Hans Crouse Stats & Scouting Report

IP	25.1
ERA	2.84
WHIP	1.22
BB/9	6.04
SO/9	12.08

Full name Hans Michael Crouse
Born 09/15/1998 in Dana Point, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Dana Hills
Debut 09/26/2021
Drafted in the 2nd round (66th overall) by the Texas Rangers in 2017 (signed for $1,450,000).

View Draft Report

Crouse owns the most electric arm in this year's class. He's 6-foot-5 and skinny. Off the field, he's goofy and playful, but when he hops on the mound, Crouse is an animal. He's an intense competitor who isn't afraid to attack hitters with his fastball--which worked consistently in the upper 90s and shows life through the zone. He shows the ability to hold his velocity deep into his starts. His breaking ball has varied throughout the past year, sometimes showing more horizontal sweeping action and sometimes being more vertical, but it shows plus spin and projects as a plus pitch as Crouse gains more reps with it and gains strength and consistency. Mechanically, Crouse's delivery isn't the prettiest. His long arm action includes a high back elbow and a violent across-body finish. He's a short strider and doesn't get tremendous extension despite his tall frame. Despite his mechanics, however, Crouse is a consistent strike thrower and shows at least average control of his arsenal. He rarely throws a changeup and would likely need to develop one to remain a starter. Crouse, whose older brother Merrick pitches at Southern California, dominated in a starting role for USA Baseball's 18U team last fall, striking out 11 in seven one-hit innings against Cuba in a 6-1 victory. Still, many scouts believe he has the mentality and elite fastball-breaking ball combo to be a lights-out closer. He remains physically projectable and could some day throw extremely hard. He should clear the triple digits threshold and then some, especially if he shifts to a bullpen role.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Crouse has struggled with injuries since being selected by the Rangers in the second round in 2017, but he posted a 5-4, 3.28 record with 98 strikeouts in 85 innings in 2021 and was acquired by the Phillies as part of the trade that netted the club righthanders Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy at the 2021 trade deadline. Crouse, who made his MLB debut in September of 2021, missed the majority of the 2022 season with tendinitis in his right biceps and made just five starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Scouting Report: Crouse has flashed a pair of plus pitches in the past, but his fastball velocity regressed in 2021, topping out around 94 mph after previously sitting in the mid 90s and touching 97 mph. The pitch has quality sinking action, but averaged just 91.5 mph in 2022 in five starts, and with the velocity regression profiles more as an average pitch. Crouse's hard upper-80s slider with late diving action is his best swing-and-miss offering, and gives him a plus pitch. He developed a changeup during the 2019 season, and it's a potentially above-average weapon. Crouse is a solid strike-thrower with average control, but his violent delivery has led to significant injury concerns. With only 259.2 innings logged in five minor league seasons, it seems increasingly likely that Crouse is best suited for the bullpen.

The Future: Crouse should be ready to help the Phillies bullpen early in the 2023 season, and he could be used in a piggyback relief role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
Track Record: Coming into this season, Crouse had just 42 career appearances to his name since being drafted by the Rangers in the second round in 2017. He impressed in 2018 between short-season ball and Low-A, but missed time in 2019 due to bone spurs in his elbow that led to surgery in the offseason. Crouse didn’t appear at the alternate training site or instructional league in 2020 due to personal reasons. The Phillies acquired him along with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy in the 2021 deadline deal that sent former top prospect Spencer Howard to Texas. Crouse made his MLB debut in September.

Scouting Report: Crouse was the Rangers No. 1 prospect coming into the 2019 season due to his explosive arsenal, but he showed decreased fastball velocity with the Phillies, sitting 93-94 mph after previously reaching 97. He pairs his sinking fastball with a plus hard slider that has late diving life, and his changeup, which he developed while dealing with bone spurs in his elbow during the 2019 season, gives him a third above-average or better offering. Crouse has worked to tone down his violent delivery, and he has good feel for locating his pitches and throwing strikes with average control. The fact that Crouse stayed healthy in 2021 is an encouraging sign, but the Phillies want to see him get his fastball velocity back up to the upper 90s at its best. He has the stuff of a mid-rotation starter but needs to stay healthy and continue throwing strikes.

