Jake Walsh Stats & Scouting Report

IP	11.2
ERA	2.31
WHIP	1.54
BB/9	6.17
SO/9	6.17

Full name Jake Walsh
Born 07/20/1995 in Indialantic, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 192 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Florida Southern
Debut 05/11/2022
Drafted in the 16th round (484th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 (signed for $80,000).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A 16th-round pick out of Florida Southern in 2017, Walsh began his pro career as a starter but moved to the bullpen after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in 2021 as a hard-throwing short reliever and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. Walsh opened 2022 at Triple-A Memphis and pitched well enough over 13 appearances to earn his first big league callup, but he went down with elbow soreness in early June and had a platelet-rich plasma injection that ended his season.

Scouting Report: When healthy, Walsh flashes big stuff capable of getting outs in the major leagues. His fastball 94-96 mph and touches 99 mph with heavy ride and bore. He pairs his above-average fastball with an above-average curveball that sits in the low-80s with big depth and plays perfectly off his fastball shape. Walsh's pitch mix is primarily built around the vertical attack of his fastball and curveball, locating his four-seam fastball at the top of the zone and tunneling his downer curveball off of it to drive chase swings. Walsh also throws a hard, below-average slider with less depth in the upper-80s and a below-average, mid-80s changeup his feel comes and goes for. His control is fringy but usable.

The Future: Walsh projects to be a solid middle reliever, but only if he can stay healthy. He'll have a chance to win a spot in the Cardinals bullpen in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider 40. Changeup 40. Control: 45.
Track Record: Walsh has pitched well at every level he’s encountered, working as a starter in 2018 and posting a sub-3.00 ERA between the Class A levels before missing the majority of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2021 as a full-time reliever, posting a 1.50 ERA in 13 appearances at Double-A Springfield before a late-season promotion to Triple-A Memphis. He finished the season in the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled in 11 appearances.

Scouting Report: Walsh overpowered hitters at the Double-A level with a fastball that sat 96 mph and touched 100 mph. The pitch has riding life up in the zone and he threw it for a strike 69% of the time in 2021. He pairs the pitch with a big, downer curveball, a swing-and-miss weapon that projects as above-average. There’s some stiffness in Walsh’s operation, and some opposing scouts weren’t convinced by his feel for pitching, though he is a solid strike thrower. The Cardinals stated their confidence in Walsh by adding him to the 40-man roster after the season ended.

The Future: Thanks to his two-pitch mix, Walsh profiles as a solid middle reliever. He’ll likely make his big league debut in 2022.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A 16th-round pick out of Florida Southern in 2017, Walsh began his pro career as a starter but moved to the bullpen after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in 2021 as a hard-throwing short reliever and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. Walsh opened 2022 at Triple-A Memphis and pitched well enough over 13 appearances to earn his first big league callup, but he went down with elbow soreness in early June and had a platelet-rich plasma injection that ended his season.

Scouting Report: When healthy, Walsh flashes big stuff capable of getting outs in the major leagues. His fastball 94-96 mph and touches 99 mph with heavy ride and bore. He pairs his above-average fastball with an above-average curveball that sits in the low-80s with big depth and plays perfectly off his fastball shape. Walsh's pitch mix is primarily built around the vertical attack of his fastball and curveball, locating his four-seam fastball at the top of the zone and tunneling his downer curveball off of it to drive chase swings. Walsh also throws a hard, below-average slider with less depth in the upper-80s and a below-average, mid-80s changeup his feel comes and goes for. His control is fringy but usable.

The Future: Walsh projects to be a solid middle reliever, but only if he can stay healthy. He'll have a chance to win a spot in the Cardinals bullpen in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider 40. Changeup 40. Control: 45.
BA Grade/Risk: 40/High

Track Record: A 16th-round pick out of Florida Southern in 2017, Walsh began his pro career as a starter but moved to the bullpen after having Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in 2021 as a hard-throwing short reliever and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. Walsh opened 2022 at Triple-A Memphis and pitched well enough over 13 appearances to earn his first big league callup, but he went down with elbow soreness in early June and had a platelet-rich plasma injection that ended his season.

Scouting Report: When healthy, Walsh flashes big stuff capable of getting outs in the major leagues. His fastball 94-96 mph and touches 99 mph with heavy ride and bore. He pairs his above-average fastball with an above-average curveball that sits in the low-80s with big depth and plays perfectly off his fastball shape. Walsh's pitch mix is primarily built around the vertical attack of his fastball and curveball, locating his four-seam fastball at the top of the zone and tunneling his downer curveball off of it to drive chase swings. Walsh also throws a hard, below-average slider with less depth in the upper-80s and a below-average, mid-80s changeup his feel comes and goes for. His control is fringy but usable.

The Future: Walsh projects to be a solid middle reliever, but only if he can stay healthy. He'll have a chance to win a spot in the Cardinals bullpen in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 55. Slider 40. Changeup 40. Control: 45.
BA Grade: 40/High

Track Record: Walsh has pitched well at every level he&#39s encountered, working as a starter in 2018 and posting a sub-3.00 ERA between the Class A levels before missing the majority of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2021 as a full-time reliever, posting a 1.50 ERA in 13 appearances at Double-A Springfield before a late-season promotion to Triple-A Memphis. He finished the season in the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled in 11 appearances.

Scouting Report: Walsh overpowered hitters at the Double-A level with a fastball that sat 96 mph and touched 100 mph. The pitch has riding life up in the zone and he threw it for a strike 69% of the time in 2021. He pairs the pitch with a big, downer curveball, a swing-and-miss weapon that projects as above-average. There&#39s some stiffness in Walsh&#39s operation, and some opposing scouts weren&#39t convinced by his feel for pitching, though he is a solid strike thrower. The Cardinals stated their confidence in Walsh by adding him to the 40-man roster after the season ended.

The Future: Thanks to his two-pitch mix, Walsh profiles as a solid middle reliever. He&#39ll likely make his big league debut in 2022.
Track Record: Walsh has pitched well at every level he’s encountered, working as a starter in 2018 and posting a sub-3.00 ERA between the Class A levels before missing the majority of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2021 as a full-time reliever, posting a 1.50 ERA in 13 appearances at Double-A Springfield before a late-season promotion to Triple-A Memphis. He finished the season in the Arizona Fall League, where he struggled in 11 appearances.

Scouting Report: Walsh overpowered hitters at the Double-A level with a fastball that sat 96 mph and touched 100 mph. The pitch has riding life up in the zone and he threw it for a strike 69% of the time in 2021. He pairs the pitch with a big, downer curveball, a swing-and-miss weapon that projects as above-average. There’s some stiffness in Walsh’s operation, and some opposing scouts weren’t convinced by his feel for pitching, though he is a solid strike thrower. The Cardinals stated their confidence in Walsh by adding him to the 40-man roster after the season ended.

The Future: Thanks to his two-pitch mix, Walsh profiles as a solid middle reliever. He’ll likely make his big league debut in 2022.