10 words or fewer: Former prep pitcher with upside continues steady climb up ladder.
Position: SP | Age (2016): 21
Throws: R | Bats: R
Height: 6’3″ | Weight: 204
2015 Rank: 8
Fastball – B. Gatto’s fastball sits 92-94 with heavy downward movement. The velo is slightly above average but, really, the most important aspect of Gatto’s fastball comes in his ability to generate ground balls and weak contacts.
Off-speed Pitches – B-. Gatto has a very good curve ball that borders on the plus side of the spectrum and a workable change-up that shows promise.
Control – B+. Something I’ve seen thrown around a lot with Gatto is that he’s a strike thrower, someone that is just going to pound the zone. Judging by his very solid BB/9 that’s he’s put up so far, despite being a younger pitcher, I’d say that statement holds up pretty well.
Command – B. From what I saw, the command of both his fastball and curve ball were very good in Orem. It isn’t an easy place to pitch, but Gatto held his own and that’s largely due to his ability to spot his pitches.
Mechanics – A. Gatto has a pretty clean, low effort delivery.
Performance – B. If you can keep an ERA under five in the Pioneer League, I’d say you’re having a decent season. If you can do it as a 19/20 year old against competition that’s largely 21-23, I’d say that’s even better.
Projection – B. I don’t thin we’re looking at a front of the rotation starter here. But with his ability to keep the ball down, throw hard and throw strikes, I can see a future as a #4 starter for Gatto, maybe better if his change up improves.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2019. Because of the nature of the Angels system, when a player makes two consecutive lists in the Top 10 and is still in Rookie Ball, it feels like his development has taken a long time. In reality, Gatto’s right where he needs to be. He’s on pace to reach the majors around his 24th or 25th birthday.
What to expect in 2016 – I think we’ll see Gatto transition to a full season in A Ball, and quite frankly I’m excited to see him there. Gatto should do very well for himself in A Ball and he looks to me like he’ll be their staff ace down there, despite being only 21 years old.
Most Likely Scenario – Gatto continues to slowly but steadily climb the system with a constant progression and few hiccups. He’ll break into the league as a backend starter that’s capable of eating innings and keeping the game close. He reminds me of Joe Blanton in his years with the A’s. You could reasonably expect 200 innings and an ERA around four every year. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Grade as a Prospect – B-. Gatto’s just a very middle-of-the-road prospect. He’s good at a lot of things, just not great at any one thing. Should be a solid major league pitcher someday.
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