| IP | 51.2 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 2.26 |
| WHIP | 1.22 |
| BB/9 | 4.18 |
| SO/9 | 10.97 |
- Full name Lineras Torres Jr.
- Born 10/15/2000 in Poughkeepsie, NY
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Beacon
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Drafted in the CB-A round (41st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2018 (signed for $1,350,000).
View Draft Report
One of the younger players in the draft class--he'll turn 18 in October--Torres offers tremendous upside with his quick arm and highly projectable frame. Torres burst onto the radar last summer with a strong showcase circuit and an invitation to compete in USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials in Minnesota. Growing up playing mostly shortstop, Torres has shifted his focus to pitching over the last four years, working with pitching coach Angel Lugo to refine his mechanics, add strength and incorporate his lower body into his delivery. Torres has touched 98 mph and consistently lived 94-96 mph this spring, pitching from a full wind-up after mostly throwing from the stretch in past years. He pairs the pitch with a low-80s slider that he can sometimes get under, but flashes above-average with room for growth; he's made adjustments to the pitch in recent weeks that have helped with consistency. A work-in-progress changeup serves as a third pitch, but Torres doesn't often need to use it against the high school hitters in his area. Still somewhat raw and relatively new to pitching, Torres' control grades above his command, and scouts are split on whether he'll be a starter or a reliever long term. While there's some risk to Torres from that standpoint, his youth, projectability and sheer arm strength should be enough for a team to call his name in the first three rounds.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he had Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season. He spent 2020 at the Indians' complex in Arizona and was back to full health in time for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch typically sits 94 and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. His injury raised those concerns again, but the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He'll be ready for Class A in 2021. -
TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he required Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame, but he has a quick arm and, when healthy, can run his fastball up to 97 mph. He pairs the pitch with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action, but is still a work in progress. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. Those concerns are elevated by his injury, but he'll pitch all of the 2020 season as a 19-year-old and the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He should be ready to get back in action at short-season Mahoning Valley. -
Track Record: Torres, a New York City native, didn't pitch much growing up but after starting to focus on it in the last few years quickly showed big upside on the mound. The Indians made him the 41st overall pick the following June and he made a smooth transition to pro ball, excelling in the Rookie-level Arizona League.
Scouting Report: Torres doesn't have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. His fastball typically sits 94 mph and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action, but is still a work in progress. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his debut.
The Future: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. The Indians are optimistic that he'll be able to take the necessary developmental steps to start thanks to his athleticism, youth and relative inexperience on the mound. The early returns were good, and Torres will look to build on them in 2019 as he advances to short-season Mahoning Valley.
Draft Prospects
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One of the younger players in the draft class--he'll turn 18 in October--Torres offers tremendous upside with his quick arm and highly projectable frame. Torres burst onto the radar last summer with a strong showcase circuit and an invitation to compete in USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials in Minnesota. Growing up playing mostly shortstop, Torres has shifted his focus to pitching over the last four years, working with pitching coach Angel Lugo to refine his mechanics, add strength and incorporate his lower body into his delivery. Torres has touched 98 mph and consistently lived 94-96 mph this spring, pitching from a full wind-up after mostly throwing from the stretch in past years. He pairs the pitch with a low-80s slider that he can sometimes get under, but flashes above-average with room for growth; he's made adjustments to the pitch in recent weeks that have helped with consistency. A work-in-progress changeup serves as a third pitch, but Torres doesn't often need to use it against the high school hitters in his area. Still somewhat raw and relatively new to pitching, Torres' control grades above his command, and scouts are split on whether he'll be a starter or a reliever long term. While there's some risk to Torres from that standpoint, his youth, projectability and sheer arm strength should be enough for a team to call his name in the first three rounds.
Scouting Reports
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TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he had Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season. He spent 2020 at the Indians' complex in Arizona and was back to full health in time for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch typically sits 94 and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. His injury raised those concerns again, but the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He'll be ready for Class A in 2021. -
TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he had Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season. He spent 2020 at the Indians' complex in Arizona and was back to full health in time for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch typically sits 94 and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. His injury raised those concerns again, but the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He'll be ready for Class A in 2021. -
TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Rookie-level Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he had Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season. He spent 2020 at the Indians' complex in Arizona and was back to full health in time for instructional league.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame at a listed 6-foot-1, but he has a quick arm and can run his fastball up to 97 mph. The pitch typically sits 94 and he pairs it with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. His injury raised those concerns again, but the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He'll be ready for Class A in 2021. -
TRACK RECORD: Torres didn’t pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he required Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn’t have a big frame, but he has a quick arm and, when healthy, can run his fastball up to 97 mph. He pairs the pitch with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action, but is still a work in progress. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. Those concerns are elevated by his injury, but he’ll pitch all of the 2020 season as a 19-year-old and the Indians are optimistic he’ll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He should be ready to get back in action at short-season Mahoning Valley. -
TRACK RECORD: Torres didn't pitch much growing up but quickly showed big upside on the mound after starting to focus on it late in his high school career. He made a smooth transition to pro ball and in 2018 excelled in the Arizona League. His progress was slowed in 2019, however, when he required Tommy John surgery in May and missed the whole season.
SCOUTING REPORT: Torres doesn't have a big frame, but he has a quick arm and, when healthy, can run his fastball up to 97 mph. He pairs the pitch with a slider that has plus potential. He is working to implement a changeup, which at its best has hard downer action, but is still a work in progress. His control is also an area of focus, though he surprised with his strike-throwing ability during his professional debut.
THE FUTURE: Before the draft, Torres faced lots of questions about whether he could be a starter in pro ball because of his size and lack of a third pitch. Those concerns are elevated by his injury, but he'll pitch all of the 2020 season as a 19-year-old and the Indians are optimistic he'll be able to take the necessary steps in his development. He should be ready to get back in action at short-season Mahoning Valley.
