Justus Sheffield

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #7 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Originally drafted by the Indians and traded to the Yankees in the 2016 Andrew Miller deal, Sheffield had an up-and-down first season in the Mariners' system after coming over in the James Paxton trade. He began the year at Triple-A and got bombed for a 6.87 ERA, then dropped down to Double-A and rediscovered his form. He then jumped to the majors, finishing the year with eight appearances, including seven starts, in Seattle.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When he's on, Sheffield delivers a plus power fastball from the left side that sits at 93 mph and touches 97. The key to his improvement during his time in Double-A was commanding his fastball better after working with pitching coach Pete Woodworth, who will be the Mariners' big league pitching coach in 2020. Sheffield can vary the shape of his above-average mid-80s slider and gained confidence throwing his 84-88 mph average changeup with fade late in the year. Sheffield's effortful delivery has long resulted in below-average command, but he improved as the season progressed and stayed better on line to the plate.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sheffield's command shortcomings have most rival evaluators projecting him to the bullpen, but he will enter 2020 with a chance to make the Mariners' rotation.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #1 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Sheffield ranked as the Yankees' top prospect heading into the 2018 offseason before being the key acquisition in the trade to the Mariners for ace James Paxton. Sheffield signed with the Indians out of high school as a first-round pick and was traded to the Yankees with Clint Frazier in 2016 to help the Indians acquire reliever Andrew Miller. Sheffield missed time in 2017 with an oblique issue and missed one start in 2018 with tightness in his left shoulder. The Yankees moved him to the bullpen in August to prepare him for a bullpen role in New York in September. He struggled to throw strikes in three late-season outings in New York.
  
  Scouting Report: Sheffield is a starter who attacks hitters like a late-inning reliever. Everything he throws is hard and he shows little finesse. He attacks hitters with an effort-filled delivery. A generation ago, that would likely lead to a move to the bullpen, but today Sheffield will get to prove that his all-out approach can work for five to six innings per start. After much debate, the Yankees sent Sheffield back to Double-A Trenton to begin the 2018 season so he could continue to sharpen the command of his mid-90s fastball. He worked to add two-plane break to his mid-80s slider. He was successful at times in this regard, with the pitch showing more depth in particular during his stint in the big leagues. Now, he'll need to work to repeat the mechanics that allowed him to make this alteration. His 87-89 mph changeup had been too firm for the Yankees' taste, and they wanted to see him figure out a grip that would allow him to get more separation between it and his fastball. The Yankees said that in spurts he showed the ability to dial back his offspeed pitches, but sometimes, especially when he moved to the bullpen, adrenaline took over and he reverted back to throwing everything as hard as possible. Expect to see better results now that his major league debut is behind him.
  
  The Future: Sheffield will likely return to Triple-A in 2019, but this time across the country in Tacoma. He should be making big league starts for the Mariners at some point in 2019.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #3 prospect in 2018
  The older brother of Dodgers prospect Jordan Sheffield, Justus was a first-round pick of the Indians in 2014. He showed well in his pro debut but was arrested that offseason for criminal trespass in his hometown. Cleveland dealt Sheffield, Clint Frazier and two others to the Yankees in July 2016 as the freight for closer Andrew Miller. Despite standing just 5-foot-10, Sheffield packs lightning in his left arm. His fastball can sit in the mid-90s, and he has touched as high as 98 mph. Sheffield's fastball generates plenty of swings and misses thanks to intense riding life and a deceptive delivery. He couples the pitch with a slider and changeup that both project as above-average to plus. His slider, which sits in the mid-80s, ranks slightly ahead of his changeup, which sits in the high 80s. Sheffield missed a significant chunk of time in 2017 with a severely strained oblique muscle, so the Yankees sent him to the Arizona Fall League to make up innings. After a successful stint in the AFL, where he struck out 22 in 20 innings, Sheffield should move to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2018. If everything clicks, he has the ceiling of a No. 3 starter.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #7 prospect in 2017
  Sheffield was set to pitch at Vanderbilt with his brother Jordan before the Indians made him a first-round pick and signed him for $1.6 million. He blitzed the competition in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his debut but was arrested in the offseason for underage drinking and criminal trespass. He pled guilty to those charges. Cleveland traded him to the Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline, along with outfielder Clint Frazier and relievers J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller, in the deal that sent closer Andrew Miller to the Indians. A short lefthander, Sheffield owns three plus or potential plus pitches. His fastball, which has sinking action, sits in the 93-95 mph range and can touch 97. He complements it with a short-breaking slider in the low- to mid-80s and a changeup in the same range. His slider is his best secondary pitch, but he has good feel for his changeup, and with more reps it could be as good as the slider. Sheffield, who will open 2017 as a 20-year-old, is probably headed for Double-A Trenton with a future as a mid-rotation starter if he achieves his ceiling.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #4 prospect in 2016