The Future: The Phillies were pleased with Crouse’s arsenal and motor in 2021. He’ll likely begin the 2022 season at Triple-A but could find himself back in the big leagues before long.
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: . Control: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Crouse has been one of the Rangers’ most electric pitchers since they selected him 66th overall in 2017, but injuries have slowed him. He pitched with bone spurs in his elbow in 2019, which cost him a month of the season, and did not participate at the Rangers’ alternate training site or in instructional league in 2020 because of undisclosed personal issues. The Rangers kept tabs on Crouse as he worked out on his own.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn’t wow anyone in 2019 as he pitched through his injured elbow, but he showed drive as he kept pitching and putting innings on his shoulder. Crouse’s fastball is his calling card. It’s a four-seamer that sits 92-97 mph, but he also shows the ability to sink it. His slider is a plus pitch that generates plenty of swings and misses. With his elbow limiting his ability to throw breaking balls in 2019, he developed a changeup that is potentially above-average. Crouse remains a max-effort pitcher with a high motor, but he has toned down his delivery since making his pro debut and shows average control.

THE FUTURE: Crouse’s combination of power and feel makes him a potential mid-rotation starter, but he has to show he’s healthy. He has a chance to see Double-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The No. 1 prospect in the organization a year ago, Crouse pitched through a bone spur in his pitching elbow in 2019 that hampered his stuff. He missed a month in the middle of the season, then had surgery after the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn't have the same electricity to his stuff in 2019 that he showed in 2018 as he pitched through the bone spur. Even with it, though, he still threw 92-96 mph with his fastball. At his best, Crouse has shown a plus slider that looks like a fastball out of his hand before diving late. In 2019, the nagging elbow issues took a toll on his slider, leading to a drop in his strikeout rate. He still got swings and misses with his slider, but he had trouble landing it in the zone, and it often was softer without the same finish it showed in 2018. He throws a fringe-average changeup that he shows enough feel for to tick up with more development. There's some violence to Crouse's energetic, herky-jerky delivery, so some scouts think he might end up in the bullpen, but he has the stuff to start and control to develop as a starter.

THE FUTURE: Crouse is headed to high Class A Down East in 2020. If he returns healthy and showing the stuff he did in 2018, he has a chance to be a No. 2 or 3 starter, but the stuff he showed in 2019 adds more risk to him reaching that upside.
Track Record:Pitching for USA Baseball's 18U national team as a high school senior in 2016, Crouse fired seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in Team USA's gold-medal game victory against Cuba in the COPABE Pan American Championship in Mexico. It was the beginning of a dominant senior campaign for Crouse, whom the Rangers drafted in the second round of the 2017 draft . Soon after signing, Crouse quickly looked more like a first-round pick when he reported to the Rookie-level Arizona League and picked apart hitters. The Rangers handle their high school pitching prospects with extreme caution, so Crouse opened 2018 with short-season Spokane. A cut on his thumb sidetracked his first outing, but Crouse quickly showed why he has the most upside of any pitcher in the organization, highlighted by a July 13 outing with 12 strikeouts and only one hit allowed in seven scoreless innings. By August the Rangers promoted him to low Class A Hickory.

Scouting Report: Crouse is a power pitcher who can overwhelm hitters with an electric fastball that sits in the mid-90s. It ranges mostly from 92-97 mph and has reached 99. His fastball combines excellent velocity with a high-end spin rate, giving him the ability to throw frequent strikes and dominate all quadrants of the strike zone. He generates empty swings when he elevates. Crouse's slider also flashes plus, coming out of his hand on the same plane as his fastball before breaking late to dive underneath barrels. He has flashed a good changeup at times, but right now it's still a tick below-average pitch that he hasn't needed to throw much, so using and improving that offering will be a focal point for his development. Crouse has traditional stuff for an elite pitching prospect, but his delivery is atypical. He'll mix in the occasional shimmy and wiggle, a la Johnny Cueto, leading to a high-effort, herky-jerky motion that finishes with a head whack. That gives some scouts concerns about Crouse's future command and whether his fiery, high-energy style might fit better in relief, though others think he should be fine as long as he can maintain his body control despite the effort.

