Harrison Francis Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Harrison Ashley Francis
Born 10/26/1998 in Tallahassee, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Lawton Chiles
Drafted in the 4th round (112th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017 (signed for $477,800).

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The younger brother of Chipola (Fla.) righthander Bowden Francis, Harrison could also be drafted this year. He showed a quick arm and an upper 80s fastball in the beginning of the 2016 summer, but added strength and blossomed this spring, reaching the mid-to-upper 90s. He has a max effort delivery with a long arm swing and a severe head whack, and he can lose his command and things can snowball on him quickly, but when he's right he can be dominant. His best offspeed pitch is his low 80s changeup, which some scouts grade as a future above-average pitch, and he flashes occasional feel for an upper 70s breaking ball, which grades as below-average. He is committed to Chipola, but could be in play as a signable, young power arm.

Top Rankings

Track Record: Francis, whose older brother Bowden is a Brewers prospect, opened his first full pro season in extended spring training and made significant improvement throughout the year, showing better stuff across the board than when the D-backs signed him as a fourth-rounder in 2017.

Scouting Report: Francis has a strong frame and an aggressive delivery. He gets a high number of swinging strikes on his fastball, a pitch with sink and run that ranged from 90-94 mph, averaging 92. His changeup isn't just his best secondary offering, it's one of the best changeups in the organization, and he had to scale back his use of it to work on his curveball, which showed improvement. There is a fair amount of effort in his delivery, including a head snap, leading some to believe the bullpen could be in his future, but if he continues throwing strikes, refining his pitch mix and missing bats, the Diamondbacks will give him every chance to start.

The Future: Once viewed as a pitcher whose development could be gradual, Francis made big strides and showed excellent aptitude in 2018. He likely will open the 2019 season as part of a loaded low Class A Kane County team.

The younger brother of Chipola (Fla.) righthander Bowden Francis, Harrison could also be drafted this year. He showed a quick arm and an upper 80s fastball in the beginning of the 2016 summer, but added strength and blossomed this spring, reaching the mid-to-upper 90s. He has a max effort delivery with a long arm swing and a severe head whack, and he can lose his command and things can snowball on him quickly, but when he's right he can be dominant. His best offspeed pitch is his low 80s changeup, which some scouts grade as a future above-average pitch, and he flashes occasional feel for an upper 70s breaking ball, which grades as below-average. He is committed to Chipola, but could be in play as a signable, young power arm.