Austin Wood has one of the most live arms in the Angels system, but can he actually keep that arm alive?
Austin Wood
10 words or less: The right fastball and size to be elite. Anything else?
Position: SP Born: 7/11/1990
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 225
2014 Rank: #18
2014 Season Stats
[table id=44 /]
PITCHING
Fastball – A. Wood’s fastball as a starter (and the last time we saw him fully healthy was Spring Training two years ago) sat 96-97, in the late innings. In the earlier innings he would routinely touch triple digits…AS A STARTER. We haven’t seen much of him as a reliever though many would lead you to believe this is his future, especially after two consecutive injury plagued seasons following Tommy John surgery. Wood made the token rehab appearances last season and reports indicate that he was rusty but still sitting in the mid-90’s. Once fully healthy we can expect Wood to jump back into the high-90’s, especially as a reliever. The only knock on Wood, his heater doesn’t move at all. It’s as straight as can be. The sort of “hit this if you can” offering.
Off-speed Pitches – B+. Wood has two “plus” off-speed pitches. A slider that’s more of a slurve but with a hard bite to it and a change up that looks downright heavy coming in and at times would hover right around 80 mph. That’s flat out unfair to throw in the upper-90’s and then be able to drop a pitch in that’s upwards of 20 mph slower. Just ask the hitters who had to face Garrett Richards this last year.
Control – D/I. When Wood was still a starter, he’d have games where he’d go eight straight and only allow one base runner the entire night. Then he’d have games where he’d only last 4 innings and walk 6. He was never able to find any consistency. It’s impossible to know if he’s still plagued by the same issues, though it wouldn’t be far off to say that he probably is, which is why this grade is incomplete.
Command – D/I. Part of the reason Wood was as hittable as he was in A ball was due to the same reasons Garrett Richards was, leaving the ball up. You’ll notice that once Richards learned to keep the ball down (among other things) he emerged as one of the ten best pitchers in a shortened era that has seen an unprecedented drop on offense.
Mechanics – C. I never saw anything in Wood’s mechanics that indicated he’d lose two seasons due to arm troubles. He has a big, strong frame and used every bit of his size to propel the ball toward home plate. The best I can say is that some guys are just more prone to these sorts of things, especially those that throw as hard as Austin does. His landing spot and release point were inconsistent before, but nothing that couldn’t be ironed out with refinement and time.
OVERALL
Performance – I. A second consecutive lost season for Austin Wood. The Angels should still check and see if he’s salvageable as a starter because he certainly had the stamina to go deep into games. But if he can’t stay healthy, a move to the bullpen has to be on its way.
Projection – A. And herein lies the reason Austin Wood can miss two consecutive seasons worth of development and still be a Top 30 prospect in the system (other than the fact that the system is weak). If Wood is healthy and can control his pitches, he has the look of a dynamic front-line starter. If he’s healthy and inconsistent he has the look of a potential shutdown closer. There’s really no in-between. His fastball, slider and change-up are that good. He just has to stay healthy.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2016/2017. If he’s a reliever, you can believe Wood will be fast-tracked and be ready to join the likes of Bedrosian and Morin by the end of next year or soon after. If he’s a starter, a year in the Cal League, followed by a year in the Texas League should suffice. I still believe it’s highly likely he ends up in relief.
Grade as a Prospect – C. Wood has A+ talent. He’s just got an F in the health department, and thus his grade is in the middle. If he stays healthy and refines his approach, Wood is definitely a B or A grade prospect.
2014 in Review*
The main takeaway from Austin Wood’s 2014 season is that he actually participated in it. This is a guy who basically pitched one season of baseball since being drafted in 2011. His limited time in 2013 and 2014 barely count, especially 2014 which was really just a glorified rehab assignment. Wood did actually return to the California League for a few games this year, but he still was limited to outings of three innings maximum, so it isn’t as if he was a full-fledged starter again.
Still, it is hopeful to see that Austin was able to hold his own in his limited work. He missed some bats and hit the strike zone, which is really all you can ask for given his health status.
Looking Ahead*
At age 24, Wood is finally in position to have a full season at High-A. That’s on the old side, but this is what happens when you miss most of two years. Based on the innings the Halos had Wood log in his return in 2014, it appears that they will still try to push him forward as a starter. However, if he starts to break down again, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see him get punted into the bullpen for the rest of eternity. There’s still a lot to like about Wood, but if the Angels want to salvage value out of him, they can’t waste much more time trying to keep him in the rotation if his body just isn’t going to allow for it.
*As we do every year, the scouting reports and grades are provided by Scotty Allen while Garrett Wilson provides the 2014 in Review and Looking Ahead sections.
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