Jackson Goddard Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Jackson Henry Goddard
Born 12/12/1996 in Tulsa, OK
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Kansas
Drafted in the 3rd round (99th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 (signed for $550,000).

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Goddard missed a month and a half of the season with a strained oblique muscle, but he got back on the mound in mid-May, when he reminded everyone why he's an intriguing starting pitching prospect as he struck out the first seven batters he faced against Oklahoma State. When he's locked in, Goddard can show three above-average pitches. He has a history of pitching his best against his toughest opponents. He struck out 13 while walking no one in a dominating outing as a sophomore against Oklahoma State, and was similarly effective against Oklahoma and TCU that year, but he ended the season with a 4.29 ERA because he struggled against West Virginia, Samford and Oral Roberts. Goddard's 92-94 mph fastball plays as an above-average pitch and he pretty consistently has a plus changeup. His slider is less consistent but will also show signs of being an above-average pitch at its best. He struggles to stay in the strike zone consistently, but when he's locked in, he can be great. Too often, however, he is working hard just to get through five innings.

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Track Record: Goddard, who spent three seasons in Kansas' weekend rotation, battled through an oblique injury that cost him six weeks in the middle of his junior season. Still, the Diamondbacks selected him with the 99th overall pick, the third-highest selection in school history, and signed him for $550,000.

Scouting Report: Goddard had an inconsistent track record in college, but the D-backs believe he has the makings of a power starter. With a strong, athletic build, he has a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid-90s, and he's able to hold that velocity deep into games. He throws both a slider and a changeup, either of which could be his best secondary offering depending on the day. He sometimes has issues throwing strikes, but the D-backs think that will improve as he becomes more consistent with his delivery. He didn't look quite like himself after signing--his velocity was down, as was the bite on his slider and action on his changeup--perhaps the result of being tired from a long season.

The Future: Depending on his camp performance, Goddard will open 2019 at either low Class A Kane County or high Class A Visalia.

Goddard missed a month and a half of the season with a strained oblique muscle, but he got back on the mound in mid-May, when he reminded everyone why he's an intriguing starting pitching prospect as he struck out the first seven batters he faced against Oklahoma State. When he's locked in, Goddard can show three above-average pitches. He has a history of pitching his best against his toughest opponents. He struck out 13 while walking no one in a dominating outing as a sophomore against Oklahoma State, and was similarly effective against Oklahoma and TCU that year, but he ended the season with a 4.29 ERA because he struggled against West Virginia, Samford and Oral Roberts. Goddard's 92-94 mph fastball plays as an above-average pitch and he pretty consistently has a plus changeup. His slider is less consistent but will also show signs of being an above-average pitch at its best. He struggles to stay in the strike zone consistently, but when he's locked in, he can be great. Too often, however, he is working hard just to get through five innings.