Tyler Pike Stats & Scouting Report

IP	836
ERA	4.145
WHIP	1.444
BB/9	5.178
SO/9	8.903

Full name Tyler W. Pike
Born 01/26/1994 in Winter Haven, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Winter Haven
Drafted in the C-B round (126th overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2012 (signed for $850,000).

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A Florida State recruit, Pike doesn't have a present pitch that wows scouts, but he grows on them with his athleticism, natural deception, three-pitch mix and ability to make hitters swing and miss. He sits around 88-89 mph with his fastball, but touches 92 and 93 both early and late in games. He raised his profile early in the season when he matched up with Tampa Jesuit's Lance McCullers Jr. and threw hard and well. He has natural deception in his easy delivery, and his ability to repeat helps him control the strike zone well. Pike projects to have average or better command of his fastball as well as his curve and changeup. He's added a bit of velocity to his curveball but could use more, and he has shown a solid feel for his changeup. Pike would be an asset as a two-way player for the Seminoles; he has a solid swing and is a 6.8-second runner in the 60, though he lacks power at the plate. He's considered a tough sign, but he could go in the first three rounds if teams think he'll pass up school.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Mariners went nearly half a million dollars over slot to convince Pike to forego a scholarship to Florida State, signing him for $850,000 in 2012 as a supplemental third-round pick. He has met expectations and then some to this point, falling just four outs short of having enough innings to lead the low Class A Midwest League in ERA (2.37) in 2013. Pike's fastball sits in the 88-91 mph range, and he has good feel for his changeup at a young age, as well as decent deception in his delivery. However, his slow curveball is erratic and he will need that pitch in order to have a varied enough arsenal to be a major league starter. Pike tends to throw everything to the outer third of the plate and is hesitant to pitch inside or to contact. That approach to pitching works against lesser competition, but most scouts believe Pike is going to need to learn to use the inner half of the plate. The hitting environment of high Class A High Desert will be a difficult proving ground. Some Mariners officials see the athletic Pike as a future No. 4 starter, but he's far from reaching that ceiling.
Pike had a couple of worthy mentors growing up. His father Mark is a former Indians minor league outfielder, and his high school assistant coach was Pat Borders, who spent parts of 17 years in the big leagues and was MVP of the 1992 World Series. With a 2012 supplemental third-round pick received for not signing Kevin Cron the year before, the Mariners took Pike and lured him away from a Florida State commitment with $850,000. He's a quality athlete who would have been a two-way player for the Seminoles. His athleticism helps him repeat a fluid, simple delivery which in turn leads to above-average control and good fastball command. Pike's fastball sits at 89-91 mph and occasionally touches 94 with natural tailing action. His fastball is sneaky fast and appears quicker to hitters because of his deception and smooth delivery. Pike showed flashes of a plus curveball in high school, and Seattle worked with him on getting better feel for varying speeds with it. At its best, the pitch ranges from 72-76 mph with tight 11-to-5 break. He didn't use a changeup much in high school, so the biggest things he needs to work on are developing that pitch and getting stronger. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter and has enough polish and poise to earn a full-season assignment to low Class A in 2013.

Draft Prospects

A Florida State recruit, Pike doesn't have a present pitch that wows scouts, but he grows on them with his athleticism, natural deception, three-pitch mix and ability to make hitters swing and miss. He sits around 88-89 mph with his fastball, but touches 92 and 93 both early and late in games. He raised his profile early in the season when he matched up with Tampa Jesuit's Lance McCullers Jr. and threw hard and well. He has natural deception in his easy delivery, and his ability to repeat helps him control the strike zone well. Pike projects to have average or better command of his fastball as well as his curve and changeup. He's added a bit of velocity to his curveball but could use more, and he has shown a solid feel for his changeup. Pike would be an asset as a two-way player for the Seminoles; he has a solid swing and is a 6.8-second runner in the 60, though he lacks power at the plate. He's considered a tough sign, but he could go in the first three rounds if teams think he'll pass up school.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Mariners drafted Pike in the supplemental third round and gave him sandwich-round money ($850,000) to keep him from going to Florida State as a two-way player. He'll concentrate on pitching as a pro and led the AZL in ERA (1.78) and opponent average (.193). Pike stands out with his poise, easy delivery and potential for three solid pitches. His fastball ranges from 88-93 mph with natural lefty tail, and he locates it well down in the strike zone. He also throws a curveball and changeup, and he relied heavily on his curve early in the season before learning to use his fastball.