Jared Shuster

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #3 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: The shortened 2020 draft has proved to be an exceptional one for the Braves, who drafted Shuster in the first round at No. 25 overall as well as Jesse Franklin, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder. Strider and Elder have already established themselves as big leaguers just two years later. Shuster could be knocking on the door after a strong overall season in the upper minors.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster has impressive feel for a solid three-pitch mix, which includes a fastball, changeup and slider. During his final college season at Wake Forest, Shuster showed improved fastball velocity and was touching 96-97 mph, but that velocity has never fully carried over to pro ball. In 2022, Shuster sat around 90-92 mph with solid carry and cut, with a max velocity around 94-95. His changeup remains his best offering and his go-to secondary, a plus pitch that averages around 80 mph. The pitch continues to generate whiffs at a high rate, as well as ugly swings as it falls below the zone. Shuster's changeup features double-digit velocity separation from his fastball. Shuster tried throwing his slider harder during the 2022 season, and Braves officials were happy with the progress of the pitch--which sat in the 82-87 mph range--though external scouts view it as a fringy pitch that will play up with good command. Shuster is an above-average strike-thrower with a career minor league walk rate of 6.8%. In 2022 he threw all three of his pitches for strikes more than 64% of the time.
  
  The Future: Shuster's upside and ceiling are limited if he cannot rediscover the power he showed in flashes as an amateur, but he's also one of the most probable big leaguers in the system, with back-end starter or middle reliever upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 45 Changeup: 60 Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #15 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Braves made Shuster their first-round pick in 2020 after the southpaw saw a significant uptick in velocity during the shortened 2020 season, signing him for just under $2.2 million. That velocity didn’t hold up in his first taste of pro ball this year, and while he pushed to Double-A, Shuster is still adjusting to the rigors of pro ball.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster stands out for his pitching ability and a devastating changeup that multiple Braves officials have said is better than righthander Ian Anderson’s. The pitch is an easy plus offering that generates ugly swings and is thrown with confidence and 12 mph separation from his fastball. While that velocity gap is solid, Shuster sat with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range, touching 94. The shape of the pitch is solid, but so far it looks like his draft-year spike in velocity was more of a flash in the pan than a sign of a new normal. Shuster’s slider is a low-80s breaking ball that generated whiffs at a decent clip this year, but scouts think it’s more of an average offering at best. Shuster looked like he was still acclimating to the pro schedule, and he got hit around over three starts in Double-A (11.7 H/9), though he has continued to throw quality strikes.
  
  The Future: Shuster’s ceiling is somewhat limited given his velocity, though an out-pitch changeup and above-average control give him a chance to be a backend starter.
  
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #9 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
  Track Record: Shuster took a giant leap last spring at Wake Forest, going from a middling lefty who sat 88-92 mph to touching 97 while also showing radically improved control. The Braves bought into his improvement and drafted him in the first round, No. 25th overall and signed him for just under $2.2 million, continuing their recent trend of selecting college players with their first picks.
  
  Scouting Report: A 6-foot-3 lefthander, Shuster stands out for his impressive pitchability. He walked just nine batters in 58.1 innings between Wake Forest and the Cape Cod League, and Braves officials were impressed with his ability to locate both of his secondary offerings. Shuster’s improved fastball now sits 92-95 mph and can reach higher as needed. His best pitch is his changeup. It’s a true plus offering with impressive tumble that he throws with confidence. Shuster’s slider is fringier and can get slurvy at times but has a chance to be average with continued development. He has improved his control enough to be an above-average strike-thrower, though he will need to prove it in pro ball.
  
