Wyatt Mills

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #25 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A Washington native, Mills finished second in Gonzaga history with 21 saves and was drafted in the third round by the Mariners in 2017. He was solid but unspectacular his first few seasons and was not invited to the Mariners alternate training site in 2020, but he reported to instructional league throwing harder and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. He followed by averaging 16 strikeouts per nine innings at Triple-A Tacoma in 2021 and made his major league debut with 11 appearances for the Mariners.
  
  Scouting Report: Mills is a classic sidearm reliever who relies on keeping the ball on the ground with his sinker and slider. His sinker sits 92-93 and touches 97 with late armside run that locks up righthanded batters. His average mid-80s slider sweeps horizontally across the plate out of his arm slot that is nearly parallel to the ground. Mills scrapped his changeup to focus on his two best pitches, helping them play up but leaving him vulnerable against lefties. He has average control and relies more on movement and deception than precision.
  
  The Future: Mills will contend for a spot in the Mariners’ bullpen in 2022. He projects to settle in as a middle reliever who matches up against a run of righthanded hitters.
  
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #16 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: A Spokane, Wash. native who went to Gonzaga, Mills was expected to move quickly after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017. While that hasn't happened quite as planned, Mills' fastball showed a 3 mph increase at the alternate training site and instructional league in 2020. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mills' strength is a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph and seems to come out of his hip with a deceptive, sidearm delivery. His heater has good run and sink and is especially tough for righthanded batters. Mills' above-average slider is a sweeping pitch with deception and tilt. He's dropped the use of his changeup to focus on his two best pitches. Mills is more of a control-over-command type of pitcher, and while his stuff has fluctuated over his career he's been consistently effective.
  
  THE FUTURE: Often compared to Steve Cishek and Darren O'day, Mills should have a similar major league career as a reliable reliever who gives hitters a different look. He is in position to make his MLB debut in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #24 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Mills was slated to move quickly through the system after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017 from Gonzaga, but the sidearm reliever spent all of 2019 at Double-A Arkansas followed by time in the fall with USA Baseball's Premier 12 team.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Using a funky, deceptive delivery with the ball looking like it's coming out of his hip, Mills primarily relies on his sinker/slider combo to dominate righthanded hitters. He consistently throws both pitches for strikes. The plus fastball sits 92-94 mph, touching 95-96, with tail and sink, and he's gotten more aggressive with it to the inner half of the plate against lefthanded batters. His average, sweepy slider with tilt sits 80-84 mph and also flashes plus as he uses it to get ahead in the count. Mills uses his 82-85 mph changeup more to lefthanded hitters but needs to be more consistent with the pitch.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mills profiles as a situational reliever most effective against righthanders. With improvement of the changeup, he could pitch in higher leverage situations. He'll head to Triple-A to start 2020 but will likely join the Tacoma-Seattle shuttle as bullpen reinforcements are needed by the Mariners.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #19 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Mills pitched exclusively out of the bullpen in four years at Gonzaga, where he recorded a 1.79 ERA with 12 saves as a senior. Drafted in the third round in 2017 with the intention of moving through the Mariners' system quickly, Mills made it to Double-A Arkansas by the end of his first full season and then spent time in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  Scouting Report: Pitching from a sidearm slot, Mills gives hitters a different look, with his pitches appearing to come out of his hip. It's a funky, deceptive delivery, but he repeats it well. Mills' typical 88-92 mph fastball has both sink and armside movement, and he showed increased velocity in the AFL, when he sat 94-95 mph. His average 81-84 mph slider has two-plane movement and can be a swing-and-miss pitch, but it currently doesn't have enough tilt and needs to thrown in the zone more often against more advanced hitters. Mills throws his 80-83 mph changeup for strikes, using it more often against lefthanded batters, but he's predominately a fastball/slider reliever.
  
  The Future: After a successful stint in AFL, Mills should be ready to give Double-A another shot in 2019 and will likely make it to Triple-A before long. He could be pitching in high-leverage situations if he maintains the increased velocity and improves his slider.
• 
  Ranked Seattle Mariners #11 prospect in 2018
  The Mariners' selection of Mills in the third round in 2017 sent draft analysts scurrying for information on the Gonzaga righthander. Mills signed for an under-slot $125,000 to give the Mariners extra bonus money to use on second-rounder rounder Sam Carlson. After using an over-the-top delivery in high school, Mills walked on at Gonzaga and changed his delivery to a much lower slot after his freshman year. He worked exclusively as a setup reliever in college, recording a 1.79 ERA with a 58-to-4 strikeout-to-walk mark his senior year after he passed up an opportunity to turn pro when the Rays drafted him in the 17th round in 2016. Mills throws from a very low slot with the ball coming out of his hip--it's almost a submarine delivery that draws comparisons with Joe Smith and Steve Cishek. While Mills' velocity on his two-seam fastball was down in his pro debut split between short-season Everett and low Class A Clinton, he touched 95 mph in college with sink and deception, and he should get back to that velocity with an offseason of rest. He also uses a hard slider that projects as an average offering. Mills could wind up pitching at multiple levels in 2018 and will be on a fast track to the big league bullpen.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A Washington native, Mills finished second in Gonzaga history with 21 saves and was drafted in the third round by the Mariners in 2017. He was solid but unspectacular his first few seasons and was not invited to the Mariners alternate training site in 2020, but he reported to instructional league throwing harder and was added to the 40-man roster after the season. He followed by averaging 16 strikeouts per nine innings at Triple-A Tacoma in 2021 and made his major league debut with 11 appearances for the Mariners.
  
