Spencer Turnbull

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #21 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: After three solid seasons at Alabama, Turnbull’s pro career has been pockmarked by injuries. He missed time with shoulder and elbow issues during the 2016 and 2017 seasons before achieving his largest career workload in terms of starts and innings in 2018.
  
  Scouting Report: The righthander throws four pitches, highlighted by a fastball that sits 93-94 but can touch as high as 96. Turnbull’s best secondary pitch is a low to mid-80s slider. While the pitch can be inconsistent, it shows average upside because of its depth. Both his curveball and changeup are fringe-average offerings. His funky arm action creates a sling-like throwing motion and hampers his control.
  
  The Future: Turnbull should find himself competing for a bullpen spot in Detroit come 2019.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #12 prospect in 2018
  A workhorse at Alabama, Turnbull has not gotten the chance to serve a similar role in pro ball because of a variety of maladies. He's averaged less than 100 innings per year in his three pro seasons. After shoulder problems cost him significant time in 2016, Turnbull missed time in 2017 with elbow soreness. None of these injuries has required surgery. When he's been on the mound, he's shown quality stuff with a 92-96 mph heavy fastball, an average high-80s power slider that has modest depth and a sporadic but promising 11-to-5 curveball that is at least average at its best. He can locate a get-me-over curve in early counts and also has a harder curve to try to finish off a batter. He could use his fringe-average changeup a little more often. Turnbull shows some ability to manipulate his fastball, as he can cut it in addition to sinking it. Turnbull's command needs further improvement as he is wild in and out of the zone and nibbles a little too much. Turnbull has the stuff to be a back-end starter with a fallback option as a reliever with a blistering fastball. He'll head back to Double-A Erie in 2018 needing to prove he can stay healthy and further refine his command.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #19 prospect in 2017
  After three years at Alabama, the Tigers drafted Turnbull and signed him for $900,000 bonus. He had a solid first full season with low Class A West Michigan, where he didn't allow a home run all season long. He pitched just 44.1 innings in the regular season--with half of his starts coming on rehab assignment in the Gulf Coast League--because of recurring stiffness in his throwing shoulder. He was healthy enough to return for a full load in the Arizona Fall League, where he went 1-3, 3.60 with 20 strikeouts in as many innings. More impressively, he got grounders at a 4-to-1 ratio in the AFL and kept the ball in the park. He cranked his fastball up to 96 mph in the Fall League and has touched 99 mph in the past. His fastball features heavy run and sink and he couples it with an average slider and a changeup that has improved to near-average. Getting through the AFL season healthy was an excellent sign for Turnbull, who will try to rebound in 2017 at Double-A Lakeland.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #9 prospect in 2016
  The Tigers have shown an affinity for drafting power arms out of the Southeastern Conference, a mold Turnbull fits. Signed for $900,000 as a secondround pick from Alabama in 2014, Turnbull pitched well in his first full season in low Class A Michigan, where he didn't allow a home run the entire year. Playing in a pitcher-friendly park in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League helped Turnbull keep the ball in the yard, but it's also difficult for hitters to get his fastball in the air. He added an extra tick of velocity in 2015, sitting at 93-95 mph and peaking at 99. The fastball combined big velo and movement, with hard, heavy sink that produces a lot of groundballs. Turnbull's fastball is his best pitch, but his slider has become an average pitch, though not a consistent swing-and-miss offering. Turnbull also throws a below-average changeup. The biggest developmental focus for Turnbull will be to improve his below-average control. With the effort in his delivery and his long arm action, that might be tricky for him to fix. Turnbull has a chance to stay in the rotation if he improves his changeup and his command, but many scouts see his most likely role as a reliever, with the power stuff that could play in the back of the bullpen. High Class A Lakeland will be his next step.
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  Ranked Detroit Tigers #18 prospect in 2015
  The Tigers used their second-round pick in 2014 on Turnbull, a righthander out of Alabama who signed for $900,000. Turnbull throws two quality fastballs, including a four-seamer that sits 90-95 mph and hits 97. He also throws a two-seamer with hard, heavy sink that helps him rack up a lot of ground balls. His slider was his most improved pitch at Alabama. Turnbull used to get caught in between with his breaking ball, giving it three-quarters action and inconsistent snap, but he's turned it into more of a true power slider that's average. He doesn't miss many bats, though, and his cutter and changeup are both below-average. Turnbull has smoothed out parts of his delivery over the years, but his delivery features plenty of effort and some scouts aren't a fan of his arm action. Turnbull has a strong, physical frame that suggests he should be durable, though his mechanics, arsenal and shaky command could land him in the bullpen. He will be ticketed for low Class A West Michigan rotation in 2015.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #83 prospect in 2014 draft
  A Mississippi prep product, Turnbull has been a key piece of Alabama's turnaround as a program since his freshman season, when the Crimson Tide won just 21 games and finished in last place in the Southeastern Conference. He's grown from a part-time starter that season into the staff workhorse and ace the last two seasons, with a power repertoire and improved delivery. Turnbull has a physical frame that suggests a mid-rotation starter at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, though his arm action and somewhat violent delivery are more reminiscent of a reliever. Turnbull has below-average command but throws quality stuff that's hard to square up, with a four-seam fastball that reaches 97 mph and sits 90-95. He also throws a hard, heavy two-seamer, and the Tide coaching staff compares him favorably to current Brewers farmhand Jimmy Nelson. Turnbull has improved the spin on his breaking ball, honing it into more of a power slider than the hybrid it used to be. He also throws a cutter and changeup, though neither is consistent. While his delivery is a bit smoother than it used to be, Turnbull projects as a reliever for most scouts, which likely pushes him into the third round of the draft.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Midwest League #17 prospect in 2015
  A big, hard-throwing righthander who likes to work down in the zone, Turnbull did an outstanding job of keeping the ball in the park. He became the first qualified minor league starter in at least a decade to navigate a season and not allow a home run. It may seem baffling that a second-round college pitcher like Turnbull would spend the entire season in the MWL, but the Tigers value their relationship with West Michigan, so they kept the Whitecaps ace in Grand Rapids all season to help them win a league title. Detroit did the same thing with outfielder Mike Gerber, a 2014 senior sign. Turnbull's fastball is his calling card. It sits 93-95 mph and will touch 99 at times. His slider and changeup are both average offerings. Turnbull has a long arm action, and his control is fringy, which leads some scouts to see him as a future reliever. His control struggles (4.0 walks per nine innings) did nothing to alleviate those concerns, but Turnbull's size, stamina and stuff give him a chance to stick in the rotation.

• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  The Tigers used their second-round pick in 2014 on Turnbull, a righthander out of Alabama who signed for $900,000. Turnbull throws two quality fastballs, including a four-seamer that sits 90-95 mph and hits 97. He also throws a two-seamer with hard, heavy sink that helps him rack up a lot of ground balls. His slider was his most improved pitch at Alabama. Turnbull used to get caught in between with his breaking ball, giving it three-quarters action and inconsistent snap, but he's turned it into more of a true power slider that's average. He doesn't miss many bats, though, and his cutter and changeup are both below-average. Turnbull has smoothed out parts of his delivery over the years, but his delivery features plenty of effort and some scouts aren't a fan of his arm action. Turnbull has a strong, physical frame that suggests he should be durable, though his mechanics, arsenal and shaky command could land him in the bullpen. He will be ticketed for low Class A West Michigan rotation in 2015.