The Future: Crouse is likely to return to Hickory to open 2019. He has several levels to climb, but he has the raw stuff to develop into a frontline starter.
A fiery competitor who pitched for USA Baseball's 18U National Team in 2016, Crouse passed up a Southern California commitment and signed for $1.45 million as a second-round pick, No. 66 overall, in 2017. He completely overmatched Rookie-level Arizona League hitters in his pro debut after signing, allowing seven hits and one earned run in 20 innings while recording 30 strikeouts. Crouse has the most upside of any pitcher in the Rangers organization. He has great arm speed on a power fastball that sits 93-96 mph and can reach 99, with Crouse cruising in that upper range in short stints in the AZL. His slider has tight spin, sharp bite and two-plane depth, giving him a putaway pitch. Crouse didn't throw his firm changeup much in high school so it's still below-average, but it shows promise with its late fading action. Crouse's delivery certainly isn't free and easy, with long arm action, a short stride and a violent finish across his body. However, Crouse repeats his arm slot well and is able to locate his fastball to both sides of the plate, with his long arms and legs flying at the hitter helping to enhance his deception. Crouse has frontline starter potential, though he's at least a few years away from reaching the majors. Low Class A Hickory is next.

Draft Prospects

Crouse owns the most electric arm in this year's class. He's 6-foot-5 and skinny. Off the field, he's goofy and playful, but when he hops on the mound, Crouse is an animal. He's an intense competitor who isn't afraid to attack hitters with his fastball--which worked consistently in the upper 90s and shows life through the zone. He shows the ability to hold his velocity deep into his starts. His breaking ball has varied throughout the past year, sometimes showing more horizontal sweeping action and sometimes being more vertical, but it shows plus spin and projects as a plus pitch as Crouse gains more reps with it and gains strength and consistency. Mechanically, Crouse's delivery isn't the prettiest. His long arm action includes a high back elbow and a violent across-body finish. He's a short strider and doesn't get tremendous extension despite his tall frame. Despite his mechanics, however, Crouse is a consistent strike thrower and shows at least average control of his arsenal. He rarely throws a changeup and would likely need to develop one to remain a starter. Crouse, whose older brother Merrick pitches at Southern California, dominated in a starting role for USA Baseball's 18U team last fall, striking out 11 in seven one-hit innings against Cuba in a 6-1 victory. Still, many scouts believe he has the mentality and elite fastball-breaking ball combo to be a lights-out closer. He remains physically projectable and could some day throw extremely hard. He should clear the triple digits threshold and then some, especially if he shifts to a bullpen role.

Minor League Top Prospects

Every pitch, Crouse's delivery makes it appear that he is trying to throw the ball through the catcher's mitt. His delivery is high-energy, high-effort and carries with it a significant head whack. So a skeptic can worry that Crouse won't have the durability to replicate this effortful delivery for 100 pitches every five days. Adding to those concerns, Crouse had to be shut down at the end of the season with a bone spur in his pitching elbow that required surgery. But there are reasons to believe that Crouse's delivery is sustainable because he may be strong enough and athletic enough to make it work. Most pitchers with an extreme head-whack can't throw strikes—Crouse walked less than two batters per nine innings. He carries a plus fastball late into his outings, and he mixes in an above-average slider and a future average changeup. Crouse is extremely competitive and evaluators were impressed with how he battled through jams.
Crouse whiffed 47 in just 38 innings, including an 11-strikeout gem against Eugene on July 13. He also pitched a perfect inning in the all-star game, ringing two more strikeouts in the process. Crouse’s delivery draws as much attention as his arsenal thanks to a violent, herky-jerky motion that also includes a pelvic thrust and a head whack. He uses that delivery to produce an electric fastball that sits in the upper 90s and has touched triple-digits. He pairs the fastball with an above-average, mid-80s breaking ball (most describe it as a slider, but it has curveball shape at times) and a changeup that is slightly below-average. Scouts like his ability to throw both his fastball and breaking ball for strikes, though they show concern over how long he’ll be able to make his delivery work. Crouse was impressive enough in the NWL to earn a late-season promotion to low Class A Hickory, where he struggled with command.
Selected with the next-to-last pick in the second round and signing for an over-slot $1,450,000, the lean and lanky Crouse should provide outstanding value for his draft position. Crouse flashed the AZL's most electric stuff and held opponents to a .109 average with 30 strikeouts in 20 innings. His fastball velocity was consistently 96-99 mph and always in the zone, and his heater could become a true 80-grade pitch on the 20-80 scouting scale with added strength and size. His slider, another potential plus pitch, is best described as "nasty". The 88-91 mph changeup that he rarely used as an amateur is a firm pitch with good fade, looking at times like a two-seamer, and should be at least an average offering. Crouse commands all of his pitches, despite delivering them with a violent delivery that adds deception. He keeps batters off balance by varying his timing and occasionally doing a Johnny Cueto-type shoulder shimmy. He's athletic and has an extremely fast arm and has long been known as an extreme competitior.