  The Future: Shuster’s fastball and changeup give him a solid foundation. He has to show he can hold his improved velocity over a full season and sharpen his slider, which will be his main goals in 2021.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #43 prospect in 2020 draft
  Shuster is one of the fastest-rising pitchers in the 2020 class, and his ascension started with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. After walking more than five batters per nine innings over his first two seasons at Wake Forest, Shuster showed dramatically better strike-throwing ability with Orleans, walking just five batters in 32 innings. He also boosted his fastball velocity. After mostly sitting in the 88-92 mph range, Shuster came out this spring with a fastball up to the 96-97 mph from the left side. Shuster has impressive starter traits to go along with that velocity, especially with his improved control. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty has a plus changeup and a developing slider that could become an average pitch as well. The dramatic improvement in both his stuff and control has vaulted him up into the second-to-third-round range, and it wouldn’t be shocking for some scouts to have first-round grades on him.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: The shortened 2020 draft has proved to be an exceptional one for the Braves, who drafted Shuster in the first round at No. 25 overall as well as Jesse Franklin, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder. Strider and Elder have already established themselves as big leaguers just two years later. Shuster could be knocking on the door after a strong overall season in the upper minors.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster has impressive feel for a solid three-pitch mix, which includes a fastball, changeup and slider. During his final college season at Wake Forest, Shuster showed improved fastball velocity and was touching 96-97 mph, but that velocity has never fully carried over to pro ball. In 2022, Shuster sat around 90-92 mph with solid carry and cut, with a max velocity around 94-95. His changeup remains his best offering and his go-to secondary, a plus pitch that averages around 80 mph. The pitch continues to generate whiffs at a high rate, as well as ugly swings as it falls below the zone. Shuster's changeup features double-digit velocity separation from his fastball. Shuster tried throwing his slider harder during the 2022 season, and Braves officials were happy with the progress of the pitch--which sat in the 82-87 mph range--though external scouts view it as a fringy pitch that will play up with good command. Shuster is an above-average strike-thrower with a career minor league walk rate of 6.8%. In 2022 he threw all three of his pitches for strikes more than 64% of the time.
  
  The Future: Shuster's upside and ceiling are limited if he cannot rediscover the power he showed in flashes as an amateur, but he's also one of the most probable big leaguers in the system, with back-end starter or middle reliever upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 45 Changeup: 60 Control: 55
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: The shortened 2020 draft has proved to be an exceptional one for the Braves, who drafted Shuster in the first round at No. 25 overall as well as Jesse Franklin, Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder. Strider and Elder have already established themselves as big leaguers just two years later. Shuster could be knocking on the door after a strong overall season in the upper minors.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster has impressive feel for a solid three-pitch mix, which includes a fastball, changeup and slider. During his final college season at Wake Forest, Shuster showed improved fastball velocity and was touching 96-97 mph, but that velocity has never fully carried over to pro ball. In 2022, Shuster sat around 90-92 mph with solid carry and cut, with a max velocity around 94-95. His changeup remains his best offering and his go-to secondary, a plus pitch that averages around 80 mph. The pitch continues to generate whiffs at a high rate, as well as ugly swings as it falls below the zone. Shuster's changeup features double-digit velocity separation from his fastball. Shuster tried throwing his slider harder during the 2022 season, and Braves officials were happy with the progress of the pitch--which sat in the 82-87 mph range--though external scouts view it as a fringy pitch that will play up with good command. Shuster is an above-average strike-thrower with a career minor league walk rate of 6.8%. In 2022 he threw all three of his pitches for strikes more than 64% of the time.
  
  The Future: Shuster's upside and ceiling are limited if he cannot rediscover the power he showed in flashes as an amateur, but he's also one of the most probable big leaguers in the system, with back-end starter or middle reliever upside.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 45 Changeup: 60 Control: 55
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record:: The Braves made Shuster their first-round pick in 2020 after the southpaw saw a significant uptick in velocity during the shortened 2020 season, signing him for just under $2.2 million. That velocity didn&#39t hold up in his first taste of pro ball this year, and while he pushed to Double-A, Shuster is still adjusting to the rigors of pro ball.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster stands out for his pitching ability and a devastating changeup that multiple Braves officials have said is better than righthander Ian Anderson&#39s. The pitch is an easy plus offering that generates ugly swings and is thrown with confidence and 12 mph separation from his fastball. While that velocity gap is solid, Shuster sat with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range, touching 94. The shape of the pitch is solid, but so far it looks like his draft-year spike in velocity was more of a flash in the pan than a sign of a new normal. Shuster&#39s slider is a low-80s breaking ball that generated whiffs at a decent clip this year, but scouts think it&#39s more of an average offering at best. Shuster looked like he was still acclimating to the pro schedule, and he got hit around over three starts in Double-A (11.7 H/9), though he has continued to throw quality strikes.
  
  The Future: Shuster&#39s ceiling is somewhat limited given his velocity, though an out-pitch changeup and above-average control give him a chance to be a backend starter.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Braves made Shuster their first-round pick in 2020 after the southpaw saw a significant uptick in velocity during the shortened 2020 season, signing him for just under $2.2 million. That velocity didn’t hold up in his first taste of pro ball this year, and while he pushed to Double-A, Shuster is still adjusting to the rigors of pro ball.
  
