A.J. Puckett

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #15 prospect in 2018
  Puckett, who was drafted by the Royals in the second round in 2016 and signed for $1.2 million, is lucky to be alive. He was placed in a medically-induced coma after a serious car accident in high school, which left him with plates in his head after surgery to repair a skull fracture. He was dealt to the White Sox at the 2017 trade deadline--along with lefthander Andre Davis--in exchange for outfielder Melky Cabrera. Puckett missed time after the trade with a lat injury, but when he was on the mound showed the makings of a potential back-end starter with pitchability. Puckett's fastball typically parks in the 89-92 mph range and can either run or cut. He backs it up with a potentially plus changeup in the high-70s he throws with enough conviction to deceive hitters. He also throws a downer curveball in the 73-79 mph range that has improved since his early days in the Royals system. Some scouts see a little bit more projection and velocity to come from Puckett, which would help improve his ceiling. He should start 2018 at either high Class A Winston-Salem or Double-A Birmingham.
• 
  Ranked Kansas City Royals #5 prospect in 2017
  A promising athlete at De La Salle High in San Francisco's East Bay area, Puckett gave up football and focused full-time on baseball after a car accident left him in a medically induced coma for two weeks; surgery left him with plates in his skull. After a middling sophomore season, Puckett emerged as Pepperdine's ace as a junior, putting together a 45.2-inning scoreless streak and finishing among the Top 10 in Division I in ERA (1.27) and WHIP (0.92). The Royals let Puckett throw another 59 innings as a pro on top of his 99 innings for Pepperdine because he was very pitch-efficient--he topped 80 pitches only once in 13 pro appearances. Puckett does an excellent job locating his 91-93 mph average fastball to both sides of the plate and changes hitters' eye levels by working down and then elevating, with the potential to have above-average control. His changeup is a plus offering with excellent deception. His fringe-average curveball is loopier than scouts would like, although he'll occasionally flash a tighter breaker. Puckett's ultimate ceiling will depend on how his breaking ball develops. His fastball and changeup are big league caliber, and his curveball has shown signs of developing into an average pitch as well. If the curve improves, he could be a No. 3 starter. He should move quickly through the minors, but will likely start in high Class A Wilmington.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #73 prospect in 2016 draft
  Puckett's medical report includes a rare notation; an accident after his sophomore year in high school led to a left partial hematoma (swelling and blood-clotting) in his head, and he was in a medically-induced coma for two weeks. The accident left him with small plates in his skull and forced him to give up his football career at prestigious De La Salle High in the Bay Area, but he stuck with baseball and became one of the nation''s best pitchers as a junior. Puckett has a pitcher's body at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, and while he has a high elbow in his delivery, he repeats his arm action and pounds the strike zone with three pitches. His fastball command and velocity have improved in 2016, as he locates his low 90s heater that touches 94-mph regularly. His upper-70s curveball made strides this spring, flashed above-average, though at times it's loopy and in the low 70s. Puckett trusts his changeup and sells it well, and his feel for pitching and improved confidence helped produce a 45 2/3 innings scoreless streak at one point this spring. He has pitched his way into second-round consideration.

• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: A promising athlete at De La Salle High in San Francisco's East Bay area, Puckett gave up football and focused full-time on baseball after a car accident left him in a medically induced coma for two weeks; surgery surgery left him with plates in his skull. After a middling sophomore season, Puckett emerged as Pepperdine's ace as a junior, putting together a 45.2-inning scoreless streak and finishing among the Top 10 in Division I in ERA (1.27) and WHIP (0.92). Scouting Report: The Royals let Puckett throw another 59 innings as a pro on top of his 99 innings for Pepperdine because he was very pitch-efficient–he topped 80 pitches only once in 13 pro appearances. Puckett does an excellent job locating his 91-93 mph average fastball to both sides of the plate and changes hitters' eye levels by working down and then elevating, with the potential to have above-average control. His changeup is a plus offering with excellent deception. His fringe-average curveball is loopier than scouts would like, although he'll occasionally flash a tighter breaker.
  
  The Future: Puckett's ultimate ceiling will depend on how his breaking ball develops. His fastball and changeup are big league caliber, and his curveball has shown signs of developing into an average pitch as well. If the curve improves, he could be a No. 3 starter. He should move quickly through the minors, but will likely start in high Class A Wilmington.