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Best Fastball in the Texas Rangers in 2019
Rated Best Fastball in the Texas Rangers in 2018

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Crouse has struggled with injuries since being selected by the Rangers in the second round in 2017, but he posted a 5-4, 3.28 record with 98 strikeouts in 85 innings in 2021 and was acquired by the Phillies as part of the trade that netted the club righthanders Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy at the 2021 trade deadline. Crouse, who made his MLB debut in September of 2021, missed the majority of the 2022 season with tendinitis in his right biceps and made just five starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Scouting Report: Crouse has flashed a pair of plus pitches in the past, but his fastball velocity regressed in 2021, topping out around 94 mph after previously sitting in the mid 90s and touching 97 mph. The pitch has quality sinking action, but averaged just 91.5 mph in 2022 in five starts, and with the velocity regression profiles more as an average pitch. Crouse's hard upper-80s slider with late diving action is his best swing-and-miss offering, and gives him a plus pitch. He developed a changeup during the 2019 season, and it's a potentially above-average weapon. Crouse is a solid strike-thrower with average control, but his violent delivery has led to significant injury concerns. With only 259.2 innings logged in five minor league seasons, it seems increasingly likely that Crouse is best suited for the bullpen.

The Future: Crouse should be ready to help the Phillies bullpen early in the 2023 season, and he could be used in a piggyback relief role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: Crouse has struggled with injuries since being selected by the Rangers in the second round in 2017, but he posted a 5-4, 3.28 record with 98 strikeouts in 85 innings in 2021 and was acquired by the Phillies as part of the trade that netted the club righthanders Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy at the 2021 trade deadline. Crouse, who made his MLB debut in September of 2021, missed the majority of the 2022 season with tendinitis in his right biceps and made just five starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Scouting Report: Crouse has flashed a pair of plus pitches in the past, but his fastball velocity regressed in 2021, topping out around 94 mph after previously sitting in the mid 90s and touching 97 mph. The pitch has quality sinking action, but averaged just 91.5 mph in 2022 in five starts, and with the velocity regression profiles more as an average pitch. Crouse's hard upper-80s slider with late diving action is his best swing-and-miss offering, and gives him a plus pitch. He developed a changeup during the 2019 season, and it's a potentially above-average weapon. Crouse is a solid strike-thrower with average control, but his violent delivery has led to significant injury concerns. With only 259.2 innings logged in five minor league seasons, it seems increasingly likely that Crouse is best suited for the bullpen.

The Future: Crouse should be ready to help the Phillies bullpen early in the 2023 season, and he could be used in a piggyback relief role.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: Coming into this season, Crouse had just 42 career appearances to his name since being drafted by the Rangers in the second round in 2017. He impressed in 2018 between short-season ball and Low-A, but missed time in 2019 due to bone spurs in his elbow that led to surgery in the offseason. Crouse didn&#39t appear at the alternate training site or instructional league in 2020 due to personal reasons. The Phillies acquired him along with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy in the 2021 deadline deal that sent former top prospect Spencer Howard to Texas. Crouse made his MLB debut in September.

Scouting Report: Crouse was the Rangers No. 1 prospect coming into the 2019 season due to his explosive arsenal, but he showed decreased fastball velocity with the Phillies, sitting 93-94 mph after previously reaching 97. He pairs his sinking fastball with a plus hard slider that has late diving life, and his changeup, which he developed while dealing with bone spurs in his elbow during the 2019 season, gives him a third above-average or better offering. Crouse has worked to tone down his violent delivery out of his huge 6-foot-5 frame, and he has good feel for locating his pitches and throwing strikes with average control. The fact that Crouse stayed healthy in 2021 is an encouraging sign, but the Phillies want to see him get his fastball velocity back up to the upper 90s at its best. He has the stuff of a mid-rotation starter but needs to stay healthy and continue throwing strikes.

The Future: The Phillies were pleased with Crouse&#39s arsenal and motor after acquiring him at the trade deadline. He&#39ll likely begin the 2022 season at Triple-A but could find himself back in the big leagues before long.

Scouting Grades:
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
Track Record: Coming into this season, Crouse had just 42 career appearances to his name since being drafted by the Rangers in the second round in 2017. He impressed in 2018 between short-season ball and Low-A, but missed time in 2019 due to bone spurs in his elbow that led to surgery in the offseason. Crouse didn’t appear at the alternate training site or instructional league in 2020 due to personal reasons. The Phillies acquired him along with Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy in the 2021 deadline deal that sent former top prospect Spencer Howard to Texas. Crouse made his MLB debut in September.

