Matt Krook Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1
ERA	18
WHIP	2
BB/9	9
SO/9	18

Full name Matthew Edward Krook
Born 10/21/1994 in Hillsborough, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Oregon
Drafted in the 4th round (125th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2016 (signed for $500,000).

View Draft Report

Krook's stuff and resume screams star. The 35th overall pick in 2013 out of a San Francisco high school, Krook didn't sign with the Marlins after failing his physical. He instead went to Oregon, where he dominated for 45 innings as a freshman (1.79 ERA, 60 SO) before being injured. He had Tommy John surgery that caused him to redshirt last year, and he has come back with similar stuff but less command in 2016. After walking 19 as a freshman, Krook had 38 walks through one fewer inning as a sophomore, and he lost his spot in the Ducks' rotation. Krook's curveball has backed up but scouts still have seen him pitch with both a plus curve and slider at times this season, with a fastball that some grade as having 70 life to go with its 92-94 mph velocity. Krook can't consistently throw strikes at that velocity and has tried backing off, as well as throwing more cutters, to find the zone, to no avail as of yet. He's a wild card whose signability could be in question as a redshirt sophomore.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: A supplemental first-round pick of the Marlins out of high school, Krook didn't sign after the Marlins lowered their offer because they worried about the results of his physical He did end up blowing out his elbow at Oregon and struggled with his control when he returned. Those control troubles have carried over to pro ball, but the Rays took a chance on his potential and acquired him in the Evan Longoria trade. They almost immediately moved him to the bullpen.

Scouting Report: It's highly possible that Krook will never put it all together, but scouts and coaches rave about his fastball movement because his sinker has movement that draws comparisons to Zach Britton. Now Britton threw his sinker at 95-96 at his best, while Krook's fastball sits anywhere from 90-96, so the comparisons aren't perfect, but it's a bat misser. Krook's slider has also shown plus potential, but it's his sinker that is the key to future success. At its best, his changeup is an above-average pitch too. Krook's delivery is very long in the back and he spikes too many pitches in the dirt. If Krook can throw strikes consistently, he has closer-caliber stuff. He misses enough bats that if he could develop just fringe-average control he could be effective, but right now his control is closer to the bottom of the scale.

The Future: Krook has long tantalized with potential. He's still only 24 and he's ready for Triple-A, so there's still time for him to improve his control enough to be a useful setup man.
Much like Kyle Crick, Krook was lost to control troubles as a starter, but found himself as a reliever. Still, Krook's stint as a reliever has not yet closed the door on him returning to the rotation. Krook was a supplemental first round pick of the Marlins out of high school, but the team opted not to sign him because of concerns about his elbow ligament. He did end up needing Tommy John surgery, which meant he missed all of his 2015 season at Oregon and was limited to 90 innings in 2016. The Giants moved Krook to the bullpen in late July to limit his innings in 2017. After a brutal 2-11, 6.11 stint as a starter, he was more aggressive and threw more strikes in the pen, posting a 1.02 ERA and .121 opponent average as a reliever. In his last five relief appearances he struck out 17 and walked one in 10.2 innings. Krook's 90-94 mph fastball has extreme sink at its best, drawing comparisons with Zach Britton's sinker for its movement. As a starter, he too frequently failed to locate anything but his sinker in the zone. Once he moved to the pen, he regained the feel for his potentially plus slider. Krook's changeup hasn't developed as much. The Giants haven't determined Krook's 2018 role, but power reliever seems to be his calling.
A three-year starter at Dallas Baptist, Taylor moved quickly in 2016, his first full pro season, by reaching Double-A Richmond. The Giants were comfortable that his heavy sinker would play against more advanced hitters. A barrel-chested righthander with two above-average pitches, Taylor attacks hitters with his sinker-slider combo. Both come out of his hand looking the same, but the 80-82 mph slider dives away from righthanded batters while the 90-95 mph sinker runs in on them. Taylor's fastball velocity is often average at best, but the sink and run makes it play up. His changeup is an infrequently used and below-average. Because of that he is much more effective against righthanded batters (.551 OPS in 2016) than lefthanders (.745 OPS). That's why many scouts see his future as a groundball-generating middle reliever. The Giants see starter potential because of his strike-throwing ability and extreme groundball profile.

