Josh Wall

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #20 prospect in 2013
  Wall needed time to mature, physically and mentally, after the Dodgers took him in the second round of the 2005 draft and signed him for $480,000. A rangy, long-limbed 6-foot-6, he struggled to maintain his stuff consistently as a starter, but he turned a corner after converting to relief in 2011. Braving the hitter's haven in Albuquerque last year, he led the Pacific Coast League and ranked fourth in the minors with 28 saves and made his big league debut in July. Wall has the weapons to pitch in the back of a big league bullpen, with a fastball that sits at 94-96 mph and a hard, late-breaking slider. The slider can get sweepy but has been a plus pitch for him. He also has a curveball and changeup left over from his days as a starter, but he is primarily a two-pitch reliever. He has a clean delivery but his size makes it difficult to repeat, and his command remains below average. That hinders him against lefthanders, who posted an .811 OPS against him in Triple-A. Los Angeles has been encouraged by Wall's maturation, as he has come to take his career more seriously. He'll have a chance to make the big league bullpen in spring training.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #24 prospect in 2012
  A second-round pick in 2005, Wall slipped off the prospect radar after six up-anddown seasons as a starter. He looked like a big leaguer at times, but he was prone to losing focus and struggled to maintain consistent stuff. The Dodgers moved him to relief in 2011 and the shorter stints suited him better, as he had his best season as a pro. Wall's fastball velocity varied as a starter but he sits at 95-98 mph coming out of the bullpen. His fastball has some armside movement, though it gets straighter at higher velocities. His slider also has improved, as it's now tighter and harder at 87-90 mph. Wall also owns a curveball he can throw for strikes and a fringy changeup. Some scouts still question his feel for using his secondary pitches, and lefthanders batted .327/.410/.505 against him in 2011. The Dodgers prefer to point to how much he has matured and added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Wall has a good delivery and a loose, easy arm, so durability hasn't been a problem. He could be a middle-relief option in Los Angeles in the near future.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #29 prospect in 2009
  Maturity has been an issue for Wall, who signed for $480,000 after he was drafted between Kevin Slowey and Yunel Escobar. Wall is tall and rangy, built like Aaron Sele, and while he can hit 95-96 mph with good arm action he sometimes sits at 88-91, just major league average. He has a curve that has some tilt and depth that long has been his best pitch, another facet that earns him comparisons to Sele. He also throws a slider and a changeup. Some days Wall is unhittable; some days everything is over the plate. He was pushed to high Class A at 19 last year and wasn't aggressive enough in the strike zone. Wall is still learning the nuances of being a professional, such as having a between-starts routine and how to study hitters. If Wall matures physically and mentally, he could be a middle-to-back-of-the-rotation starter, and to this point, his best asset has been durability, as he's thrown more than 250 innings the last two seasons combined. He's most likely headed back to Inland Empire for 2009.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #15 prospect in 2008
  From James McDonald to 18-year-old Dominican Carlos Frias, the Dodgers system is deep in projectable pitchers, one of assistant GM Logan White's most coveted commodities. Wall fits the same mold, and he made as much improvement from 2006 to 2007 as any of the system's young arms. His velocity always has vacillated, which was part of the reason he lasted 74 picks in the 2005 draft. He touched 95 mph early his senior year in high school, but had dipped to the high 80s by the time the draft rolled around. His velocity spiked at 96 mph last summer and sat at 92-93 when his mechanics were in sync. He flashes a plus breaking ball that has hard bite at 82 mph and an average circle changeup. Wall is tall and lean, and his arm works well. He doesn't repeat his delivery and tends to land on his left heel, spinning off the mound to his glove side, leading to below-average command and inconsistent secondary stuff. When he's right, his fastball has good downhill plane with boring action. He made strides with his mental approach to pitching, but he gets frustrated during funks and needs to mature. He'll likely open 2008 in high Class A.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #29 prospect in 2007
  Wall skyrocketed up the draft board in January 2005 when he flashed 95 mph heat at a Perfect Game showcase in Fort Myers, Fla. He joined Bryan Morris--a 2006 Dodgers draftee--as a second-team High School All-American with a 138-26 strikeout-walk ratio that spring, and signed with the Dodgers for $480,000. A half-brother of former Dodgers farmhand Lance Caraccioli, Wall may have been held back by his family's interest in his career in 2006. His father, who bird-dogs for Dodgers scout Dennis Moeller in Louisiana, spent most of the summer following his son around the Pioneer League and Josh at times lacked focus. Some scouts speculated that his dad's constant critiquing became counterproductive. His stuff backed up significantly and he pitched tentatively. His fastball was usually flat at 88 mph. His curveball, which showed promise and hard, downer action as an amateur, sat between 72-75 mph and lacked the depth it once showed. He gets around the ball, losing plane and command. If he cleans up his delivery and improves his mental approach, he has the frame and tools to develop into a middle-of-the-rotation starter. His performance in spring training will determine his assignment, but low Class A seems the likely destination.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #19 prospect in 2006
  Wall's story was very similar to Blake Johnson's from a year earlier. Like Johnson, Wall is a Louisiana high school righthander whose stock soared when he excelled at a prospect showcase. He threw 95 mph during a Perfect Game showcase in Florida in January 2005. His velocity dipped to 86-88 mph late in the summer, so Los Angeles was able to take him in the third round, signing him away from Louisiana State for $480,000. A half-brother of former Dodgers farmhand Lance Caraccioli, Wall has a projectable frame and athleticism that bode well for his future. Besides his fastball, which sat at 90-93 mph for much of the spring, he also has a power 82 mph curveball and an average changeup. His curve will become an out pitch once he masters command of it. Wall could develop into a durable middle-of-the-rotation starter with three above-average offerings. He likely will spend his first full year in low Class A.