Cole Winn

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #12 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In his draft year, Winn helped lead his Orange Lutheran squad to the National High School Invitational title. He also won BA's High School Player of the Year award and wa drafted in the first round. He had a breakout season in 2021 and appeared in the Futures Game but took a step back in 2022, when he was the second-youngest pitcher in the Pacific Coast League on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: A chunk of Winn's troubles in 2022 stem from a line drive he took off his ankle early in the season. He tried to pitch through the injury but struggled to land properly and his timing and command suffered. Even when he was healthy, Winn's fastball command was not ideal. The pitch itself was fine--sitting around 94, touching 98 and showing excellent carry through the zone--but he threw it for strikes the least often of any of his four pitches. Winn's best secondary pitch is his curveball, which is a deep breaker in the low 80s. He finishes his mix with a mid-80s slider and a changeup that comes in a touch hotter. Winn threw his changeup the most frequently of his three offspeed pitches--around 21.5% of the time--and the Rangers would like to see that number decrease a bit.
  
  The Future: The Rangers added Winn to their 40-man roster and will likely send him back to Triple-A in 2023 for a bit of a reset. He'll pitch all year at 23 years old and will need to focus on refining his control and getting better at getting outs within the strike zone.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #3 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Winn was Baseball America’s 2018 High School Player of the Year and led his Orange Lutheran team to the championship at the National High School Invitational. He struggled with his control at Low-A in 2019, but after a season at the alternate training site and instructional league, he emerged a much improved pitcher in 2021. He logged a 2.41 ERA in 21 starts across Double-A and Triple-A and started the Futures Game for the American League.
  
  Scouting Report: With a much tighter, more compact delivery, Winn now shows improved command and control and has started to tap into his massive potential. Winn uses a four-pitch mix fronted by a mid-90 fastball with promising analytic characteristics. The pitch grades out as at least plus in terms of both induced vertical break and vertical approach angle. His most-used secondary pitch is a mid-80s slider which got swings and misses at a roughly 35% clip. His slider pairs nicely with his powerful downer curveball, which has high spin and deep break and remains his signature offspeed offering. Winn worked with pitching coordinator Jomo Arnold to tighten the break on the curveball and turn it into a pitch he could use for early-count strikes as well as chase swings. Winn also focused on sharpening his mid-80s changeup, which has above-average potential.
  
  The Future: Winn will likely return to Triple-A Round Rock to begin 2022. He has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
  
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #5 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The 2018 High School Player of the Year and a product of prep powerhouse Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, Winn was drafted 15th overall by the Rangers and experienced the ups and downs of many young pitchers during his first full season of pro ball. He posted a 4.46 ERA at low Class A Hickory in 2019, but rebounded in 2020 with a strong showing at the alternate training site before dominating hitters in instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Everything the Rangers thought they were getting when they drafted Winn came to fruition in 2020. He pitched confidently at the alternate training site against much older hitters and showed improved stuff in instructional league. Winn’s fastball now sits 93-97 mph with good vertical break. His plus curveball, which has always been his best secondary pitch, has been joined by an above-average slider and a developing changeup. Winn throws strikes, remains composed and is a diligent worker. He succeeded at processing lessons quickly and translating them into games.
  
  THE FUTURE: A quality four-pitch mix could allow Winn to become a mid-rotation starter, but there’s a long way to go to reach that ceiling. The Rangers plan to start him at high Class A and hope he quickly earns a bump to Double-A.
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #14 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Winn was the BA High School Player of the Year in 2018, the year he went 10th overall in the draft, but it was a rocky debut in 2019. Winn finished June with a 7.59 ERA as he struggled to find the strike zone, but in the second half he rebounded with a 2.81 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winn has a solid four-pitch mix, working off a low-90s fastball that reaches 95 mph. His curveball was his money pitch in high school, and it flashed a tick above-average in 2019, but it also got slurvy and would blend into his slider. Winn shows good tilt on his slider at times with average potential, but at others it gets loopy, so getting better separation in shape and speed differential will be important for him. The pitch that made the most progress in 2019 was Winn's changeup, a pitch that flashed above-average at best and that some scouts think might end up being his best pitch. Winn has an athletic, explosive delivery and did a better job of staying calm and in sync with his delivery in the second half, which helped him throw more strikes, but he still needs to improve his control and command.
  
