Alec Willis Stats & Scouting Report

IP	3
ERA	0
WHIP	1
BB/9	6
SO/9	12

Full name Alec William Willis
Born 03/30/2003 in Denver, CO
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Regis Jesuit
Drafted in the 7th round (211th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021 (signed for $1,000,000).

View Draft Report

Willis just might be one of the bigger pop-up high school arms in this year’s draft. He missed last summer’s showcase season due to ulnar decompression surgery but has since made up for lost time during his senior high school season. The tall, strong-framed Willis throws a fastball from 89-96 mph, sitting 93, and it’s already regarded as a plus pitch. He’s also more advanced than many high school pitchers his age, with feel to pitch, good arm action and average or better secondary pitches. An 80-83 mph slider is his best pitch, a future plus offering. A 72-75 mph curveball needs work but with Willis’ athleticism it has a good chance to get at least close to average. He infrequently uses an 85 mph changeup, so improving that pitch will be needed in his development. Delivering his pitches with average to above-average arm speed and a balanced delivery, he gets good extension and finish. He’s more of a control-over-command type of pitcher now. Willis has a commitment to Minnesota, but it’s likely he gets drafted high enough to forego college ball, with the only cause for concern being his injury history.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Willis missed most of the high school showcase circuit after having ulnar nerve decompression surgery before his senior year, but he returned healthy in the spring and showed premium stuff and physicality to become one of the 2021 draft's biggest risers. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round and signed him for an above-slot $1 million bonus to forgo a Minnesota commitment. Willis has struggled to stay on the mound since signing. He pitched only one inning in his pro debut and missed most of 2022 with an unspecified arm issue.

Scouting Report: Standing 6-foot-5 with a broad physical frame, Willis has the build of a rotation workhouse at just 19 years old. While his pure strength is yet to surface as a professional there's hope he can make significant velocity gains once healthy for a long stretch. Willis' fastball sits 89-91 mph and tops out at 92, but it plays up with moderate ride and cut and the more than seven feet of extension he generates in his delivery. His slurvy curveball sits in the upper-70s and tunnels well off his fastball. His fringy, low-80s changeup features splitter-like action, but he rarely throws it. Willis has flashed average control of his stuff, but he's rarely been on the mound long enough to show whether he can sustain it.

The Future: Willis has to get healthy. If he does, he shows the raw ingredients of a projectable, righthanded starter capable of eating innings.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Changeup 45. Control: 50.
Track Record: After missing the 2020 summer showcase campaign due to ulnar decompression that led to surgery, Willis shot on to the scene with an outstanding performance during his senior high school season that led his draft stock to rise significantly. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round in 2021, and he appeared in one Florida Complex League game after signing.

Scouting Report: Willis has a powerful build at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with projection remaining for him to gain additional velocity to a fastball that sits in the low 90s and tops out at 96 mph. He pairs his fastball with a trio of secondary pitches that all project to be average or better. His low-80s slider is the best of the three, a future plus pitch. He also throws a mid-70s curveball and a mid-80s changeup, which is a clear fourth offering. Willis projects for solid-average control, and he has good arm speed and a smooth, balanced delivery.

The Future: Willis has the upside of a future big league starter, but he’s years away from that point. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.

Draft Prospects

Willis just might be one of the bigger pop-up high school arms in this year’s draft. He missed last summer’s showcase season due to ulnar decompression surgery but has since made up for lost time during his senior high school season. The tall, strong-framed Willis throws a fastball from 89-96 mph, sitting 93, and it’s already regarded as a plus pitch. He’s also more advanced than many high school pitchers his age, with feel to pitch, good arm action and average or better secondary pitches. An 80-83 mph slider is his best pitch, a future plus offering. A 72-75 mph curveball needs work but with Willis’ athleticism it has a good chance to get at least close to average. He infrequently uses an 85 mph changeup, so improving that pitch will be needed in his development. Delivering his pitches with average to above-average arm speed and a balanced delivery, he gets good extension and finish. He’s more of a control-over-command type of pitcher now. Willis has a commitment to Minnesota, but it’s likely he gets drafted high enough to forego college ball, with the only cause for concern being his injury history.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Willis missed most of the high school showcase circuit after having ulnar nerve decompression surgery before his senior year, but he returned healthy in the spring and showed premium stuff and physicality to become one of the 2021 draft's biggest risers. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round and signed him for an above-slot $1 million bonus to forgo a Minnesota commitment. Willis has struggled to stay on the mound since signing. He pitched only one inning in his pro debut and missed most of 2022 with an unspecified arm issue.