  Scouting Report: Mills is a classic sidearm reliever who relies on keeping the ball on the ground with his sinker and slider. His sinker sits 92-93 and touches 97 with late armside run that locks up righthanded batters. His average mid-80s slider sweeps horizontally across the plate out of his arm slot that is nearly parallel to the ground. Mills scrapped his changeup to focus on his two best pitches, helping them play up but leaving him vulnerable against lefties. He has average control and relies more on movement and deception than precision.
  
  The Future: Mills will contend for a spot in the Mariners’ bullpen in 2022. He projects to settle in as a middle reliever who matches up against a run of righthanded hitters.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A Spokane, Wash. native who went to Gonzaga, Mills was expected to move quickly after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017. While that hasn't happened quite as planned, Mills' fastball showed a 3 mph increase at the alternate training site and instructional league in 2020. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mills' strength is a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph and seems to come out of his hip with a deceptive, sidearm delivery. His heater has good run and sink and is especially tough for righthanded batters. Mills' above-average slider is a sweeping pitch with deception and tilt. He's dropped the use of his changeup to focus on his two best pitches. Mills is more of a control-over-command type of pitcher, and while his stuff has fluctuated over his career he's been consistently effective.
  
  THE FUTURE: Often compared to Steve Cishek and Darren O'day, Mills should have a similar major league career as a reliable reliever who gives hitters a different look. He is in position to make his MLB debut in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A Spokane, Wash. native who went to Gonzaga, Mills was expected to move quickly after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017. While that hasn't happened quite as planned, Mills' fastball showed a 3 mph increase at the alternate training site and instructional league in 2020. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mills' strength is a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph and seems to come out of his hip with a deceptive, sidearm delivery. His heater has good run and sink and is especially tough for righthanded batters. Mills' above-average slider is a sweeping pitch with deception and tilt. He's dropped the use of his changeup to focus on his two best pitches. Mills is more of a control-over-command type of pitcher, and while his stuff has fluctuated over his career he's been consistently effective.
  
  THE FUTURE: Often compared to Steve Cishek and Darren O'day, Mills should have a similar major league career as a reliable reliever who gives hitters a different look. He is in position to make his MLB debut in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A Spokane, Wash. native who went to Gonzaga, Mills was expected to move quickly after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017. While that hasn't happened quite as planned, Mills' fastball showed a 3 mph increase at the alternate training site and instructional league in 2020. The Mariners added him to the 40-man roster after the season.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Mills' strength is a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph and seems to come out of his hip with a deceptive, sidearm delivery. His heater has good run and sink and is especially tough for righthanded batters. Mills' above-average slider is a sweeping pitch with deception and tilt. He's dropped the use of his changeup to focus on his two best pitches. Mills is more of a control-over-command type of pitcher, and while his stuff has fluctuated over his career he's been consistently effective.
  
  THE FUTURE: Often compared to Steve Cishek and Darren O'day, Mills should have a similar major league career as a reliable reliever who gives hitters a different look. He is in position to make his MLB debut in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Mills was slated to move quickly through the system after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017 from Gonzaga, but the sidearm reliever spent all of 2019 at Double-A Arkansas followed by time in the fall with USA Baseball’s Premier 12 team.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Using a funky, deceptive delivery with the ball looking like it’s coming out of his hip, Mills primarily relies on his sinker/slider combo to dominate righthanded hitters. He consistently throws both pitches for strikes. The plus fastball sits 92-94 mph, touching 95-96, with tail and sink, and he’s gotten more aggressive with it to the inner half of the plate against lefthanded batters. His average, sweepy slider with tilt sits 80-84 mph and also flashes plus as he uses it to get ahead in the count. Mills uses his 82-85 mph changeup more to lefthanded hitters but needs to be more consistent with the pitch.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mills profiles as a situational reliever most effective against righthanders. With improvement of the changeup, he could pitch in higher leverage situations. He’ll head to Triple-A to start 2020 but will likely join the Tacoma-Seattle shuttle as bullpen reinforcements are needed by the Mariners.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Mills was slated to move quickly through the system after the Mariners drafted him in the third round in 2017 from Gonzaga, but the sidearm reliever spent all of 2019 at Double-A Arkansas followed by time in the fall with USA Baseball's Premier 12 team.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Using a funky, deceptive delivery with the ball looking like it's coming out of his hip, Mills primarily relies on his sinker/slider combo to dominate righthanded hitters. He consistently throws both pitches for strikes. The plus fastball sits 92-94 mph, touching 95-96, with tail and sink, and he's gotten more aggressive with it to the inner half of the plate against lefthanded batters. His average, sweepy slider with tilt sits 80-84 mph and also flashes plus as he uses it to get ahead in the count. Mills uses his 82-85 mph changeup more to lefthanded hitters but needs to be more consistent with the pitch.
  
  THE FUTURE: Mills profiles as a situational reliever most effective against righthanders. With improvement of the changeup, he could pitch in higher leverage situations. He'll head to Triple-A to start 2020 but will likely join the Tacoma-Seattle shuttle as bullpen reinforcements are needed by the Mariners.