  THE FUTURE: With a mix of average to a tick better pitches in his arsenal, Winn has enough upside to develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter. High Class A Down East is up next.
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #4 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Winn transferred from Colorado to Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High as a high school senior to play in one of the country's top high school baseball conferences. He dominated to earn the BA High School Player of the Year honors. The Rangers drafted him No. 10 overall in 2018 and signed him for $3.15 million. The Rangers shut down their top prep pitching picks after signing, so Winn threw only briefly during instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Winn has a promising combination of stuff and polish for a high school draft pick. He has an easy, compact and repeatable delivery, which helps him locate his 92-96 mph fastball well to both sides of the plate. Winn's out pitch is his mid-70s curveball, and while he had trouble landing it for strikes at instructs, it's a plus pitch with sharp 12-to-6 break that can change eye levels and miss bats. He introduced a slider as well with average potential to his repertoire. While his changeup hasn't been a focal point, it shows good sink when he does throw it.
  
  The Future: Winn is advanced for a high school pitching prospect, but The Rangers have been conservative when assigning young pitchers, so Winn could follow Hans Crouse's path and start in extended spring training in 2019 before reporting to short-season Spokane in June. He could develop into a mid-rotation or better starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #10 prospect in 2018 draft
  In a down year in Southern California from a draft perspective, Winn made the decision to transfer from Colorado to Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High and play in the Trinity League--one of the nation's best high school baseball conferences. The move has paid off, as Winn has separated himself from other Southern California arms and been one of the most consistent prep righthanders in the country, while also giving himself the opportunity to play at densely scouted events like the National High School Invitational and the Boras Classic South. Winn was on scouting directors' radars long before his time with Orange Lutheran, however, after impressing at numerous events on the summer showcase circuit with three pitches, including a fastball reaching the 93-94 mph range and one of the more consistent curveballs in the class. This spring, Winn has been up to 96 mph with his fastball, which he can spot effectively to both sides of the plate. His best breaking ball is a plus, 12-to-6 curveball in the mid-70s that has powerful downward action, which he can spot in the zone or use to expand and create swings and misses. Winn also added a low-80s slider, seemingly out of nowhere, and while it's behind the curveball, it has the makings of another average pitch. Winn is competing with a deep high school class, but he's one of the few prep arms who has gotten better each time out and has had very few looks that raised questions.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Texas League #9 prospect in 2021
  There were flashier pitchers in the league, but few came close to being as well-rounded as Winn. He didn’t throw enough innings to qualify for the Double-A Central leaderboards, but his WHIP (0.82), opponent’s batting average (.144) and ERA (2.31) were easily the best among the league’s pitchers with 75 or more innings. One opposing manager described Winn as having the league’s best command. Winn attacked hitters with a trio of above-average pitches. His fastball can touch 95-96 mph and he has the potential to add a little more to that as he gets older and stronger. He shows plenty of confidence in his above-average changeup and mixes in an average slider and a future above-average curveball. Because Winn has confidence in his ability to spot four pitches, he often found himself a step ahead of Double-A hitters.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #11 prospect in 2019
  Winn's first six South Atlantic League starts are best forgotten. Three different times he was knocked out of the game in the first four innings, and he had a 9.35 ERA. But over his final 12 starts, Winn went 4-1, 2.81 as one of the most improved pitchers in the league. Winn attacked hitters with five pitches, and all five have a chance to be average or better. His 90-95 mph fastball shows a little life, and he locates it well. His low-80s slider has good tilt, and his changeup flashes plus thanks to late sink. He throws his mid-70s curveball that he showed he could consistently throw for strikes. There are multiple young starters in the South Atlantic League with more upside than Winn (including a few of Winn's Hickory teammates), but Winn's easy delivery and promising command gives him a solid shot of being a useful back-of-the-rotation starter.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #61 prospect in 2022

