Grayson Garvin
| IP | 208 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.721 |
| WHIP | 1.192 |
| BB/9 | 2.553 |
| SO/9 | 7.399 |
- Full name Grayson O'Neil Garvin
- Born 10/27/1989 in Atlanta, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Vanderbilt
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Drafted in the C-A round (59th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 (signed for $370,000).
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Garvin has performed as well as any Division I pitcher over the last calendar year. He was the Cape Cod League's ERA champion last summer at 5-0, 0.74 with 37 strikeouts in 37 innings. In the spring, he was 11-1, 2.08 and was a perfect 9-0 in Southeastern Conference play until his last start of the regular season. He was named SEC pitcher of the year. Garvin's performance stems from his size, solid stuff and ability to pitch off his fastball. At 6-foot-6, 220 pounds, he gets a good angle on his fastball, pitching downhill, coming inside effectively at 90-92 mph and reaching 94-95 on occasion. His fastball velocity should be a tick above-average as a pro, and he uses his fastball well to set up his solid-average changeup, which has solid fade when he turns it over. His slurvy slider is below-average and rarely generates swings and misses, which limits his upside for many scouts, and he may wind up throwing more of a cutter eventually. Garvin is considered a safe pick, and his summer performance could push him into the first or supplemental first round despite his short breaking ball.
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Garvin continued to work his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2012 and encountered stiffness and soreness in 2014 that contributed to his missing a month beginning in April. He gradually built his workload to a maximum of six innings per start by the end of the season at Double-A Montgomery. An intelligent pitcher, Garvin uses his height to his advantage by throwing downhill. He demonstrated excellent command of all his pitches in the Southern League and did a good job of keeping hitters off-balance by mixing his offerings while working off his fastball. He has smooth mechanics for a tall pitcher, which makes his 91-93 mph fastball (which touches 95) get on top of batters in a hurry. He also throws a hard cutter in the upper 80s and is making strides with an average changeup. A potential No. 5 starter or situational reliever in the big leagues, he will open 2015 at Montgomery or Triple-A Durham, based on the progress he shows in spring training. -
Garvin considered having Tommy John surgery as far back as 2009 at Vanderbilt, but he opted instead for rest and rehab. He wound up pacing the Cape Cod League in ERA in 2010 and garnering Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year accolades after an 11-1, 2.08 mark in 2011, leading to his selection by the Rays with the 59th overall pick that year. But he could not escape the sugery, finally having it in 2012 to clear up his lingering elbow problemafter 11 inconsistent outings at high Class A Charlotte. He returned to the mound last July and split the final two months between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and Charlotte before seeing more activity in the Arizona Fall League, showing greater strength with every outing in the AFL. Garvin has good stuff, but his makeup and intelligence are separators. He has a tremendous mound presence and uses his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage by throwing downhill. He repeated his delivery with consistency and little effort last year, generating a 91-93 mph fastball that touches 95. He also has a good changeup and throws a cutter in the 85-88 mph range. The Rays believe Garvin could move quickly once he regains his strength. A potential back-end starter or situational reliever, he should move up to Double-A Montgomery in 2014.
