Aaron Northcraft
| IP | 8 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 2.25 |
| WHIP | 1.625 |
| BB/9 | 9 |
| SO/9 | 5.625 |
- Full name Aaron Lee Northcraft
- Born 05/28/1990 in Tucson, AZ
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 229 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Mater Dei
- Debut 04/24/2021
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Drafted in the 10th round (298th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2009 (signed for $125,000).
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Aaron Northcraft led Mater Dei deep into its sectional playoffs, beating top-ranked Norco and ace Matt Hobgood, a likely first-rounder. Northcraft settled down after giving up a three-run homer in the first and continued to boost his draft stock. He's a 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander who has modified his delivery, better incorporating his lower half. Delivering his pitches from a near sidearm slot, Northcraft has improved his stuff noticeably since last year. His four-seam fastball sits at 87-90 mph, and his best offering is his 84-85 mph two-seamer, which shows both sink and armside movement. He lacks control of his curveball, but that pitch shows interesting, sweeping break. A Southern California recruit, Northcraft needs some mechanical adjustments, but his combination of size and lively stuff could get him into the first five or six rounds.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Northcraft continued his career trend of having to make adjustments when he reaches a new level. That was the case in 2013, when he made the move to Double-A Mississippi, where he returned to start 2014 and limited opposing hitters to a .228 average. However, Triple-A Gwinnett hitters battered him at a .317 clip following a midseason bump in 2014. Northcraft works quickly on the mound and creates some deception with his low three-quarters arm slot. He has above-average sinking action on his 89-91 mph fastball that generates groundballs. He also has solid movement on his changeup and knows how to mix in his fringe-average curveball and slider. Northcraft has a solid mound presence, throws strikes and mixes his pitches well, which generates high strikeout totals. Northcraft's durability gives him a chance to be a No. 5 starter, and the Braves elected to protect him on the 40-man roster instead of Cody Martin. He will take another swing at Gwinnett in 2105. -
Northcraft struggled in the first half of 2013 while making the jump to Double-A Mississippi before putting together an outstanding final two months that included a 2.31 ERA and 2.3 SO/BB ratio over 11 starts. With good size and excellent mound presence, Northcraft has steadily climbed the organizational ladder since signing out of Mater Dei High and opting to bypass Southern California. He works quickly using a low three-quarters arm slot that generates a sinking fastball in the 88-90 mph range as well as a solid changeup and inconsistent curveball. His fastball and changeup have good movement and depth, and he challenges hitters with his aggressive approach in hopes of coaxing groundball outs. Northcraft has the makings of a workhorse but continues to draw some concerns from scouts regarding his long arm action and stiff front leg in his delivery. He has shown an uncanny ability to make adjustments to his delivery. Northcraft fared poorly in the Arizona Fall League, more evidence he's not quite ready for prime time. He projects as a back-end starter in the big leagues, and he will move to Triple-A Gwinnett in 2014. -
Northcraft has made a slow but steady climb through the system and earned a spot on the Braves' 40-man roster after putting together his best season as a pro in 2012. He led the Carolina League with 27 starts and 160 strikeouts and pitched well in the playoffs as Lynchburg won the championship. Northcraft has good size and excellent mound presence. Throwing from a low three-quarters arm slot, he works fast and gets quick outs by coaxing groundballs. His main pitch is an 87-91 mph sinker, which he backs up with a solid changeup and fringy curveball. His breaking ball has continually improved since he signed, so there's hope that he could eventually have three average pitches. Scouts aren't crazy about his delivery, which includes a long arm action and a stiff front leg, so they're not convinced that he'll make it as a starter at the upper level. However, Northcraft is an intelligent pitcher who gets the most out of his ability. Atlanta is interested to see how he fares in his first taste of Double-A in 2013.
