Marcos Diplan Stats & Scouting Report

IP	35
ERA	4.114
WHIP	1.314
BB/9	5.143
SO/9	8.229

Full name Marcos Antonio Diplán
Born 09/18/1996 in Santiago, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 08/06/2021

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: A former top prospect who has stagnated, Diplan returned to high Class A for the third straight year in 2018 and finally held his own for a half-season before getting a bump to Double-A Biloxi. Though he finished strong with a 10-strikeout game in the Southern League playoffs, his longstanding control issues remained a real issue with 74 walks in 118 total innings.

Scouting Report: When he does command his pitches, Diplan has an electric arm with a fastball in the low to mid-90s, a plus slider and a decent feel for his changeup. His control issues are caused by inconsistent mechanics, with Diplan struggling to repeat his delivery. He has been one of the younger pitchers at each level of the organization and has matured physically along the way, creating different challenges as his body changes.

The Future: Diplan will be 22 all of next year and has has time to get squared away, but he needs to start throwing more strikes to advance to the major leagues. The Brewers will continue to develop Diplan as a starting pitcher. If strike-throwing remains a challenge, he will soon switch to relief.
Diplan made tremendous strides during his first two seasons in the system, after being acquired in a trade with the Rangers before the 2015 season. Pitching the full year at advanced Class A Carolina at age 20, he finally struggled, in large part due to command issues (71 walks in 125.2 innings). There were questions from the beginning if the undersized righty would be able to remain in a starting role, but Diplan has an electric arm and the Brewers certainly aren't going to give up on him after one tough season. He throws a fastball with late movement consistently in the mid-90s and complements it with a plus slider. Diplan also shows a good feel for his changeup, especially for a young pitcher. His main task is being more consistent with his delivery and therefore his command. His problems in that area led to high pitch counts and early exits from games. As his body has filled out a bit more, Diplan has had to make adjustments to repeat his delivery. When throwing strikes, he exhibits high swing-and-miss potential and generates lots of weak contact. The Brewers believe that Diplan can be a dependable starting pitcher in the majors, but if he continues to struggle with pitch counts and getting deep into games, his future could be as a high-leverage reliever. Diplan has good makeup and takes coaching well, and at such a young age there's no reason to abandon the role of starting pitcher at this point.
The Rangers ponied up $1.3 million to sign Diplan out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, then bundled him with two other prospects to acquire Yovani Gallardo after the 2014 season. Diplan pitched at two Class A levels for the Brewers in 2016 at age 19 and would have claimed the low Class A Midwest League ERA title (1.80) had he the required number of innings. Though 6-feet and a bit undersized, Diplan has a big arm and great feel for pitching for such a young player. He ranges from 92-96 mph with late life on his fastball and also features a slider that has been a plus pitch for him. Diplan continues to work on a changeup that will be important in remaining in a starting role. He needs to reduce his walk rate but otherwise excels at missing bats, limiting hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground. Command should come because he maintains consistency in his delivery. Diplan shows poise and mound presence not often seen in such an inexperienced pitcher. Reaching high Class A Brevard County as a teenager is a good sign for Diplan's future, and he should reach Double-A at age 20. He could be a No. 3 starter if everything breaks right.
Diplan helped pitch the Rangers' Dominican Summer League team to a championship in 2014 at age 17, which caught the eye of Brewers scouts. Milwaukee insisted that he be included as one of the three players coming back in the January 2015 trade of righthander Yovani Gallardo to Texas, and Diplan's showing at Rookie-level Helena in his U.S. debut showed why they are so high on him. Though undersized and still a teenager, Diplan has a big arm and showed great poise on the mound. His fastball sits at 90-94 mph, and he went as high as 98 during his time in Helena. His sharp-breaking slider already is a plus pitch and he didn't hesitate to use his changeup at any time in the count. Diplan gets out of whack at times with a herky-jerky delivery and overthrows, but in general shows good control of all of his pitches. Some have pegged him as a reliever in the future, but the Brewers believe with continued work and experience he can start. Diplan shows savvy on the mound at a young age and is an athletic performer who has taken well to instruction and shown he can make adjustments. He has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter in the big leagues and could begin 2016 in the rotation at low Class A Wisconsin.
The Rangers signed Diplan on July 2, 2013 for $1.3 million, and he helped pitch the Rangers to a Dominican Summer League championship in 2014. Diplan sits at 89-93 mph and hits 95, though it can come in on a flat plane. Though he's not big, he has a quick arm, so he might have a little more velocity in the tank. Diplan flashes an above-average curveball and at times an average changeup, though both pitches are understandably inconsistent given his youth and inexperience. Diplan has the repertoire of a starter, but he needs to repeat his delivery better to throw more strikes. His herky-jerky mechanics throw him out of whack at times, which leads to bouts of wildness, though other times he just tries to toy around with hitters and doesn't attack aggressively enough, even though he's tough to hit. He's smart and athletic enough to be able to make the adjustments as he moves up. A potential mid-rotation starter, Diplan could skip the Rookie-level Arizona League and join short-season Spokane in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Brewers targeted Diplan and shortstop Luis Sardinas when they traded Yovani Gallardo to the Rangers in January 2015. Sardinas has moved on, but Diplan in his full-season debut advanced to high Class A Brevard County in mid-July. His 1.80 ERA would have led the MWL if he had the requisite innings. Diplan, who pitched all season at age 19, lacks only Sandy Alcantara's physical projection. Otherwise he would have ranked as the top pitching prospect in the MWL. Diplan's fastball ranges from 92-96 mph with late life. His slider flashes plus and his changeup is a presently average pitch that he throws with good feel. Diplan stands 6 feet tall and is slightly built, which leads some observers to peg him as a future reliever, but the Brewers believe he can handle a starter's workload because of his athleticism and repeatable delivery. He has shown situational awareness and the ability to make adjustments.
Originally signed by the Rangers for $1.3 million in 2013, Diplan was acquired by the Brewers as part of the package for Yovani Gallardo. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League last year, then skipped over the Rookie-level Arizona League and was the Pioneer League's most impressive young pitcher in his U.S. debut. Despite his slight, 6-foot frame, Diplan stands out for his savvy and poise on the mound. He commands three average or better pitches and shows good feel for his secondary stuff. He sits 90-94 mph and touches as high as 98. His heater should tick up with strength and maturity. Diplan's slider is already a plus pitch, and he shows the ability to use his changeup in any count. Until he gets stronger, he will face questions about his ability to stay in the rotation, but so far he's on the right track.

Best Tools List

Rated Best Slider in the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019

Scouting Reports

Background: The Rangers ponied up $1.3 million to sign Diplan out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, then bundled him with two other prospects to acquire Yovani Gallardo after the 2014 season. Diplan pitched at two Class A levels for the Brewers in 2016 at age 19 and would have claimed the low Class A Midwest League ERA title (1.80) had he the required number of innings. Scouting Report: Though 6-feet and a bit undersized, Diplan has a big arm and great feel for pitching for such a young player. He ranges from 92-96 mph with late life on his fastball and also features a slider that has been a plus pitch for him. Diplan continues to work on a changeup that will be important in remaining in a starting role. He needs to reduce his walk rate but otherwise excels at missing bats, limiting hard contact and keeping the ball on the ground. Command should come because he maintains consistency in his delivery. Diplan shows poise and mound presence not often seen in such an inexperienced pitcher.

The Future: Reaching high Class A Brevard County as a teenager is a good sign for Diplan's future, and he should reach Double-A at age 20. He could be a No. 3 starter if everything breaks right.