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In his draft year, Winn helped lead his Orange Lutheran squad to the National High School Invitational title. He also won BA's High School Player of the Year award and wa drafted in the first round. He had a breakout season in 2021 and appeared in the Futures Game but took a step back in 2022, when he was the second-youngest pitcher in the Pacific Coast League on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: A chunk of Winn's troubles in 2022 stem from a line drive he took off his ankle early in the season. He tried to pitch through the injury but struggled to land properly and his timing and command suffered. Even when he was healthy, Winn's fastball command was not ideal. The pitch itself was fine--sitting around 94, touching 98 and showing excellent carry through the zone--but he threw it for strikes the least often of any of his four pitches. Winn's best secondary pitch is his curveball, which is a deep breaker in the low 80s. He finishes his mix with a mid-80s slider and a changeup that comes in a touch hotter. Winn threw his changeup the most frequently of his three offspeed pitches--around 21.5% of the time--and the Rangers would like to see that number decrease a bit.
  
  The Future: The Rangers added Winn to their 40-man roster and will likely send him back to Triple-A in 2023 for a bit of a reset. He'll pitch all year at 23 years old and will need to focus on refining his control and getting better at getting outs within the strike zone.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: In his draft year, Winn helped lead his Orange Lutheran squad to the National High School Invitational title. He also won BA's High School Player of the Year award and wa drafted in the first round. He had a breakout season in 2021 and appeared in the Futures Game but took a step back in 2022, when he was the second-youngest pitcher in the Pacific Coast League on Opening Day.
  
  Scouting Report: A chunk of Winn's troubles in 2022 stem from a line drive he took off his ankle early in the season. He tried to pitch through the injury but struggled to land properly and his timing and command suffered. Even when he was healthy, Winn's fastball command was not ideal. The pitch itself was fine--sitting around 94, touching 98 and showing excellent carry through the zone--but he threw it for strikes the least often of any of his four pitches. Winn's best secondary pitch is his curveball, which is a deep breaker in the low 80s. He finishes his mix with a mid-80s slider and a changeup that comes in a touch hotter. Winn threw his changeup the most frequently of his three offspeed pitches--around 21.5% of the time--and the Rangers would like to see that number decrease a bit.
  
  The Future: The Rangers added Winn to their 40-man roster and will likely send him back to Triple-A in 2023 for a bit of a reset. He'll pitch all year at 23 years old and will need to focus on refining his control and getting better at getting outs within the strike zone.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 55. Slider: 50. Changeup: 45. Control: 40
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Midseason Update: Winn&#39s troubles this year have stemmed from a bit of bad luck. He was hit in the ankle by a comebacker and lost his mechanics in the following starts. He became too rotational in his delivery and his fastball lost velocity as a result. The crispness of his breaking pitch and overall command of his repertoire suffered, too, though he began to turn a corner toward the end of June. At his best, he shows a mix of four potentially above-average pitches. Track Record: Winn was Baseball America&#39s 2018 High School Player of the Year and led his Orange Lutheran team to the championship at the National High School Invitational. He struggled with his control at Low-A in 2019, but after a season at the alternate training site and instructional league emerged a much improved pitcher. He was the American League&#39s starting pitcher at the Futures Game.
  
  Scouting Report: With a much tighter, more compact delivery, Winn showed improved command and control and started to tap into his massive potential. Winn uses a four-pitch mix fronted by a mid-90 fastball with promising analytic characteristics. The pitch grades out as at least plus in terms of both induced vertical break and vertical approach angle. His most-used secondary pitch is a mid-80s slider which got swings and misses at a roughly 35% clip. The slider pairs nicely with his powerful downer curveball, which has high spin and deep break and remains his signature offspeed offering. Winn worked with pitching coordinator Jomo Arnold to tighten the break on the curveball and turn it into a pitch he could use for early-count strikes as well as chases. Winn also focused this season on sharpening his mid-80s changeup, which has above-average potential.
  
