Dean Deetz
| IP | 3 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6 |
| WHIP | 1.667 |
| BB/9 | 3 |
| SO/9 | 9 |
- Full name Dean Arthur Deetz
- Born 11/29/1993 in Nixa, MO
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 189 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
- Debut 09/05/2018
- Drafted in the 11th round (316th overall) by the Houston Astros in 2014.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Track Record: After missing time with Tommy John surgery, Deetz was a teammate of fellow Astros draftee and now A's outfielder Ramon Laureano at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M JC. The Astros added Deetz to their 40-man roster before the 2017 season and kept him there even after he was suspended 80 games for testing positive for a PED. Deetz made his MLB debut as a September callup.
Scouting Report: Deetz is the epitome of a wild, hard-throwing, power reliever. He attacks hitters with a plus-plus, 94-99 mph fastball and a plus, 85-88 mph slider. Deetz can toy with the break and depth of his slider. When he's trying to finish off a hitter it will dive out of the zone, but he can also tighten it up for a shorter break when he's trying to keep it in the zone. Deetz's control is often as wild as his stuff is impressive. He walked 5.1 batters per nine innings last season, and overall he has firmly below-average control.
The Future: Scouts see potential for a high-leverage role, but Deetz's control troubles mean he's still a risky bet. The Astros currently have a very deep bullpen, so he's stuck battling for a spot in 2019. -
The Astros have let Deetz work as one of their tandem starters since they drafted him out of Northeast Oklahoma JC, but a late-season move to an exclusively relief role showed his brighter future. Pitching in shorter stints, Deetz's fastball jumped up to 95-98 mph and his slider improved as well. It's a dominating plus to plus-plus pitch at its best, with movement that seems almost like a Wiffle-ball. It's the big reason he struck out 23 in only 11 innings in the Arizona Fall League. His walk rate was almost as frightening as his slider in Fresno. Deetz has below-average control, but it's not as bad as his nearly walk per inning rate in Fresno would indicate. Deetz is more effective in shorter stints and his slider explains why he's much better against righthanded hitters. Deetz was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason and will compete to pitch in the Astros' bullpen at some point in 2018.
