Brandon Koch Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Brandon Gregory Koch
Born 12/25/1993 in Dallas, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Dallas Baptist
Drafted in the 4th round (118th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 (signed for $437,500).

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Teams found themselves in trouble if they trailed Dallas Baptist in the later innings. Setup man Drew Smith runs his fastball up to 96-97 mph and then hands the game over to Koch, who has proven to be extremely hard to square up with his combination of a 93-96 mph fastball down in the zone and one of the best sliders in the country. Koch (pronounced Coach) had struck out 16.6 batters per nine innings and he'd allowed only two extra-base hits in his first 22 appearances this season. Koch racks up strikeouts thanks to a plus 86-88 mph slider that can be almost unhittable even when hitters suspect it's coming. Koch gets great tilt and depth on the pitch, as it almost resembles a splitter as it reaches the plate. Koch's control can be shaky (5.6 walks per nine this year) and his success is dependent on a pitch that hitters have to chase out of the zone, but his two-pitch mix is one of the best in the college ranks and gives him a chance to move quickly up the ladder in pro ball.

Top Rankings

Koch broke out during his sophomore year at Dallas Baptist, when he gained velocity and better command of his stuff. He took another step forward as a junior in 2015, showing the ability to locate his electric stuff, and he climbed up draft boards as the closer for one of the hardest-throwing pitching staffs in Division I. The Rays selected Koch 118th overall, signing him a bit below slot at $437,500, and he found immediate success at short-season Hudson Valley, recording a league-best 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Koch throws two pitches. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and has reached 98 mph, and he complements it with a power slider that sits in the upper 80s. Koch has a lot of effort in his delivery and is bound to the bullpen, but he has a chance to progress through the system quickly because his stuff and control are so polished. He likely will start his first full pro season at one of the Rays' Class A affiliates.

In a deep, flame-throwing Dallas Baptist bullpen this season, Koch was the electric closer, tallying 14 saves, striking out 76 and allowing just 23 hits in 43 innings his junior season. Koch's exceptional strikeout rate and late-game stinginess have so far carried over to the NYP, where he earned six saves in seven opportunities for Hudson Valley. His weapon of choice is a late-breaking, hard-biting slider that was unhittable in college and continued to give pro batters fits. Most scouts grade his slider as a plus pitch, and at least one scout said it might potentially be double-plus one day. At times, Koch can throw his slider more than his fastball, but it's not for a lack of velocity. He touched 99 mph this summer and routinely sits in the mid-90s. He fits the mold of a power reliever with the potential to close at the major league level. "He's a guy. He's got stuff," State College manager Johnny Rodriguez said. "There's no doubt in my mind on that one."