  The departure of free agent Ubaldo Jimenez gave the Indians a second first-round selection in 2014. Ten picks after taking Bradley Zimmer, they selected Sheffield. He was committed to Vanderbilt, where he would have been teammates with his older brother Jordan, but instead chose to sign for $1.6 million. After a solid pro debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League, he was arrested during the offseason in his hometown and pled guilty to underage drinking and aggravated criminal trespass. Sheffield received probation and the case could be expunged from his record, but the incident was surprising, as scouts had lauded his makeup before the draft. His full-season debut at low Class A Lake County went off without a hitch, and he earned all-star honors as a 19-year-old in the Midwest League while ranking second with 138 strikeouts. On the mound, Sheffield offers an exciting combination of power stuff from the left side and athleticism. He has a chance to have three above-average pitches. His fastball sits around 93 mph and has been clocked as high as 96. His curveball is an out pitch, and he also shows good feel for his changeup, which has improved in pro ball. He does a good job of pitching down in the zone despite his 5-foot-10 stature. He has advanced pitchability and can throw strikes with his whole arsenal but still needs to refine his command. Sheffield was young for his draft class and figures to be one of the youngest players in the Carolina League when he advances to high Class A Lynchburg in 2016. He has the upside of a No. 2 starter if he puts everything together.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #4 prospect in 2015
  The Indians gained an extra 2014 first-round pick, No. 31 overall, as compensation for losing free agent Ubaldo Jimenez. They spent it on Sheffield, marking the third time in four years they've taken a high schooler in the first round. He passed on a chance to go to Vanderbilt and pitch alongside older brother Jordan, himself a highly regarded prospect, and signed with Cleveland for $1.6 million. Sheffield offers an exciting combination of power stuff from the left side and athleticism on the mound. His fastball typically sits in the low 90s with late life, but he was able to run it up to 95-96 mph in the Rookie-level Arizona League. He throws a hard, late-breaking slider that he can locate for a strike or use as a chase pitch. He shows good feel for a curveball as well, and the Indians believe it could also be an out-pitch in the future. His changeup is behind his other pitches but on par with most prep pitchers. Despite standing in at 5-foot-10, he nonetheless does a good job of getting down the hill with power to leverage balls down in the zone. From an ability standpoint, Sheffield is ready to tackle low Class A Lake County in his first full season, though the Indians might hold him back to control his workload. He has the upside to be a No. 2 starter if everything comes together.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #49 prospect in 2014 draft
  A year after a banner crop of high school pitchers in Tennessee, Sheffield is the consensus top arm, with a considerable gap between him and the second-best prep pitcher in the state. He has been a known entity since he was an underclassman because of his older brother Jordan, a righthander who had Tommy John surgery in the spring of his senior year but otherwise might have been a top-two-round pick in the 2013 draft. Jordan ended up going in the 13th round to the Red Sox and headed to Vanderbilt. The Sheffield brothers starred in the Breakthrough Series, televised on the MLB Network, when Justus was a rising junior, and he ran his fastball up to 93 mph the following spring at the National High School Invitational. While both Sheffields have similar stature, Justus has the benefit of being lefthanded, at a strong, compact 5-foot-10, 196 pounds, and young for his draft class. He offers athleticism, feel for pitching and a four-pitch mix. His fastball typically sits 90-92 mph, touching 94 with some run and sink, and his changeup shows the makings of an above-average offering, as does his curveball. Sheffield has pitchability and is a strike-thrower with the chance for at least average control, potentially better. He has also committed to Vanderbilt, but he's expected to sign as his talent puts him in the mix for the top two rounds

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Pacific Coast League #20 prospect in 2019
  Sheffield had nearly as many walks (41) as strikeouts (48) at Tacoma and was demoted to Double-A, but he still showed promising stuff. He jumped to the majors for good in late August and showed intriguing flashes in the Mariners' rotation. Sheffield fastball sits 93 mph and touches 96 mph, and he splits the plate with his plus, mid-80s slider and upper-80s changeup. Sheffield is extremely aggressive and rushes his delivery, causing below-average command. When he slows down, he throws strikes and shows starter potential. "Good arm and a hard-nosed player,” El Paso manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "He can take you into the sixth or seventh when he’s on.”