  Scouting Report: Shuster stands out for his pitching ability and a devastating changeup that multiple Braves officials have said is better than righthander Ian Anderson’s. The pitch is an easy plus offering that generates ugly swings and is thrown with confidence and 12 mph separation from his fastball. While that velocity gap is solid, Shuster sat with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range, touching 94. The shape of the pitch is solid, but so far it looks like his draft-year spike in velocity was more of a flash in the pan than a sign of a new normal. Shuster’s slider is a low-80s breaking ball that generated whiffs at a decent clip this year, but scouts think it’s more of an average offering at best. Shuster looked like he was still acclimating to the pro schedule, and he got hit around over three starts in Double-A (11.7 H/9), though he has continued to throw quality strikes.
  
  The Future: Shuster’s ceiling is somewhat limited given his velocity, though an out-pitch changeup and above-average control give him a chance to be a backend starter.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
  Track Record: Shuster took a giant leap last spring at Wake Forest, going from a middling lefty who sat 88-92 mph to touching 97 while also showing radically improved control. The Braves bought into his improvement and drafted him in the first round, No. 25th overall and signed him for just under $2.2 million, continuing their recent trend of selecting college players with their first picks.
  
  Scouting Report: A 6-foot-3 lefthander, Shuster stands out for his impressive pitchability. He walked just nine batters in 58.1 innings between Wake Forest and the Cape Cod League, and Braves officials were impressed with his ability to locate both of his secondary offerings. Shuster's improved fastball now sits 92-95 mph and can reach higher as needed. His best pitch is his changeup. It's a true plus offering with impressive tumble that he throws with confidence. Shuster's slider is fringier and can get slurvy at times but has a chance to be average with continued development. He has improved his control enough to be an above-average strike-thrower, though he will need to prove it in pro ball.
  
  The Future: Shuster's fastball and changeup give him a solid foundation. He has to show he can hold his improved velocity over a full season and sharpen his slider, which will be his main goals in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
  Track Record: Shuster took a giant leap last spring at Wake Forest, going from a middling lefty who sat 88-92 mph to touching 97 while also showing radically improved control. The Braves bought into his improvement and drafted him in the first round, No. 25th overall and signed him for just under $2.2 million, continuing their recent trend of selecting college players with their first picks.
  
  Scouting Report: A 6-foot-3 lefthander, Shuster stands out for his impressive pitchability. He walked just nine batters in 58.1 innings between Wake Forest and the Cape Cod League, and Braves officials were impressed with his ability to locate both of his secondary offerings. Shuster’s improved fastball now sits 92-95 mph and can reach higher as needed. His best pitch is his changeup. It’s a true plus offering with impressive tumble that he throws with confidence. Shuster’s slider is fringier and can get slurvy at times but has a chance to be average with continued development. He has improved his control enough to be an above-average strike-thrower, though he will need to prove it in pro ball.
  
  The Future: Shuster’s fastball and changeup give him a solid foundation. He has to show he can hold his improved velocity over a full season and sharpen his slider, which will be his main goals in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
  Track Record: Shuster took a giant leap last spring at Wake Forest, going from a middling lefty who sat 88-92 mph to touching 97 while also showing radically improved control. The Braves bought into his improvement and drafted him in the first round, No. 25th overall and signed him for just under $2.2 million, continuing their recent trend of selecting college players with their first picks.
  
  Scouting Report: A 6-foot-3 lefthander, Shuster stands out for his impressive pitchability. He walked just nine batters in 58.1 innings between Wake Forest and the Cape Cod League, and Braves officials were impressed with his ability to locate both of his secondary offerings. Shuster’s improved fastball now sits 92-95 mph and can reach higher as needed. His best pitch is his changeup. It’s a true plus offering with impressive tumble that he throws with confidence. Shuster’s slider is fringier and can get slurvy at times but has a chance to be average with continued development. He has improved his control enough to be an above-average strike-thrower, though he will need to prove it in pro ball.
  
  The Future: Shuster’s fastball and changeup give him a solid foundation. He has to show he can hold his improved velocity over a full season and sharpen his slider, which will be his main goals in 2021.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  Shuster is one of the fastest-rising pitchers in the 2020 class, and his ascension started with a strong summer in the Cape Cod League. After walking more than five batters per nine innings over his first two seasons at Wake Forest, Shuster showed dramatically better strike-throwing ability with Orleans, walking just five batters in 32 innings. He also boosted his fastball velocity. After mostly sitting in the 88-92 mph range, Shuster came out this spring with a fastball up to the 96-97 mph from the left side. Shuster has impressive starter traits to go along with that velocity, especially with his improved control. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefty has a plus changeup and a developing slider that could become an average pitch as well. The dramatic improvement in both his stuff and control has vaulted him up into the second-to-third-round range, and it wouldn’t be shocking for some scouts to have first-round grades on him.