Jharel Cotton

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #4 prospect in 2017
  The Virgin Islands native played high school baseball in Virginia, then played at Miami-Dade JC. He spurned the Mets in 2011 as a 28th-rounder before signing as a 20th-rounder with the Dodgers after a year at East Carolina. Oakland acquired him (with righthanders Frankie Montas and Grant Holmes) on Aug. 1 while dealing Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to the Dodgers. Cotton led the Pacific Coast League with 155 strikeouts, a 1.08 WHIP and .214 opponent average. Cotton's best weapon is his double-plus 77 mph changeup, which has screwball action. His command of his fastball improved in 2016, and the 92-93 mph pitch can touch 96. He also throws two-seamers and cutters that give hitters different looks, and they all come out of the same release point. His delivery is not something pitching coaches would teach, but it works for him, and his athleticism belies his 5-foot-11 frame. Cotton mixes in a slider and curveball. Having succeeded as a September callup, Cotton will open spring training with a tentative spot in the big league rotation. He projects as a back-end starter if not a bit more.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #9 prospect in 2016
  Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cotton attended East Carolina and was a 20thround pick in 2012. After jumping on to the prospect radar with a big second half in 2014, Cotton's 2015 season was delayed until May 26 after a comebacker broke his left wrist in spring training. When healthy, he dominated at Double-A Tulsa. He has a four-pitch mix but works off his fastball/changeup combination. His low- 90s heater reaches 96 mph, and he can manipulate the movement on it, imparting sink, cut or run. His bread-and-butter is a double-plus changeup, a lively, putaway offering with screwball-like action. Cotton throws both a curveball and hard slider, fringy pitches that need improvement. Though he is 5-foot-11, Cotton delivers from a high angle and gets solid plane. He is an excellent athlete who can repeat his delivery, but his mechanics do contain effort. His below-average command and smaller stature have led some scouts to peg him as a reliever. He also tends to wiggle his glove around, which leads to him tipping his pitches. Cotton threw 96 innings in 2015 and has worked as a reliever in the past, but if he can hold up in the rotation, he could be a No. 3 or 4 starter.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #22 prospect in 2015
  After getting tagged for a 7.07 ERA in the first half of 2014 at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga, Cotton posted a 2.55 ERA with 93 strikeouts and 18 walks in 85 innings after the all-star break. His fastball ticked up slightly, bumping up to 88-94 mph and touching 95, although it can flatten out. At midseason, Dodgers officials in the stands noticed he was tipping his pitches and pointed it out to Cotton. Once he started to disguise his pitches, the results followed. Cotton backs up his fastball with a plus changeup featuring late fade. He maintains his arm speed when he throws it, making him equally effective against lefties as he is against righthanders. Cotton needs to improve his below-average curveball, which has decent depth but gets slurvy. He'll sneak in a cutter as well. He has good pitchability and throws strikes to both sides of the plate, with the total package making him an intriguing sleeper with a chance to slot into the back of the rotation. Double-A Tulsa will be a key test for Cotton in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Pacific Coast League #10 prospect in 2016
  A native of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cotton has begun to charge up prospect rankings. The Athletics acquired him (and two other pitching prospects) at the trade deadline this year when they sent Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to the Dodgers. He continued to shine at Nashville to earn a September callup. Despite a smallish frame that invokes Tom Gordon comparisons, Cotton established himself as one of the top power pitchers in the PCL, leading the circuit with 155 strikeouts. He owns a bevy of weapons, highlighted by a 70-grade changeup on the 20-80 scouting scale that he can use at any point in the count. His change averages about 77 mph, affording him incredible separation from his 91-92 mph fastball that reaches 94 consistently. He mixes in a slider and curveball. Cotton throws from an overhand arm slot and has used a new cutter to add movement in fastball counts. With an aggressive mentality, great athleticism and potential quality command, Cotton could become a mid-rotation arm or possibly a high-leverage reliever.
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  Ranked Texas League #16 prospect in 2015
  Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and selected by the Dodgers out of East Carolina in the 20th round of the 2012 draft, Cotton has put himself on the prospect map with a strong season. He gets good plane on his plus fastball despite his small stature and can pump his heater up to 95 mph. He throws from a high arm angle to manufacture the downhill movement. His fastball ranges from 88-94 mph, but the separating pitch for Cotton is his double-plus changeup, which garners swings and misses. Cotton is an excellent athlete and tremendous competitor, evidenced by his ability to come back strong from a broken wrist sustained on a comebacker in April. In addition to two plus pitches, Cotton can throw strikes to both sides of the plate, but needs to refine his curveball to have a pitch to change eye levels.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #84 prospect in 2017

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: The Virgin Islands native played high school baseball in Virginia, then played at Miami-Dade JC. He spurned the Mets in 2011 as a 28th-rounder before signing as a 20th-rounder with the Dodgers after a year at East Carolina. Oakland acquired him (with righthanders Frankie Montas and Grant Holmes) on Aug. 1 while dealing Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to the Dodgers. Cotton led the Pacific Coast League with 155 strikeouts, a 1.08 WHIP and .214 opponent average. Scouting Report: Cotton's best weapon is his double-plus 77 mph changeup, which has screwball action. His command of his fastball improved in 2016, and the 92-93 mph pitch can touch 96. He also throws two-seamers and cutters that give hitters different looks, and they all come out of the same release point. His delivery is not something pitching coaches would teach, but it works for him, and his athleticism belies his 5-foot-11 frame. Cotton mixes in a slider and curveball.
  
  The Future: Having succeeded as a September callup, Cotton will open spring training with a tentative spot in the big league rotation. He projects as a back-end starter if not a bit more.