Scouting Report: Crouse was the Rangers No. 1 prospect coming into the 2019 season due to his explosive arsenal, but he showed decreased fastball velocity with the Phillies, sitting 93-94 mph after previously reaching 97. He pairs his sinking fastball with a plus hard slider that has late diving life, and his changeup, which he developed while dealing with bone spurs in his elbow during the 2019 season, gives him a third above-average or better offering. Crouse has worked to tone down his violent delivery, and he has good feel for locating his pitches and throwing strikes with average control. The fact that Crouse stayed healthy in 2021 is an encouraging sign, but the Phillies want to see him get his fastball velocity back up to the upper 90s at its best. He has the stuff of a mid-rotation starter but needs to stay healthy and continue throwing strikes.

The Future: The Phillies were pleased with Crouse’s arsenal and motor in 2021. He’ll likely begin the 2022 season at Triple-A but could find himself back in the big leagues before long.
Crouse, acquired from the Rangers as part of the Kyle Gibson-Ian Kennedy trade, is a big, hard-throwing righthander who leads the way with a plus fastball that sits 92-97 mph with sinking life. His arsenal also includes a plus slider that's a swing-and-miss pitch, and an above-average changeup. Previously slowed by injuries that hindered him in his first three seasons of pro ball, Crouse has remained healthy this season and pitched effectively at Double-A. He has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter with average control.
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: . Control: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Crouse has been one of the Rangers’ most electric pitchers since they selected him 66th overall in 2017, but injuries have slowed him. He pitched with bone spurs in his elbow in 2019, which cost him a month of the season, and did not participate at the Rangers’ alternate training site or in instructional league in 2020 because of undisclosed personal issues. The Rangers kept tabs on Crouse as he worked out on his own.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn’t wow anyone in 2019 as he pitched through his injured elbow, but he showed drive as he kept pitching and putting innings on his shoulder. Crouse’s fastball is his calling card. It’s a four-seamer that sits 92-97 mph, but he also shows the ability to sink it. His slider is a plus pitch that generates plenty of swings and misses. With his elbow limiting his ability to throw breaking balls in 2019, he developed a changeup that is potentially above-average. Crouse remains a max-effort pitcher with a high motor, but he has toned down his delivery since making his pro debut and shows average control.

THE FUTURE: Crouse’s combination of power and feel makes him a potential mid-rotation starter, but he has to show he’s healthy. He has a chance to see Double-A in 2021.
Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Curveball: . Control: 50.

TRACK RECORD: Crouse has been one of the Rangers’ most electric pitchers since they selected him 66th overall in 2017, but injuries have slowed him. He pitched with bone spurs in his elbow in 2019, which cost him a month of the season, and did not participate at the Rangers’ alternate training site or in instructional league in 2020 because of undisclosed personal issues. The Rangers kept tabs on Crouse as he worked out on his own.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn’t wow anyone in 2019 as he pitched through his injured elbow, but he showed drive as he kept pitching and putting innings on his shoulder. Crouse’s fastball is his calling card. It’s a four-seamer that sits 92-97 mph, but he also shows the ability to sink it. His slider is a plus pitch that generates plenty of swings and misses. With his elbow limiting his ability to throw breaking balls in 2019, he developed a changeup that is potentially above-average. Crouse remains a max-effort pitcher with a high motor, but he has toned down his delivery since making his pro debut and shows average control.

THE FUTURE: Crouse’s combination of power and feel makes him a potential mid-rotation starter, but he has to show he’s healthy. He has a chance to see Double-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: The No. 1 prospect in the organization a year ago, Crouse pitched through a bone spur in his pitching elbow in 2019 that hampered his stuff. He missed a month in the middle of the season, then had surgery after the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn’t have the same electricity to his stuff in 2019 that he showed in 2018 as he pitched through the bone spur. Even with it, though, he still threw 92-96 mph with his fastball. At his best, Crouse has shown a plus slider that looks like a fastball out of his hand before diving late. In 2019, the nagging elbow issues took a toll on his slider, leading to a drop in his strikeout rate. He still got swings and misses with his slider, but he had trouble landing it in the zone, and it often was softer without the same finish it showed in 2018. He throws a fringe-average changeup that he shows enough feel for to tick up with more development. There’s some violence to Crouse’s energetic, herky-jerky delivery, so some scouts think he might end up in the bullpen, but he has the stuff to start and control to develop as a starter.