• 
  Ranked Texas League #5 prospect in 2019
  The Mariners sent Sheffield down from Triple-A Tacoma to Double-A Arkansas after a rough start. Sheffield rediscovered his command in Arkansas, lowering his walk rate to 2.1 batters per nine innings, and led the Texas League in ERA (2.19) and strikeouts (85) from the time he joined until he was promoted to Seattle on Aug. 23. Sheffield started his three-pitch mix with a low- to mid-90s fastball that can touch 96 mph and a hard, mid-80s slider. Both pitches have plus potential with the ability to be consistent swing-and-miss offerings. He also throws an average, mid-80s changeup early in counts before relying on his fastball and slider to finish hitters off. Sheffield’s high-effort delivery contributes to his lack of control and needs to be watched, but his stuff is that of a mid-rotation starter.
• 
  Ranked International League #7 prospect in 2018
  Sheffield got promoted Double-A to Triple-A after just five starts and showed he could more than handle the higher-tier competition. He limited opponents to one earned run or fewer in 11 of his 15 starts in the IL and was named the league’s best pitching prospect by managers in Best Tools balloting. Sheffield’s fastball worked 93-97 mph and he steadily improved his command of it, making it a true plus pitch. He added two-plane break to his mid-80s slider to help it leap forward as well, giving him a pair of power pitches from the left side. Sheffield still throws his changeup too firm in the upper 80s, and learning to throw that softer will be key to keep hitters from just dialing in on his hard stuff.
• 
  Ranked Eastern League #11 prospect in 2017
  Sheffield was part of the four-player package the Indians sent to Yankees for Andrew Miller in July 2016 and showed plenty of positive signs this season at Double-A around a lengthy disabled-list stint with a strained oblique. The lefthander sports a three-pitch mix fronted by a fastball that sits between 92-95 mph and touches as high as 97. He couples his fastball with a slider and changeup that waver in their consistency but project as plus for some scouts. His changeup is a touch behind his slider at this point, but he has shown the ability to command his entire arsenal. Evaluators are split on Sheffield's future. Some see him as a No. 2 starter, while others see a back-end starter or a potentially dominant reliever based on his shorter stature and durability questions.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #11 prospect in 2016
  The Yankees don't have a Carolina League affiliate, but they have two of the league's top prospects. Shortstop Gleyber Torres came over in the Aroldis Chapman deal, and the polished Sheffield was part of the trade that sent lefthanded reliever Andrew Miller to the Indians. Sheffield signed for $1.6 million instead of joining his brother Jordan (a current Dodgers prospect) at Vanderbilt. He's known for his bulldog attitude and poise on the mound. He can throw his heavy 93-94 mph fastball, curveball and changeup for strikes, and tops out at 96 with the heater. "He's got a great arm. This kid is legit," Frederick manager Keith Bodie said. "He commands the ball pretty well for a young kid and has quality stuff. All of his pitches have some finish and some life."
• 
  Ranked Midwest League #11 prospect in 2015
  He may have been a little overshadowed by Lake County teammate Bobby Bradley, but Sheffield had an impressive full-season debut of his own. The 2014 first-round pick led MWL qualifiers with 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and finished second in the league with 138 strikeouts. While Sheffield ranks lower on this list than Great Lakes' Grant Holmes and Lansing's Sean Reid-Foley, he showed much finer control than either of them with 2.7 walks per nine. Sheffield's 92-96 mph fastball generates swings and misses whether he's pounding the bottom of the zone or elevating. His changeup and breaking ball are both solid-average pitches. Depending on the outing, either pitch can serve as his No. 2 offering. While Sheffield showed solid control, his command is not yet where it needs to be. He can locate to his arm side consistently, but when he tries to pitch in on righthanders, the tailing action on his fastball tends to cause it to leak back over the plate. He also needs to work on slowing down his tempo when runners reach base and he works from the stretch.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Complex League #4 prospect in 2014
  Sheffield nearly followed his older brother Jordan to Vanderbilt before the Indians selected the Tennessee high school product with the second of its two first-round picks, signing him for $1.6 million. While Sheffield isn't physically imposing, he's a plus athlete and has the stuff of a bigger pitcher with a fastball up to 96 mph. His heater is an above-average pitch that comes out of his hand effortlessly, and he complements it with a changeup he commands and which projects as above-average. His curveball needs work but also could be an above-average pitch in time. Sheffield has a good feel for pitching and showed in the AZL championship game that he's able to reach back for something extra with men on base. He struggled in his early outings because, like many first-year pros, he tried to do too much.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #27 prospect in 2019
• Ranked Baseball America's #41 prospect in 2018
• Ranked Baseball America's #91 prospect in 2017
• Ranked Baseball America's #81 prospect in 2016

