A fourth round pick in the 2014 and the proud owner of one of the best sliders of the entire draft class, Jeremy Rhoades gives the Angels another interesting arm to add to their (finally) growing collection.
Jeremy Rhoades
10 words or less: Starter? Reliever? Whoa, look at that slider!
Position: SP Born: 2/12/1993
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 225
2014 Rank: Unranked
2014 Season Stats
[table id=43 /]
PITCHING
Fastball – C+/B-. Rhoades possesses a low-90’s fastball as a starter. This hovers right around average, if not a tick above average for a RHP. Chances are, as a reliever and with further development and refinement, Rhoades should be able to reach the mid-90’s.
Off-speed Pitches – B+. Rhoades uses three different off-speed pitches with an average mid-80’s cutter as well as an average mid-80’s changeup. Neither are swing and miss pitches but he can deploy them effectively. His slider however, is as good as they come from this past draft. Definitely a “plus” pitch.
Control – C+. Jeremy posted a fantastic 2.93 BB/9 at Illinois State this past season. Once the Angels drafted him and he got his first taste of pro ball (both as a starter and reliever), Rhoades’ BB/9 rose to 3.5, which is right around what is expected from a pitcher fresh out of the collegiate ranks. Chances are this number will improve, but given his delivery and likely future, I can’t picture this ever becoming an “A” grade as much as an area which will not be of focus because he’ll be just fine.
Command – C. Rhoades’ command was hit and miss this past season. One appearance, he’ll be hitting all his spots and mow down a batting order, the next he’ll be missing or leaving the ball up. Quite frankly, though Rhoades’ fastball is pretty solid, he doesn’t throw hard enough to miss his spots and get away with it.
Mechanics – D-. There is simply no way that Rhoades will remain a starter (and healthy) with his current delivery. This doesn’t mean things can’t change and he can make the necessary adjustments and turn into a good starter. But for right now, no chance. Inconsistent balance and landing spot, rushing through his motions, huge pressure placed on his shoulder and elbow. If he’s a reliever, this won’t matter though.
OVERALL
Performance – B. Rhoades was drafted in the 4th round this past year due to his sparkling season at Illinois State. Upon being drafted, he was shifted around between starting and relief, which mattered little because he was on an inning limit. Despite the unsightly ERA, Rhoades made the adjustments. The most promising stat from this past season were the walks. In the first half of the short season he issued 11 free passes across 17 innings, but in his final 17, only 4.
Projection – C. If he somehow remains a starter, having an average fastball and change up to go with a plus slider could make him a reasonable backend starter. But as it stands right now, he projects as a good reliever. He doesn’t have the fastball that screams closer (who cares; Huston Street), but he could emerge as a good middle reliever.
Estimated Time of Arrival – 2018/2020. As a reliever, three years to get his feet wet and battling to secure the Angels middle innings. As a starter, five years seems reasonable, which would slot him in the rotation in his mid-late 20’s.
Grade as a Prospect – C+. Having a collegiate level pitcher that projects to be an average starter or above average reliever is a luxury to find in the 4th round of the draft. It appears for now the Angels will take their chance on him as a starter, which helps elevate his grade. Still, at age 22, likely headed for A Ball and a timeframe that likely pits him in the major leagues as a middle reliever at age 25 isn’t anything unheard of. Pay special attention to Rhoades’ mechanics, I think that’ll tell us all whether he ends up in the rotation or relief and ultimately his grade as a prospect.
2014 in Review*
The current debate is whether or not Rhoades will end up as a reliever. What matters now though is that Rhoades is being used as a starter. He appeared in 14 games for Orem and pitched three innings in all but two of those appearances, and those were shortened only because he got hit hard. This isn’t abnormal for the current Angel regime who seem to prefer testing out their young arms as starters before pigeon-holing them into a relief role.
Rhoades didn’t have great numbers in his time in Orem, but that doesn’t matter all that much. The important thing is he missed bats, didn’t walk too many hitters and generally kept the ball on the ground. For a guy coming off the college season and coming from a smaller school, you can’t ask for much more than that.
Looking Ahead*
There is no reason to not continue using Rhoades in the rotation in 2015. If the Halos were still without relief options in the upper minors, there might be a temptation to fast track him and his badass slider via a bullpen role. That isn’t necessary now though. They can instead let Rhoades jump to full season ball in Burlington, work on his command and third pitch. He can survive the low minors with his current arsenal, but with his arm slot, he’s going to have to develop another pitch to make sure he can combat left-handed hitters, which he didn’t do in the small sample of his 2014 minor league campaign.
*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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