Austin Sodders Stats & Scouting Report

IP	253
ERA	2.704
WHIP	1.067
BB/9	2.134
SO/9	7.719

Full name Austin Royce Sodders
Born 04/29/1995 in Riverside, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School UC Riverside
Drafted in the 7th round (205th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2016 (signed for $216,900).

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Sodders' has deception and down angle from a 6-foot-5 frame that makes his 88-89 mph fastball, which will bump 92, hard to square up. He was UC Riverside's ace and the son of 1981 Baseball America College Player of the Year Mike Sodders.

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Track Record: Even before Sodders was born, his family was already making an impact at Baseball America. His father, Mike, was the magazine’s first College Player of the Year back in 1981. The younger Sodders relies on pitchability and deception to get his outs, but he spent a large chunk of time in 2018 on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

Scouting Report: Sodders’ fastball sits in the high 80s and can get into the low 90s. His out pitch is a swing and miss changeup that is a future 55-grade pitch. Sodders’ also throws a fringy curveball, but he spins it well enough to be average in the future. His above-average command helps him to get the most out of his arsenal. Sodders throws his glove hand up a bit during his delivery, which adds deception.

The Future: Despite just eight starts in a return to high Class A Lakeland, Sodders could be in the mix for a spot at Double-A Erie in 2019. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter in the future.
Sodders' father Mike was Baseball America's first College Player of the Year in 1981 and a first-round pick of the Twins that same year. The younger Sodders has consistently impressed more with his knack for pitching than any plus pitch. Sodders' path to the big leagues is as a back-of-the-rotation lefty who has a fringe-average fastball (88-92 mph), average changeup and a fringe-average but improving slider. All of them play up because of plus control and his ability to throw all the pitches at any point in the count. Sodders has dominated lower-level hitters and he keeps the ball in the ballpark, which is vital for a touch-and-feel lefty. His strikeout rate plummeted after his promotion to high Class A and he doesn't currently have a true out pitch. The jump to Double-A is going to be a big test for him, much like teammate Tyler Alexander found out in 2017.
Sodders is the son of former Arizona State third baseman and Twins first-rounder Mike Sodders, who was also the recipient of Baseball America's first College Player of the Year award in 1981. The younger Sodders spent two seasons at Riverside CC and was drafted after his sophomore year by the Pirates, but instead transferred to UC Riverside for his junior season. With the Highlanders, Sodders flourished, going 7-4, 2.57 and earning all-Big West honors as the team's No. 1 starter. Sodders doesn't possess a knockout pitch, but instead gets his outs on deception and command of his 88-92 mph fastball with downhill angle and sneaky late life. He has an average changeup as well, and is working on gaining consistency with a slider. Specifically, Sodders is working to add depth to the pitch, which morphs into a small cutter at times. He is likely to begin 2017 at low Class A West Michigan and has the upside of a back-end starter.