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Originally drafted by the Indians and traded to the Yankees in the 2016 Andrew Miller deal, Sheffield had an up-and-down first season in the Mariners’ system after coming over in the James Paxton trade. He began the year at Triple-A and got bombed for a 6.87 ERA, then dropped down to Double-A and rediscovered his form. He then jumped to the majors, finishing the year with eight appearances, including seven starts, in Seattle.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When he’s on, Sheffield delivers a plus power fastball from the left side that sits at 93 mph and touches 97. The key to his improvement during his time in Double-A was commanding his fastball better after working with pitching coach Pete Woodworth, who will be the Mariners’ big league pitching coach in 2020. Sheffield can vary the shape of his above-average mid-80s slider and gained confidence throwing his 84-88 mph average changeup with fade late in the year. Sheffield’s effortful delivery has long resulted in below-average command, but he improved as the season progressed and stayed better on line to the plate.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sheffield’s command shortcomings have most rival evaluators projecting him to the bullpen, but he will enter 2020 with a chance to make the Mariners’ rotation.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Originally drafted by the Indians and traded to the Yankees in the 2016 Andrew Miller deal, Sheffield had an up-and-down first season in the Mariners' system after coming over in the James Paxton trade. He began the year at Triple-A and got bombed for a 6.87 ERA, then dropped down to Double-A and rediscovered his form. He then jumped to the majors, finishing the year with eight appearances, including seven starts, in Seattle.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: When he's on, Sheffield delivers a plus power fastball from the left side that sits at 93 mph and touches 97. The key to his improvement during his time in Double-A was commanding his fastball better after working with pitching coach Pete Woodworth, who will be the Mariners' big league pitching coach in 2020. Sheffield can vary the shape of his above-average mid-80s slider and gained confidence throwing his 84-88 mph average changeup with fade late in the year. Sheffield's effortful delivery has long resulted in below-average command, but he improved as the season progressed and stayed better on line to the plate.
  
  THE FUTURE: Sheffield's command shortcomings have most rival evaluators projecting him to the bullpen, but he will enter 2020 with a chance to make the Mariners' rotation.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Sheffield had nearly as many walks (41) as strikeouts (48) at Tacoma and was demoted to Double-A, but he still showed promising stuff. He jumped to the majors for good in late August and showed intriguing flashes in the Mariners' rotation. Sheffield fastball sits 93 mph and touches 96 mph, and he splits the plate with his plus, mid-80s slider and upper-80s changeup. Sheffield is extremely aggressive and rushes his delivery, causing below-average command. When he slows down, he throws strikes and shows starter potential. "Good arm and a hard-nosed player,” El Paso manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "He can take you into the sixth or seventh when he’s on.”
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Mariners sent Sheffield down from Triple-A Tacoma to Double-A Arkansas after a rough start. Sheffield rediscovered his command in Arkansas, lowering his walk rate to 2.1 batters per nine innings, and led the Texas League in ERA (2.19) and strikeouts (85) from the time he joined until he was promoted to Seattle on Aug. 23. Sheffield started his three-pitch mix with a low- to mid-90s fastball that can touch 96 mph and a hard, mid-80s slider. Both pitches have plus potential with the ability to be consistent swing-and-miss offerings. He also throws an average, mid-80s changeup early in counts before relying on his fastball and slider to finish hitters off. Sheffield’s high-effort delivery contributes to his lack of control and needs to be watched, but his stuff is that of a mid-rotation starter.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  After the graduations of infielders Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar, a path was cleared for Sheffield to jump to the top of this list. And aside of from a hiccup with shoulder inflammation, the lefthander has passed every test thrown his way. Now he’s working on refinement. He can reach the upper 90s with his fastball, and will show plus potential with both his slider and his changeup. The Yankees are working on improving both his offspeed offerings to give them more separation, velocity-wise, from his fastball to help give hitters a different look. Once he’s able to do that, he’ll be ready to get his first test in the major leagues.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Sheffield was set to pitch at Vanderbilt with his brother Jordan before the Indians made him a first-round pick and signed him for $1.6 million. He blitzed the competition in the Rookie-level Arizona League in his debut but was arrested in the offseason for underage drinking and criminal trespass. He pled guilty to those charges. Cleveland traded him to the Yankees at the 2016 trade deadline, along with outfielder Clint Frazier and relievers J.P. Feyereisen and Ben Heller, in the deal that sent closer Andrew Miller to the Indians. Scouting Report: A short lefthander, Sheffield owns three plus or potential plus pitches. His fastball, which has sinking action, sits in the 93-95 mph range and can touch 97 at times. He complements it with a short-breaking slider in the low- to mid-80s and a changeup in the same range. His slider is his best secondary pitch, but he has good feel for his changeup, and with more reps it could be as good as the slider. The Future: Sheffield, who will open 2017 as a 20-year-old, is probably headed for a return to Double-A Trenton with a future as a mid-rotation starter if he achieves his ceiling.