Jordan Sheffield Stats & Scouting Report

IP	31
ERA	3.194
WHIP	1.161
BB/9	4.355
SO/9	6.097

Full name Jordan Ladon Sheffield
Born 06/01/1995 in Tullahoma, TN
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Vanderbilt
Debut 04/02/2021
Drafted in the CB-A round (36th overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016 (signed for $1,847,500).

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Coming out of high school, Sheffield was a high-end prospect. His fastball had reached 97 in the fall of his senior year, but fell off in the spring and he eventually needed Tommy John surgery and chose to honor his Vanderbilt commitment. After missing his freshman season, Sheffield showed off his explosive arm speed as a reliever as a sophomore, and he showed flashes of brilliance, though he battled command issues. This spring, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has shown improved command and an explosive arsenal of pitches. His plus-plus arm speed allows him to sit in the mid-90s deep into games, and he shows the ability to reach 98 whenever he needs to. Sheffield throws a downer curveball that projects as an average or slightly better pitch, and he has gained confidence in his changeup, giving him three quality pitches. He's one of the few college pitchers trending in the right direction, and he's likely to be a day one pick.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Sheffield had a chance to be the first prep righthander taken in the 2013 draft, but succumbed to Tommy John surgery midway through his senior year and went to Vanderbilt instead. He became the Commodores ace as a redshirt sophomore and was drafted by the Dodgers 36th overall in 2016, signing for $1,847,500. Sheffield, whose younger brother Justus is a top pitching prospect for the Yankees, showed big velocity in his first full season but struggled mightily with his control (4.8 walks per nine innings) at the Class A levels. He sits 94-95 mph with his fastball and reaches 97 as a starter and 99 out of the bullpen. His fastball plays down because it is completely straight and he leaves it up, allowing hitters to barrel it or watch it rise out of the zone. He began experimenting with a two-seamer to try and give batters a different look. Sheffield's main secondary is an average-to-above slider and he also has a usable changeup, but he gets away from it too often. Sheffield's injury history, limited control and thin frame have most projecting him to the bullpen. He will try to prove he can stay a starter at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in 2018.
The Dodgers have been raiding the Vanderbilt pitching staff in recent years. They drafted Walker Buehler and Phil Pfeifer in 2015, then used their 2016 supplemental first-round pick (No. 36 overall) on Sheffield, who signed for $1,847,500. His younger brother, Justus, is a pitching prospect in the Yankees organization. Sheffield, who had Tommy John surgery in 2013, has outstanding arm speed on a fastball that sits at 93-96 mph and can reach 98, with the ability to carry that velocity deep into his starts. Sheffield's hard curveball and changeup are both 55-grade pitches that flash plus. He has more confidence in his curveball, which has sharp bite but is inconsistent, while his mid-80s changeup gets excellent armside run. With a high-effort delivery, Sheffield struggles to repeat his release point. While he improved his control in 2016, it's still scattered. Sheffield has the repertoire to start, but his command, mechanics and medical track record create reliever risk.

Draft Prospects

Coming out of high school, Sheffield was a high-end prospect. His fastball had reached 97 in the fall of his senior year, but fell off in the spring and he eventually needed Tommy John surgery and chose to honor his Vanderbilt commitment. After missing his freshman season, Sheffield showed off his explosive arm speed as a reliever as a sophomore, and he showed flashes of brilliance, though he battled command issues. This spring, the 6-foot, 185-pounder has shown improved command and an explosive arsenal of pitches. His plus-plus arm speed allows him to sit in the mid-90s deep into games, and he shows the ability to reach 98 whenever he needs to. Sheffield throws a downer curveball that projects as an average or slightly better pitch, and he has gained confidence in his changeup, giving him three quality pitches. He's one of the few college pitchers trending in the right direction, and he's likely to be a day one pick.
Sheffield opened the spring as BA's No. 7 high school draft prospect based on his athleticism and hammer curveball, one of the best breaking balls in the class. It also was based on a velocity jump that he showed last fall at the World Wood Bat showcase in Jupiter, Fla., where he didn't throw a fastball below 94 mph and touched 97. He did not maintain that velocity this spring in early scrimmages and left his first start in March with stiffness in his arm. He sat out two weeks and tried to pitch in the National High School Invitational in April, but shut it down during pregame warmups and had Tommy John a couple of weeks later. Sheffield, whose younger brother Justus is a 2014 prospect, is expected to make good on his Vanderbilt commitment while recovering from surgery. There's always the chance a team makes a run at him, but he won't pitch until next spring, and his college commitment was considered strong.