm action gets a bit lengthy in the back with some plunging action, but he's been a strong strike-thrower for two years now and scouts have confidence he can start at the next level, with the sort of breaking stuff that should be able to miss pro bats.