THE FUTURE: Crouse is headed to high Class A Down East in 2020. If he returns healthy and showing the stuff he did in 2018, he has a chance to be a No. 2 or 3 starter, but the stuff he showed in 2019 adds more risk to him reaching that upside.
TRACK RECORD: The No. 1 prospect in the organization a year ago, Crouse pitched through a bone spur in his pitching elbow in 2019 that hampered his stuff. He missed a month in the middle of the season, then had surgery after the season.

SCOUTING REPORT: Crouse didn't have the same electricity to his stuff in 2019 that he showed in 2018 as he pitched through the bone spur. Even with it, though, he still threw 92-96 mph with his fastball. At his best, Crouse has shown a plus slider that looks like a fastball out of his hand before diving late. In 2019, the nagging elbow issues took a toll on his slider, leading to a drop in his strikeout rate. He still got swings and misses with his slider, but he had trouble landing it in the zone, and it often was softer without the same finish it showed in 2018. He throws a fringe-average changeup that he shows enough feel for to tick up with more development. There's some violence to Crouse's energetic, herky-jerky delivery, so some scouts think he might end up in the bullpen, but he has the stuff to start and control to develop as a starter.

THE FUTURE: Crouse is headed to high Class A Down East in 2020. If he returns healthy and showing the stuff he did in 2018, he has a chance to be a No. 2 or 3 starter, but the stuff he showed in 2019 adds more risk to him reaching that upside.
Every pitch, Crouse's delivery makes it appear that he is trying to throw the ball through the catcher's mitt. His delivery is high-energy, high-effort and carries with it a significant head whack. So a skeptic can worry that Crouse won't have the durability to replicate this effortful delivery for 100 pitches every five days. Adding to those concerns, Crouse had to be shut down at the end of the season with a bone spur in his pitching elbow that required surgery. But there are reasons to believe that Crouse's delivery is sustainable because he may be strong enough and athletic enough to make it work. Most pitchers with an extreme head-whack can't throw strikes—Crouse walked less than two batters per nine innings. He carries a plus fastball late into his outings, and he mixes in an above-average slider and a future average changeup. Crouse is extremely competitive and evaluators were impressed with how he battled through jams.
The Rangers have slow-played it with Crouse, who has the most upside of any pitching prospect in the organization. A cut on his thumb derailed his first outing and rain got in the way of another, but he showed why he has frontline starter potential on July 13 when he struck out 11 with no walks and only one hit allowed in seven shutout innings. His fastball parks at 93-96 mph and has reached 98 mph this season, along with a plus slider and feel for a changeup.
Track Record: A fiery competitor who pitched for USA Baseball's 18U National Team in 2016, Crouse passed up a Southern California commitment and signed for $1.45 million as a second-round pick, No. 66 overall, in 2017. He completely overmatched Rookie-level Arizona League hitters in his pro debut after signing, allowing seven hits and one earned run in 20 innings while recording 30 strikeouts. Scouting Report: Crouse has the most upside of any pitcher in the Rangers' organization. He has great arm speed on a power fastball that sits 93-96 mph and can reach 99. His slider has tight spin, sharp bite and two-plane depth, giving him a putaway pitch. Crouse didn't throw his firm changeup much in high school so it's still below-average, but it shows promise with its late fading action. Crouse's delivery certainly isn't free and easy, with long arm action, a short stride and a violent finish across his body. However, he repeats his arm slot well and is able to locate his fastball to both sides of the plate. The Future: Crouse has frontline starter potential, though he's at least a few years away from reaching the majors. Low Class A Hickory is next.

Career Transactions

Los Angeles Angels recalled RHP Hans Crouse from Salt Lake Bees.
Salt Lake Bees activated RHP Hans Crouse from the temporarily inactive list.
Salt Lake Bees placed RHP Hans Crouse on the temporarily inactive list.
Los Angeles Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Salt Lake Bees.
Los Angeles Angels recalled RHP Hans Crouse from Salt Lake Bees.
Los Angeles Angels optioned RHP Hans Crouse to Salt Lake Bees.
Los Angeles Angels selected the contract of RHP Hans Crouse from Salt Lake Bees.
Los Angeles Angels signed free agent RHP Hans Crouse to a minor league contract.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred RHP Hans Crouse from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs transferred RHP Hans Crouse from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs placed RHP Hans Crouse on the 7-day injured list.
RHP Hans Crouse and assigned to Philadelphia Phillies.