Scouting Report: Standing 6-foot-5 with a broad physical frame, Willis has the build of a rotation workhouse at just 19 years old. While his pure strength is yet to surface as a professional there's hope he can make significant velocity gains once healthy for a long stretch. Willis' fastball sits 89-91 mph and tops out at 92, but it plays up with moderate ride and cut and the more than seven feet of extension he generates in his delivery. His slurvy curveball sits in the upper-70s and tunnels well off his fastball. His fringy, low-80s changeup features splitter-like action, but he rarely throws it. Willis has flashed average control of his stuff, but he's rarely been on the mound long enough to show whether he can sustain it.

The Future: Willis has to get healthy. If he does, he shows the raw ingredients of a projectable, righthanded starter capable of eating innings.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Changeup 45. Control: 50.
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Willis missed most of the high school showcase circuit after having ulnar nerve decompression surgery before his senior year, but he returned healthy in the spring and showed premium stuff and physicality to become one of the 2021 draft's biggest risers. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round and signed him for an above-slot $1 million bonus to forgo a Minnesota commitment. Willis has struggled to stay on the mound since signing. He pitched only one inning in his pro debut and missed most of 2022 with an unspecified arm issue.

Scouting Report: Standing 6-foot-5 with a broad physical frame, Willis has the build of a rotation workhouse at just 19 years old. While his pure strength is yet to surface as a professional there's hope he can make significant velocity gains once healthy for a long stretch. Willis' fastball sits 89-91 mph and tops out at 92, but it plays up with moderate ride and cut and the more than seven feet of extension he generates in his delivery. His slurvy curveball sits in the upper-70s and tunnels well off his fastball. His fringy, low-80s changeup features splitter-like action, but he rarely throws it. Willis has flashed average control of his stuff, but he's rarely been on the mound long enough to show whether he can sustain it.

The Future: Willis has to get healthy. If he does, he shows the raw ingredients of a projectable, righthanded starter capable of eating innings.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Changeup 45. Control: 50.
BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record:: After missing the 2020 summer showcase campaign due to ulnar decompression that led to surgery, Willis shot on to the scene with an outstanding performance during his senior high school season that led his draft stock to rise significantly. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round in 2021, and he appeared in one Florida Complex League game after signing.

Scouting Report: Willis has a powerful build at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with projection remaining for him to gain additional velocity to a fastball that sits in the low 90s and tops out at 96 mph. He pairs his fastball with a trio of secondary pitches that all project to be average or better. His low-80s slider is the best of the three, a future plus pitch. He also throws a mid-70s curveball and a mid-80s changeup, which is a clear fourth offering. Willis projects for solid-average control, and he has good arm speed and a smooth, balanced delivery.

The Future: Willis has the upside of a future big league starter, but he&#39s years away from that point. He&#39ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
Track Record: After missing the 2020 summer showcase campaign due to ulnar decompression that led to surgery, Willis shot on to the scene with an outstanding performance during his senior high school season that led his draft stock to rise significantly. The Cardinals drafted him in the seventh round in 2021, and he appeared in one Florida Complex League game after signing.

Scouting Report: Willis has a powerful build at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds with projection remaining for him to gain additional velocity to a fastball that sits in the low 90s and tops out at 96 mph. He pairs his fastball with a trio of secondary pitches that all project to be average or better. His low-80s slider is the best of the three, a future plus pitch. He also throws a mid-70s curveball and a mid-80s changeup, which is a clear fourth offering. Willis projects for solid-average control, and he has good arm speed and a smooth, balanced delivery.

The Future: Willis has the upside of a future big league starter, but he’s years away from that point. He’ll make his full-season debut in 2022.
Willis just might be one of the bigger pop-up high school arms in this year's draft. He missed last summer's showcase season due to ulnar decompression surgery but has since made up for lost time during his senior high school season. The tall, strong-framed Willis throws a fastball from 89-96 mph, sitting 93, and it's already regarded as a plus pitch. He's also more advanced than many high school pitchers his age, with feel to pitch, good arm action and average or better secondary pitches. An 80-83 mph slider is his best pitch, a future plus offering. A 72-75 mph curveball needs work but with Willis' athleticism it has a good chance to get at least close to average. He infrequently uses an 85 mph changeup, so improving that pitch will be needed in his development. Delivering his pitches with average to above-average arm speed and a balanced delivery, he gets good extension and finish. He's more of a control-over-command type of pitcher now. Willis has a commitment to Minnesota, but it's likely he gets drafted high enough to forego college ball, with the only cause for concern being his injury history.