Drew Strotman

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #17 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Mostly a reliever in college, the Rays developed Strotman as a starter and dealt him to the Twins in the Nelson Cruz trade that also landed Minnesota righthander Joe Ryan. Strotman pitched exclusively at Triple-A in 2021 with solid stuff, but control that got him into trouble at times.
  
  Scouting Report: Strotman has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sat in the 94-95 mph range and has been up to 99-100 mph. The pitch is ordinary in terms of movement and spin, and he needs to do a better job spotting the pitch on the edges of the zone moving forward. His best secondary is a hard cutter/slider that sits in the upper 80s and is currently his best in-zone swing-and-miss offering. Strotman also has a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that gets whiffs more as a chase offering versus lefthanded hitters. A curveball around 80 mph is his fourth offering and doesn’t project as anything more than a change of pace pitch.
  
  The Future: Strotman has the stuff to pitch in a No. 4 or No. 5 role if he can get his control back to pre-Tommy John surgery levels, but if that doesn’t happen his fastball could play up in a bullpen role. Strotman is on the 40-man roster with a chance to make his big league debut in 2022.
  
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #26 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: A reliever for most of his St. Mary's career, the Rays liked Strotman's athleticism and believed he could start. After a solid start to his pro career he blew out his elbow in May 2018. He returned from Tommy John surgery in July 2019 and pitched 21 innings in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: By the end of Srotman's AFL stint he was sitting 92-94 mph, touching 96 and he had regained the feel for his potentially above-average slider, although it had a little less power in his return. As a starter, Strotman doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he has an average fastball and an average changeup to go with his slider. He also throws an early count get-over curveball. Pre-injury he had average control, but he dealt with bouts of wildness in his return.
  
  THE FUTURE: Strotman will look to return to his pre-TJ form in 2020. He's lauded for his competitiveness and intensity. He will likely begin back at high Class A Charlotte, but the hope is he will pitch his way to Double-A Mongtomery. His upside is as a No. 4 starter/setup man.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #27 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: St. Mary's moved Strotman to the starting rotation and saw him blow up as a prospect thanks to an excellent 14-strikeout start against Santa Clara right before the draft. The Rays have continued to develop him as a starter, a transition that was going well until Strotman had to leave a mid-May start with an elbow injury. He became yet another Rays pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before he went down with his elbow injury, Strotman was mixing together four solid-average pitches. His 93-95 mph fastball and hard slider are the two pitches that have the best chance to be above-average, but Strotman's success has come from mixing up his pitch selection. He also throws a potentially average changeup and curve. The former reliever now projects to have average control.
  
  The Future: The timing of Strotman's surgery would put his recovery timetable right on track to have him ready to go as the 2019 minor league season ends. That makes it likely that instead he'll get two full offseasons of recovery time before he returns to the mound in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #19 prospect in 2018
  Strotman was primarily a reliever at St. Mary's, but made seven of his 14 career starts in 2017 and overall went 6-1, 4.50, with a team-high 75 strikeouts in 67 innings. The Rays drafted him in the third round and signed him for $367,500. Strotman had one of the best pro debuts of any Rays pick. Strotman has a lean, athletic frame and a fast arm. His four-seam fastball sits at 93-95 mph and touches 98. He has a sharp slider that flashes the ability to be a plus offering, but needs more consistency in finding the strike zone. Strotman also has the potential for a solid-average changeup, and is working on generating more depth while finding a comfortable grip. The righthander does an excellent job of working down in the strike zone, resulting in grounders on 58.6 percent of balls put in play. His delivery also possesses some deception, which led to 23 of his 51 strikeouts in West Coast Conference play coming on called third strikes. Strotman's role at the major league level projects as a setup man, but the Rays will continue to get him innings as a starter in the Class A ranks in 2018.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #161 prospect in 2017 draft
  With Northern California's prep ranks being fairly empty for draft purposes this season, attention for scouts in the area shifted to the colleges, giving St. Mary's Drew Strotman a chance to emerge. A stalwart the last two summers in the Ripken League back east, Strotman has made seven of his 14 career starts this season and turned in his best season, going 6-1, 4.50 with 74 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 66 innings. Strotman has a lean pitcher's frame at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds and a fast arm that produces a low 90s fastball that has touched 96. His slider has reached 87 and earned plus grades at its best. Strotman peaked in mid-May with a 14-strikeout, no-walk win against Santa Clara, lasting eight innings. In West Coast Conference play, 23 of his 51 strikeouts were looking. He throws a decent changeup and was gaining steam, but most of his college experience has come as a reliever.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: Mostly a reliever in college, the Rays developed Strotman as a starter and dealt him to the Twins in the Nelson Cruz trade that also landed Minnesota righthander Joe Ryan. Strotman pitched exclusively at Triple-A in 2021 with solid stuff, but control that got him into trouble at times.
  
