2022 Prospect Position Rankings: Righthanded Pitcher

Position Rankings are voted on by Baseball America staff members. 

RATING: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

This year’s class of righthanders is as good as any in recent seasons with a potent mix of both starpower and depth. Grayson Rodriguez, Shane Baz and George Kirby all possess front-of-the-rotation potential and are followed by dozens of pitchers capable of becoming solid big league starters. Caleb Kilian, Brandon Pfaadt and Landon Knack are three pitchers in particular closer to No. 50 than No. 1 who still have mid-rotation potential.

BEST STUFF: Grayson Rodriguez, Orioles

Rodriguez’s arsenal is unmatched with a plus-plus fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, a plus-plus slider in the mid-80s with late bite and a borderline plus-plus changeup with screwball-like action that gets both lefties and righties swinging wildly. He rounds it out with an above-average curveball and an occasional low-90s cutter, all of which play up even further with his plus command to both sides of the plate.

BEST CONTROL: George Kirby, Mariners

Few pitchers can spot up like Kirby, who owns a career 1.5 walks-per-nine rate as a pro and rarely misses his spots by much, if at all. His fastball command is elite and he consistently keeps his breaking balls in or around the strike zone, forcing batters to swing at pitches they can’t drive. Even with only so-so control of his changeup, Kirby has plus-plus control, and some consider his control 80-grade.

SLEEPER: Cody Morris, Guardians

A seventh-round pick out of South Carolina in 2018, Morris has struggled with injuries and was shelved by a lat strain until July of last year, but he excelled when he returned. He sat 96 mph and touched 99 with his fastball, his changeup was an above-average pitch and his sharp breaking ball and nascent cutter showed promise. The result was a 1.62 ERA in 15 appearances (14 starts) across three levels and 93 strikeouts in only 61 innings. With power stuff and improving control, he could be Cleveland’s next homegrown pitching success if he shows he can stay healthy and maintain his stuff over a larger workload,