Cody Sedlock

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #20 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Plenty has changed since the Orioles made Sedlock their top pick in 2016 and touted him as a future four-pitch horse in the rotation, but at least he's back on the mound. Sedlock struggled with a forearm issue in 2017 and a shoulder issue related to thoracic outlet syndrome in 2018 before a return to health meant a return to form and a high Class A Carolina League all-star appearance in 2019.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: A change in approach from a two-seam heavy plan to using a four-seam fastball and mixing his pitches more helped Sedlock get back on track. He missed bats in the zone with his 90-93 mph fastball. His 81-83 mph changeup showed consistent fade and flashed plus, and his slider ticked up as well. Sedlock's delivery has never been smooth, but the Orioles are letting him work with what feels best for him and have overall unlocked a pitcher much closer to his draft pedigree.
  
  THE FUTURE: A healthy 2019 got Sedlock to Double-A Bowie, where he'll likely continue to build his innings en route to a No. 5 starter or middle relief role in 2020.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #7 prospect in 2018
  Sedlock was the top player in an Orioles draft class that received high reviews, signing for a $2.097 million bonus. He earned Big Ten Conference pitcher of the year honors at Illinois and looked sharp at short-season Aberdeen in 2016, so the Orioles started him at high Class A Frederick in 2017. However, Sedlock struggled and later dealt with a strained flexor mass in his right elbow that shelved him on two occasions. Sedlock's delivery gives scouts pause, as his arm stroke features a pronounced stab behind his body and a long arm action. His fastball was missing its high-end velocity in 2017 but remains a future plus pitch at 91-94 mph with hard run and late sink. His curveball and changeup both project as potentially above-average pitches, while he also throws a slider that could be an average pitch. He didn't pitch at instructional league but worked there to revert back to his delivery from 2016, which he had altered in an unsuccessful effort to add velocity. The Orioles hope that Sedlock's old delivery allows him to command an arsenal that profiles as a No. 3 starter. If not, he could see his stuff play up in shorter bursts in relief, where repeating his delivery won't be as much of an issue. Sedlock could return to Frederick in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #2 prospect in 2017
  Sedlock threw just 63 innings in his first two seasons at Illinois but thrived in the Cape Cod League in 2015, when he ranked as its No. 18 prospect. He maintained the momentum in 2016 to become the Big 10 Conference pitcher of the year and Illinois' third-ever first-round pick while setting an school record with 116 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. The Orioles drafted him 27th overall and signed him for a slot bonus of $2,097,200. He ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the short-season New York-Penn League. Sedlock has the build, balanced delivery and repertoire of a workhorse power pitcher. His fastball works in the low 90s and touches 97 mph with strong sink and late life. His curveball and slider flash above-average and show plus potential, but he doesn't always have both working at the same time. His changeup flashes average and ranks as a fourth pitch, behind his fastball, slider and curve. He holds runners well and was timed at 1.2 seconds to the plate. The Orioles loved his athleticism, work ethic and competitiveness and ability to elevate his game when in jams. The Orioles held Sedlock to nine outings of three innings each at short-season Aberdeen. The season workload of around 130 innings, counting college, sets him up well for 2017. He could start at high Class A Frederick in 2017 and will move fast if he performs.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #42 prospect in 2016 draft
  Sedlock pitched only sporadically as a freshman and sophomore at Illinois as he waited his turn behind upperclassmen like Tyler Jay and Kevin Duchene. This year, Sedlock moved into the Friday starter role and has responded with flashes of dominance as every offering has gotten better. Sedlock's curveball and slider both are above-average at their best and his changeup flashes average as well. His low-to-mid-90s fastball shows good plane and sink. Sedlock's dominance this year has come with some caveats. He's pitched a lot-he had a 10-inning, 132-pitch, 14-strikeout outing against Ohio State and he's topped 110 pitches in five of his first 11 starts.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #5 prospect in 2016
  After pitching sparingly as an underclassman, Sedlock moved front and center to the Friday role as an Illinois junior this spring, pitching his way into the first round as he produced 116 strikeouts to 31 walks in 101.1 innings. He carried a heavy load in college--he threw two complete games--but the load was much lighter at Aberdeen, where he was limited to three innings per start and didn't throw more than 54 pitches. He walked a few too many--4.3 per nine innings--but he showcased the stuff that made him the 27th overall pick this June. Sedlock features a four-pitch mix, touching 96 mph and working in the low 90s with his late-sinking fastball. His curveball and slider flash above-average and show plus potential, but he doesn't always have both working at the same time. His changeup is a work in progress, but it flashes average. Listed at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Sedlock's frame and potential for three plus pitches give him a high ceiling as a starter at the next level.

• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Plenty has changed since the Orioles made Sedlock their top pick in 2016 and touted him as a future four-pitch horse in the rotation, but at least he’s back on the mound. Sedlock struggled with a forearm issue in 2017 and a shoulder issue related to thoracic outlet syndrome in 2018 before a BA GRADE 50 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: High return to health meant a return to form and a high Class A Carolina League all-star appearance in 2019.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: A change in approach from a two-seam heavy plan to using a four-seam fastball and mixing his pitches more helped Sedlock get back on track. He missed bats in the zone with his 90-93 mph fastball. His 81-83 mph changeup showed consistent fade and flashed plus, and his slider ticked up as well. Sedlock’s delivery has never been smooth, but the Orioles are letting him work with what feels best for him and have overall unlocked a pitcher much closer to his draft pedigree.
  
  THE FUTURE: A healthy 2019 got Sedlock to Double-A Bowie, where he’ll likely continue to build his innings en route to a No. 5 starter or middle relief role in 2020.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Plenty has changed since the Orioles made Sedlock their top pick in 2016 and touted him as a future four-pitch horse in the rotation, but at least he's back on the mound. Sedlock struggled with a forearm issue in 2017 and a shoulder issue related to thoracic outlet syndrome in 2018 before a return to health meant a return to form and a high Class A Carolina League all-star appearance in 2019.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: A change in approach from a two-seam heavy plan to using a four-seam fastball and mixing his pitches more helped Sedlock get back on track. He missed bats in the zone with his 90-93 mph fastball. His 81-83 mph changeup showed consistent fade and flashed plus, and his slider ticked up as well. Sedlock's delivery has never been smooth, but the Orioles are letting him work with what feels best for him and have overall unlocked a pitcher much closer to his draft pedigree.
  
  THE FUTURE: A healthy 2019 got Sedlock to Double-A Bowie, where he'll likely continue to build his innings en route to a No. 5 starter or middle relief role in 2020.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Sedlock was the top player in an Orioles draft class that received high reviews, signing for a $2.097 million bonus. Combining what they saw as he earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors at Illinois and his professional debut at short-season Aberdeen, the Orioles saw fit to start him at high Class-A Frederick this year. But Sedlock struggled and later dealt with a strained flexor mass in his right elbow that shelved him on two occasions. Scouting Report: Sedlock's delivery gives scouts pause, as he has a pronounced stab behind his body and a long arm action. His fastball was missing the high-end velocity spikes from Illinois, but remains a future plus pitch at 91-94 mph with hard run and late sink. His curveball and changeup both project as above-average pitches, while he also throws a slider that could be an average pitch. He didn't pitch in the Instructional League, but worked there to revert back to his delivery from last summer, which he altered after the 2016 offseason in an unsuccessful effort to add more velocity. The Future: The Orioles hope that Sedlock's old delivery allows him to command an arsenal that profiles as a No. 3 starter. If not, he could see his stuff play up in shorter bursts in relief, where repeating his delivery won't be as much of an issue. Sedlock could return to Frederick in 2018.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: Sedlock threw just 63 innings in his first two seasons at Illinois but thrived in the Cape Cod League in 2015, when he ranked as the No. 18 prospect. He maintained the momentum in 2016 to become the Big 10 Conference pitcher of the year and Illinois's third-ever first-round pick--the Illini's second in two years--while setting an school record with 116 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. The Orioles drafted him 27th overall and signed him for a slot bonus of $2,097,200. He ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the short-season New York-Penn League. Scouting Report: Sedlock has the build, balanced delivery and repertoire of a workhorse power pitcher. His fastball works in the low 90s and touches 97 mph with strong sink and late life. His curveball and slider flash above-average and show plus potential, but he doesn't always have both working at the same time. His changeup flashes average and ranks as a fourth pitch, behind his fastball, slider and curve. He holds runners well and was timed at 1.2 seconds to the plate. The Orioles loved his athleticism, work ethic and competitiveness and ability to elevate his game when in jams. The Future: The Orioles held Sedlock to nine outings of three innings each at short-season Aberdeen. The season workload of around 130 innings, counting college, sets him up well for 2017. He could start at high Class A Frederick in 2017 and will move fast if he performs.