  The Future: Winn will likely return to Triple-A Round Rock to begin 2022. He has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Winn was Baseball America’s 2018 High School Player of the Year and led his Orange Lutheran team to the championship at the National High School Invitational. He struggled with his control at Low-A in 2019, but after a season at the alternate training site and instructional league, he emerged a much improved pitcher in 2021. He logged a 2.41 ERA in 21 starts across Double-A and Triple-A and started the Futures Game for the American League.
  
  Scouting Report: With a much tighter, more compact delivery, Winn now shows improved command and control and has started to tap into his massive potential. Winn uses a four-pitch mix fronted by a mid-90 fastball with promising analytic characteristics. The pitch grades out as at least plus in terms of both induced vertical break and vertical approach angle. His most-used secondary pitch is a mid-80s slider which got swings and misses at a roughly 35% clip. His slider pairs nicely with his powerful downer curveball, which has high spin and deep break and remains his signature offspeed offering. Winn worked with pitching coordinator Jomo Arnold to tighten the break on the curveball and turn it into a pitch he could use for early-count strikes as well as chase swings. Winn also focused on sharpening his mid-80s changeup, which has above-average potential.
  
  The Future: Winn will likely return to Triple-A Round Rock to begin 2022. He has the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  There were flashier pitchers in the league, but few came close to being as well-rounded as Winn. He didn’t throw enough innings to qualify for the Double-A Central leaderboards, but his WHIP (0.82), opponent’s batting average (.144) and ERA (2.31) were easily the best among the league’s pitchers with 75 or more innings. One opposing manager described Winn as having the league’s best command. Winn attacked hitters with a trio of above-average pitches. His fastball can touch 95-96 mph and he has the potential to add a little more to that as he gets older and stronger. He shows plenty of confidence in his above-average changeup and mixes in an average slider and a future above-average curveball. Because Winn has confidence in his ability to spot four pitches, he often found himself a step ahead of Double-A hitters.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The 2018 High School Player of the Year and a product of prep powerhouse Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, Winn was drafted 15th overall by the Rangers and experienced the ups and downs of many young pitchers during his first full season of pro ball. He posted a 4.46 ERA at low Class A Hickory in 2019, but rebounded in 2020 with a strong showing at the alternate training site before dominating hitters in instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Everything the Rangers thought they were getting when they drafted Winn came to fruition in 2020. He pitched confidently at the alternate training site against much older hitters and showed improved stuff in instructional league. Winn's fastball now sits 93-97 mph with good vertical break. His plus curveball, which has always been his best secondary pitch, has been joined by an above-average slider and a developing changeup. Winn throws strikes, remains composed and is a diligent worker. He succeeded at processing lessons quickly and translating them into games.
  
  THE FUTURE: A quality four-pitch mix could allow Winn to become a mid-rotation starter, but there's a long way to go to reach that ceiling. The Rangers plan to start him at high Class A and hope he quickly earns a bump to Double-A.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The 2018 High School Player of the Year and a product of prep powerhouse Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, Winn was drafted 15th overall by the Rangers and experienced the ups and downs of many young pitchers during his first full season of pro ball. He posted a 4.46 ERA at low Class A Hickory in 2019, but rebounded in 2020 with a strong showing at the alternate training site before dominating hitters in instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Everything the Rangers thought they were getting when they drafted Winn came to fruition in 2020. He pitched confidently at the alternate training site against much older hitters and showed improved stuff in instructional league. Winn’s fastball now sits 93-97 mph with good vertical break. His plus curveball, which has always been his best secondary pitch, has been joined by an above-average slider and a developing changeup. Winn throws strikes, remains composed and is a diligent worker. He succeeded at processing lessons quickly and translating them into games.
  
  THE FUTURE: A quality four-pitch mix could allow Winn to become a mid-rotation starter, but there’s a long way to go to reach that ceiling. The Rangers plan to start him at high Class A and hope he quickly earns a bump to Double-A.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 60. Control: 50.
  
