Daniel Mengden Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Daniel Joseph Mengden
Born 02/19/1993 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas A&M
Debut 06/11/2016
Drafted in the 4th round (106th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2014 (signed for $470,000).

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Mengden, known for his outgoing personality and ever-changing facial hair, has earned scouts' respect for showing toughness during an injury-plagued junior season, pitching with a back injury that will probably require rest after he signs. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder relied on a curveball instead of his above-average slider this spring because it hurt less to throw. His fastball has been up to 95 mph in the past, and he has pitched in the 88-92 mph range most of the spring, losing velocity during his starts. In a complete game against Kentucky, he was in the mid-80s in the ninth inning. He has a feel for a solid-average to above-average changeup. Also a catcher, Mengden carried a heavy load in 2013, tossing 111 innings and getting 140 at-bats in the spring before pitching for Team USA in the summer. The workload may have caught up to him this spring. Despite his diminished stuff, his strikeout rate was the best of his career, and he still should go out in the first four rounds if teams don't have any long-term health concerns.

Top Rankings

Mengden pitched through back pain as Texas A&M's Friday night starter in the spring of 2014, resulting in diminished stuff that dropped him to the fourth round of the draft. The Astros, his hometown team, signed him for $470,000 and dealt him just more than a year later, packaging him with catching prospect Jacob Nottingham to get Scott Kazmir from the Athletics. His fastball had dipped as low as the mid-80s at times in 2014 but was back into the 91-93 mph range last year, topping out at 96. His above-average changeup gets the highest marks among his secondary pitches. He can mix in a slider and curveball that both rate about average, though the slider is more consistent. Mengden's a bulldog competitor with an old school vibe, right down to his big, full windup and handlebar mustache. His pitchability is getting better and he's usually a solid strike-thrower. He could help a big league team as either a starter or reliever down the road, but the A's will keep him in the rotation as he goes to Double-A.

Mengden, known for his outgoing personality and ever-changing facial hair, has earned scouts' respect for showing toughness during an injury-plagued junior season, pitching with a back injury that will probably require rest after he signs. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder relied on a curveball instead of his above-average slider this spring because it hurt less to throw. His fastball has been up to 95 mph in the past, and he has pitched in the 88-92 mph range most of the spring, losing velocity during his starts. In a complete game against Kentucky, he was in the mid-80s in the ninth inning. He has a feel for a solid-average to above-average changeup. Also a catcher, Mengden carried a heavy load in 2013, tossing 111 innings and getting 140 at-bats in the spring before pitching for Team USA in the summer. The workload may have caught up to him this spring. Despite his diminished stuff, his strikeout rate was the best of his career, and he still should go out in the first four rounds if teams don't have any long-term health concerns.

The Athletics acquired Mengden as the key piece of the Scott Kazmir trade with the Astros in 2015. He cruised through 17 starts at two minor league stops this season, going 10-2, 1.46 with 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.99 WHIP, which earned him an extended look in the Oakland rotation. "He is an ultra-competitor," Nashville hitting coach Eric Martins said. "He's smart--he really studies hitters--and his has a plan." Mengden saw his velocity jump in 2016 and he works primarily in the 93-95 mph range and touches 97. His changeup is the best of his secondary offerings and can be a plus pitch. He also throws an average curveball and slider. Mengden has added a cutter that is another weapon. A bulldog with an old-school windup, he is a strike-throwing machine who has the ability to become a mid-rotation starter.

RHP Daniel Mengden assigned to Rochester Red Wings.
Washington Nationals signed free agent RHP Daniel Mengden to a minor league contract.
Omaha Storm Chasers activated RHP Daniel Mengden.
Omaha Storm Chasers transferred RHP Daniel Mengden to the Development List.
RHP Daniel Mengden assigned to Omaha Storm Chasers.
RHP Daniel Mengden assigned to Kansas City Royals.