Juaron Watts-Brown Stats & Scouting Report

IP	45.1
ERA	6.35
WHIP	1.61
BB/9	6.15
SO/9	11.32

Full name Juaron Donovan Watts-Brown
Born 02/23/2002 in Visalia, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Oklahoma State
Drafted in the 3rd round (89th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023 (signed for $1,002,785).

View Draft Report

School: Oklahoma State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.

Watts-Brown was a standout, multi-sport athlete in high school who excelled at baseball, football and basketball. He began his college career at Long Beach State, but redshirted in 2021 to recover from an arm injury he sustained in football. When he returned to the mound in 2022, Watts-Brown was named a Freshman All-American and his draft stock exploded over the summer when he showed improved velocity and some of the best all-around pitching upside during the summer in the Cape Cod League. In his first and only season with Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander posted a 5.03 ERA over 15 starts and 82.1 innings and led the Big 12 with 124 strikeouts and a 33% strikeout rate. He’s a good mover on the mound with a clean, fast arm, a bit of length in the back of his arm path and a three-quarter slot. Watts-Brown averaged 92 mph and touched 95 with a fastball that had around 19 inches of induced vertical break. He used that pitch less than half the time however, thanks to a high-usage, mid-80s slider that flashes plus with hard, tight spin and looks like a real out pitch. He generated whiffs at a 53% rate with the slider, with 40% usage, and often shows better feel to land it for strikes than either his fastball, his low-80s 12-6 curveball or his mid-80s changeup. Watts-Brown has fringy control and needs to improve his fastball command to make the most of a solid four-pitch mix.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 45/High

Track Record: A shoulder injury sustained while playing high school football forced Watts-Brown to redshirt at Long Beach State in 2021. He returned fully healthy in 2022 and broke out, earning second-team Freshman All-America honors. Watts-Brown transferred to Oklahoma State for 2023. Over 15 starts with the Cowboys, he struggled with his command, walking 48 batters in 84.1 innings and finishing the season with a 5.03 ERA. Despite his poor performance, teams still liked his projectable frame and pitch mix. The Blue Jays drafted Watts-Brown in the third round and signed him for an above-slot bonus of $1 million.

Scouting Report: Watts-Brown has a prototypical tall picther’s frame, with a smooth rhythmic operation on the mound and a high three-quarters slot. He mixes four pitches in his four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and an infrequently used changeup. Watts-Brown’s fastball sits 90-93 mph with above-average ride and run, but the pitch lacks velocity and deception and rarely misses bats. His slider is the crown jewel of his arsenal. It’s a mid-80s gyro slider with late bite, and it’s equally effective against righthanded and lefthanded hitters. Watts-Brown mixes a curveball as his third pitch. It sits 80-82 mph with depth. He rarely throws his changeup, a mid-80s offspeed pitch he pockets in most starts. Watts-Brown has below-average command at present but could evolve to fringe-average with time and pro instruction.

The Future: A projectable righthander with command concerns, Watts-Brown could develop into a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 45

Draft Prospects

School: Oklahoma State Source: 4YR

Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.4
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Fastball: 55. Slider: 60. Curveball: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.

Watts-Brown was a standout, multi-sport athlete in high school who excelled at baseball, football and basketball. He began his college career at Long Beach State, but redshirted in 2021 to recover from an arm injury he sustained in football. When he returned to the mound in 2022, Watts-Brown was named a Freshman All-American and his draft stock exploded over the summer when he showed improved velocity and some of the best all-around pitching upside during the summer in the Cape Cod League. In his first and only season with Oklahoma State, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound righthander posted a 5.03 ERA over 15 starts and 82.1 innings and led the Big 12 with 124 strikeouts and a 33% strikeout rate. He’s a good mover on the mound with a clean, fast arm, a bit of length in the back of his arm path and a three-quarter slot. Watts-Brown averaged 92 mph and touched 95 with a fastball that had around 19 inches of induced vertical break. He used that pitch less than half the time however, thanks to a high-usage, mid-80s slider that flashes plus with hard, tight spin and looks like a real out pitch. He generated whiffs at a 53% rate with the slider, with 40% usage, and often shows better feel to land it for strikes than either his fastball, his low-80s 12-6 curveball or his mid-80s changeup. Watts-Brown has fringy control and needs to improve his fastball command to make the most of a solid four-pitch mix.