  Scouting Report: Strotman has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sat in the 94-95 mph range and has been up to 99-100 mph. The pitch is ordinary in terms of movement and spin, and he needs to do a better job spotting the pitch on the edges of the zone moving forward. His best secondary is a hard cutter/slider that sits in the upper 80s and is currently his best in-zone swing-and-miss offering. Strotman also has a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that gets whiffs more as a chase offering versus lefthanded hitters. A curveball around 80 mph is his fourth offering and doesn&#39t project as anything more than a change of pace pitch.
  
  The Future: Strotman has the stuff to pitch in a No. 4 or No. 5 role if he can get his control back to pre-Tommy John surgery levels, but if that doesn&#39t happen his fastball could play up in a bullpen role. Strotman is on the 40-man roster with a chance to make his big league debut in 2022.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Mostly a reliever in college, the Rays developed Strotman as a starter and dealt him to the Twins in the Nelson Cruz trade that also landed Minnesota righthander Joe Ryan. Strotman pitched exclusively at Triple-A in 2021 with solid stuff, but control that got him into trouble at times.
  
  Scouting Report: Strotman has a four-pitch mix headlined by a fastball that sat in the 94-95 mph range and has been up to 99-100 mph. The pitch is ordinary in terms of movement and spin, and he needs to do a better job spotting the pitch on the edges of the zone moving forward. His best secondary is a hard cutter/slider that sits in the upper 80s and is currently his best in-zone swing-and-miss offering. Strotman also has a mid-to-upper-80s changeup that gets whiffs more as a chase offering versus lefthanded hitters. A curveball around 80 mph is his fourth offering and doesn’t project as anything more than a change of pace pitch.
  
  The Future: Strotman has the stuff to pitch in a No. 4 or No. 5 role if he can get his control back to pre-Tommy John surgery levels, but if that doesn’t happen his fastball could play up in a bullpen role. Strotman is on the 40-man roster with a chance to make his big league debut in 2022.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Strotman bounced back from Tommy John surgery in 2019, and joined the Twins in the Nelson Cruz trade this July. Strotman's stuff is every bit what it was before the surgery, but his control has not been as sharp. He mixes a 92-95 mph fastball with a hard, high-80s slider that sometimes has depth. He's added a high-80s/low-90s cutter that is equally effective and also throws a slow curveball on occasion. His changeup has improved to the point that it gives him a third average offering and has played effectively at Triple-A.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A reliever for most of his St. Mary’s career, the Rays liked Strotman’s athleticism and believed he could start. After a solid start to his pro career he blew out his elbow in May 2018. He returned from Tommy John surgery in July 2019 and pitched 21 innings in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: By the end of Srotman’s AFL stint he was sitting 92-94 mph, touching 96 and he had regained the feel for his potentially above-average slider, although it had a little less power in his return. As a starter, Strotman doesn’t have a true plus pitch, but he has an average fastball and an average changeup to go with his slider. He also throws an early count get-over curveball. Pre-injury he had average control, but he dealt with bouts of wildness in his return.
  
  THE FUTURE: Strotman will look to return to his pre-TJ form in 2020. He’s lauded for his competitiveness and intensity. He will likely begin back at high Class A Charlotte, but the hope is he will pitch his BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 50 Risk: Extreme way to Double-A Mongtomery. His upside is as a No. 4 starter/setup man.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: A reliever for most of his St. Mary's career, the Rays liked Strotman's athleticism and believed he could start. After a solid start to his pro career he blew out his elbow in May 2018. He returned from Tommy John surgery in July 2019 and pitched 21 innings in the Arizona Fall League.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: By the end of Srotman's AFL stint he was sitting 92-94 mph, touching 96 and he had regained the feel for his potentially above-average slider, although it had a little less power in his return. As a starter, Strotman doesn't have a true plus pitch, but he has an average fastball and an average changeup to go with his slider. He also throws an early count get-over curveball. Pre-injury he had average control, but he dealt with bouts of wildness in his return.
  
  THE FUTURE: Strotman will look to return to his pre-TJ form in 2020. He's lauded for his competitiveness and intensity. He will likely begin back at high Class A Charlotte, but the hope is he will pitch his way to Double-A Mongtomery. His upside is as a No. 4 starter/setup man.