Draft Prospects

Krook's stuff and resume screams star. The 35th overall pick in 2013 out of a San Francisco high school, Krook didn't sign with the Marlins after failing his physical. He instead went to Oregon, where he dominated for 45 innings as a freshman (1.79 ERA, 60 SO) before being injured. He had Tommy John surgery that caused him to redshirt last year, and he has come back with similar stuff but less command in 2016. After walking 19 as a freshman, Krook had 38 walks through one fewer inning as a sophomore, and he lost his spot in the Ducks' rotation. Krook's curveball has backed up but scouts still have seen him pitch with both a plus curve and slider at times this season, with a fastball that some grade as having 70 life to go with its 92-94 mph velocity. Krook can't consistently throw strikes at that velocity and has tried backing off, as well as throwing more cutters, to find the zone, to no avail as of yet. He's a wild card whose signability could be in question as a redshirt sophomore.
Krook had as much helium as any high school prospect this spring -- no surprise considering how much scouts love lefthanders with his size and stuff. While he has been inconsistent this spring, Krook has flashed enough stuff to go in the back half of the first round. At his best, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound southpaw sits 90-92 mph, touches 95 and shows flashes of a hard curveball. Krook doesn't have a changeup and there is some effort to his delivery, so he will need refinement to project as a starter. The team that drafts him will give him that opportunity, and if he can iron those things out and improve his command, Krook could be a mid-rotation starter. He is a quiet kid and his family places an emphasis on education, so he is considered a tough sign away from his Oregon commitment.

Minor League Top Prospects

Krook developed serious control problems early this spring at Oregon and struggled to find the strike zone. Those problems carried over the to the NWL, where he walked more than 8.0 per nine innings. He also whiffed more than 10 per nine, and a dynamic arsenal remains apparent. Krook's fastball, which sits in the low 90s and can tick a little higher, features well above-average life that allows him to generate groundball outs at a high rate. He also owns a breaking ball and changeup that have earned plus grades from rival managers. He fails to repeat his release point, however, and struggles to maintain confidence in the face of persistent control problems. For example, in his final 15 innings in the NWL he gave up 23 hits and 22 walks while striking out 23. Krook has had shoulder and elbow problems in the past, adding another red flag. He could be a dynamic reliever if he develops some semblance of control, and some scouts hold out hope he'll throw enough strikes to remain a starter.

Career Transactions

Norfolk Tides transferred LHP Matt Krook to the Development List.
Norfolk Tides transferred LHP Matt Krook to the Development List.
Baltimore Orioles sent LHP Matt Krook outright to Norfolk Tides.
Baltimore Orioles sent LHP Matt Krook outright to Norfolk Tides.
Baltimore Orioles designated LHP Matt Krook for assignment.
Norfolk Tides activated LHP Matt Krook.
Baltimore Orioles optioned LHP Matt Krook to Norfolk Tides.
Baltimore Orioles recalled LHP Matt Krook from Norfolk Tides.
Norfolk Tides activated LHP Matt Krook from the temporarily inactive list.
Norfolk Tides placed LHP Matt Krook on the temporarily inactive list.
New York Yankees traded LHP Matt Krook to Baltimore Orioles for cash.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders placed LHP Matt Krook on the 7-day injured list.
New York Yankees optioned LHP Matt Krook to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees recalled LHP Matt Krook from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders activated LHP Matt Krook.
New York Yankees optioned LHP Matt Krook to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees optioned LHP Matt Krook to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees recalled LHP Matt Krook from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees recalled LHP Matt Krook from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees optioned LHP Matt Krook to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees optioned LHP Matt Krook to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
New York Yankees recalled LHP Matt Krook from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders activated LHP Matt Krook from the 7-day injured list.