  TRACK RECORD: The 2018 High School Player of the Year and a product of prep powerhouse Orange (Calif.) Lutheran, Winn was drafted 15th overall by the Rangers and experienced the ups and downs of many young pitchers during his first full season of pro ball. He posted a 4.46 ERA at low Class A Hickory in 2019, but rebounded in 2020 with a strong showing at the alternate training site before dominating hitters in instructional league.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Everything the Rangers thought they were getting when they drafted Winn came to fruition in 2020. He pitched confidently at the alternate training site against much older hitters and showed improved stuff in instructional league. Winn’s fastball now sits 93-97 mph with good vertical break. His plus curveball, which has always been his best secondary pitch, has been joined by an above-average slider and a developing changeup. Winn throws strikes, remains composed and is a diligent worker. He succeeded at processing lessons quickly and translating them into games.
  
  THE FUTURE: A quality four-pitch mix could allow Winn to become a mid-rotation starter, but there’s a long way to go to reach that ceiling. The Rangers plan to start him at high Class A and hope he quickly earns a bump to Double-A.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Winn was the BA High School Player of the Year in 2018, the year he went 10th overall in the draft, but it was a rocky debut in 2019. Winn finished June with a 7.59 ERA as he struggled to find the strike zone, but in the second half he rebounded with a 2.81 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winn has a solid four-pitch mix, working off a low-90s fastball that reaches 95 mph. His curveball was his money pitch in high school, and it flashed a tick above-average in 2019, but it also got slurvy and would blend into his slider. Winn shows good tilt on his slider at times with average potential, but at others it gets loopy, so getting better separation in shape and speed differential will be important for him. The pitch that made the most progress in 2019 was Winn’s changeup, a pitch that flashed above-average at best and that some scouts think might end up being his best pitch. Winn has an athletic, explosive delivery and did a better job of staying calm and in sync with his delivery in the second half, which helped him throw more strikes, but he still needs to improve his control and command.
  
  THE FUTURE: With a mix of average to a tick better pitches in his arsenal, Winn has enough upside to develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter. High Class A Down East is up next.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Winn was the BA High School Player of the Year in 2018, the year he went 10th overall in the draft, but it was a rocky debut in 2019. Winn finished June with a 7.59 ERA as he struggled to find the strike zone, but in the second half he rebounded with a 2.81 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Winn has a solid four-pitch mix, working off a low-90s fastball that reaches 95 mph. His curveball was his money pitch in high school, and it flashed a tick above-average in 2019, but it also got slurvy and would blend into his slider. Winn shows good tilt on his slider at times with average potential, but at others it gets loopy, so getting better separation in shape and speed differential will be important for him. The pitch that made the most progress in 2019 was Winn's changeup, a pitch that flashed above-average at best and that some scouts think might end up being his best pitch. Winn has an athletic, explosive delivery and did a better job of staying calm and in sync with his delivery in the second half, which helped him throw more strikes, but he still needs to improve his control and command.
  
  THE FUTURE: With a mix of average to a tick better pitches in his arsenal, Winn has enough upside to develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter. High Class A Down East is up next.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Winn's first six South Atlantic League starts are best forgotten. Three different times he was knocked out of the game in the first four innings, and he had a 9.35 ERA. But over his final 12 starts, Winn went 4-1, 2.81 as one of the most improved pitchers in the league. Winn attacked hitters with five pitches, and all five have a chance to be average or better. His 90-95 mph fastball shows a little life, and he locates it well. His low-80s slider has good tilt, and his changeup flashes plus thanks to late sink. He throws his mid-70s curveball that he showed he could consistently throw for strikes. There are multiple young starters in the South Atlantic League with more upside than Winn (including a few of Winn's Hickory teammates), but Winn's easy delivery and promising command gives him a solid shot of being a useful back-of-the-rotation starter.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  The Rangers drafted Winn with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2018 draft. He probably won’t pitch any more this summer, with a focus more on strength and conditioning, instead. Winn’s fastball sits in the low-90s and can touch 96 mph, with the ability to spot it to both sides of the plate. He compliments his fastball with a plus curveball that he can land in the strike zone or use as a chase pitch.