IP | 8.1 |
---|---|
ERA | 2.16 |
WHIP | 1.56 |
BB/9 | 4.32 |
SO/9 | 12.96 |
- Full name Benjamin Keith Casparius
- Born 02/11/1999 in Westport, CT
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Connecticut
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Drafted in the 5th round (162nd overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 (signed for $247,500).
View Draft Report
Casparius saw occasional playing time as an infielder and a reliever during his 2018 and 2019 seasons at North Carolina before transferring back to his home state to play for Connecticut. After sitting out 2020, Casparius broke through with an outstanding 2021 campaign, tying for seventh in the nation in strikeouts with 123 punchouts in 88 innings through the end of the regular season. At 6 feet, 208 pounds, Casparius isn't that big, but he has a quality three-pitch mix, operating off a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and can reach 95. His fastball is arguably his third-best pitch, with a pair of secondary offerings that can miss bats. His go-to offspeed pitch is his slider, a 50 to 55 offering on the 20-80 scale. Some scouts see a potential plus slider, and he leans heavily on his fastball/slider combination against righthanded hitters. Against lefties, Casparius mixes in more changeups, and while he doesn't use it as much as his slider, it's the pitch that gets the highest whiff rate. His changeup flashes plus with excellent lateral action at its best and sometimes good drop as well, a true swing-and-miss pitch against pro hitters. Casparius is a good athlete with an efficient, repeatable delivery, but his fastball command needs to improve, which is why some scouts see his future in the bullpen. Others see a starter's three-pitch mix and enough strikes to project him as a solid back-end starter.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Casparius played both ways for two seasons at north Carolina before transferring to Connecticut and becoming a pitcher exclusively. He led the Big East Conference with 127 strikeouts as a junior and was drafted by the Dodgers in the fifth round. Casparius has an unsightly 5.18 ERA as a pro, but he’s shown promising underlying stuff. He struck out 120 batters, tied for third-most in the Dodgers system, and rose to Double-A Tulsa in 2023.
Scouting Report: Casparius is an athletic, physical righthander with a deep pitch mix. His fastball sits 93-94 mph and touches 96 with downhill plane. His primary pitch is a plus, 84-87 mph slider with hard, downward break he can both land in the strike zone or use to get chase swings. He commands his slider better than his fastball and can manipulate it to give it added sweep. Casparius’ 83-86 mph changeup with late fade is an above-average pitch he is comfortable throwing to both lefties and righties. He also mixes in an occasional curveball and cutter. Casparius’ fastball gets hit hard, so he leans heavily on his secondaries. He tends to spin off in his delivery and has fringe-average control.
The Future: Casparius’ delivery and secondary-heavy mix portend an eventual move to the bullpen. He projects to be an effective middle reliever.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
Draft Prospects
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Casparius saw occasional playing time as an infielder and a reliever during his 2018 and 2019 seasons at North Carolina before transferring back to his home state to play for Connecticut. After sitting out 2020, Casparius broke through with an outstanding 2021 campaign, tying for seventh in the nation in strikeouts with 123 punchouts in 88 innings through the end of the regular season. At 6 feet, 208 pounds, Casparius isn't that big, but he has a quality three-pitch mix, operating off a fastball that sits at 89-93 mph and can reach 95. His fastball is arguably his third-best pitch, with a pair of secondary offerings that can miss bats. His go-to offspeed pitch is his slider, a 50 to 55 offering on the 20-80 scale. Some scouts see a potential plus slider, and he leans heavily on his fastball/slider combination against righthanded hitters. Against lefties, Casparius mixes in more changeups, and while he doesn't use it as much as his slider, it's the pitch that gets the highest whiff rate. His changeup flashes plus with excellent lateral action at its best and sometimes good drop as well, a true swing-and-miss pitch against pro hitters. Casparius is a good athlete with an efficient, repeatable delivery, but his fastball command needs to improve, which is why some scouts see his future in the bullpen. Others see a starter's three-pitch mix and enough strikes to project him as a solid back-end starter.