Chris Viall Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Christopher Michael Viall
Born 09/28/1995 in Santa Cruz, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'9" / Wt.: 253 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Stanford
Drafted in the 6th round (190th overall) by the New York Mets in 2016 (signed for $250,500).

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Massive at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, Viall never has thrown enough strikes in three seasons at Stanford to earn regular innings, with 99 innings for the Cardinal in three seasons. He's walked 72 and struck out 68 in that span but still could go out in the first 10 rounds thanks to his arm strength. He's hit as high as 97 mph regularly and can sit 92-95 mph at his best. He also throws a power curveball that reaches the low 80s at his best. He was outstanding in three scoreless innings against San Jose State, striking out five in a mid-April start, but struggled significantly the rest of the way. Viall doesn't repeat his release point and needs innings that the lower levels of the minor leagues should provide.

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Track Record: A college pitcher with a 4.80 ERA and walk rate of 6.5 per nine innings in three years of Pacific-12 Conference play might not seem worthy of a sixth-round pick. But most college pitchers aren't Viall, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound Stanford righthander with a high-90s fastball.

Scouting Report: Viall had ulnar transposition surgery that delayed the start to his 2017 season and a shoulder strain and triceps injury in 2018 that limited him to 15 starts at low Class A Columbia. He sported one of the highest swinging-strike rates in the SAL in 2018 with a 91-95 mph fastball that touches 99 and plays up thanks to the incredible extension in his delivery. His low-to-mid-80s slider is an above-average weapon he still needs to command and show batters he can throw for strikes. A below-average changeup rounds out his arsenal. Like most ultra-tall pitchers, Viall struggles to coordinate the long levers in his delivery and sync them to repeat his foot strike and arm slot. His control suffers as a result.

The Future: Because of his fastball-heavy approach and dubious control, Viall probably fits best in the bullpen. But for 2019 he needs innings, which he will accrue in the high Class A St. Lucie rotation.

Massive at 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, Viall never has thrown enough strikes in three seasons at Stanford to earn regular innings, with 99 innings for the Cardinal in three seasons. He's walked 72 and struck out 68 in that span but still could go out in the first 10 rounds thanks to his arm strength. He's hit as high as 97 mph regularly and can sit 92-95 mph at his best. He also throws a power curveball that reaches the low 80s at his best. He was outstanding in three scoreless innings against San Jose State, striking out five in a mid-April start, but struggled significantly the rest of the way. Viall doesn't repeat his release point and needs innings that the lower levels of the minor leagues should provide.