The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team that must live and die by its prospects. In a new series, PBD will project each of the team’s Top 20 prospects in 2017.
Welcome to a new recurring series here at Pirates Breakdown in which we count down and project the 2017 seasons for each of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Top 20 prospects, ranked as per MLB Pipeline.
Today we look at the club’s #20 overall prospect – P Tyler Eppler
Prospect Primer
Tyler Eppler was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 6th round of the 2014 MLB draft. Eppler played his college ball at Sam Houston State.
In terms of “stuff,” Eppler carries a 55-rates fastball and a breaking ball that he has rounded into a slider. Along with a burgeoning changeup, Eppler’s stuff is major league ready. Standing at 6’6″, Eppler’s long frame helps create velocity, with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s.
The Pirates currently have two pitching prospects in the system that pitched at Sam Houston State, the other being Cody Dickson. Eppler has battled some injuries early in his professional career, but there is a lot of upside with this prospect. Let’s take a look at what makes Eppler an intriguing prospect to the Pirates organization.
Strengths
Some things fall under the “God given” talent category when talking about baseball. Eppler has excellent size for a pitcher. Standing at 6’6” 220 pounds, Eppler has the stature that you are looking for in a starrtng pitcher. Simply, He comes off the mound hard and brings some velocity.
His fastball will sit anywhere between 93-95 mph and he has a change-up that could become above average. He is working on his curveball currently, but it is far from a finished product. Eppler has good command for a young pitcher. He pitched 162.1 innings for Altoona last season while only allowing 33 walks. That is a great sign for his development going forward. Eppler also does a decentjob at keeping the ball in the park. Last season in those aforementioned 162.1 innings he allowed 14 home runs. Eppler does a nice job keeping the ball on the ground.
It will be fun to follow Eppler closely as he progresses thru the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league system. We will see if he is able to maintain his control and ability to limit the long ball.
Areas for Improvement
There are two major flaws that stick out in Eppler’s game at the present time. First, Eppler gives up a lot of hits. In 2016 he gave up 176 hits in 162.1 innings, that average out to 1 hit+ per inning.
That may explain why he had an inflated ERA in 2016 compared to 2015. Last season Eppler boasted a 3.99 ERA compared to a 3.14 ERA in 2015. You could counter that point with the fact that Eppler was pitching at single A in 2015, though.
Another area that Eppler must improve upon is his durability as a pitcher. Eppler spent a part of 2014 injured and then proceeded that with a late start in 2015 due to elbow issues. Eppler must stay healthy in order to continue climbing the Pirates ladder if he wants to be a regular in the Pirates rotation. According to MLB Pipeline, his estimated arrival time for the majors is 2017, here at Pirates Breakdown, we think that may be a little ambitious.
Where He Starts 2017
Eppler will most likely start as one of the frontline starters in Altoona. Eppler will have to show that he can keep men off base better than he did in 2016. Eppler will also get the chance in Altoona to continue to highlight his excellent control he has shown thus far.
Where He Ends 2017
If Eppler pitches well, he will most likely get a shot in Indianapolis before all is said and done in 2017. Eppler has a lot of the tools you are looking for in a starting pitcher. He has 3 pitches in his arsenal, an above average fastball, and a great body for a pitcher. Eppler must continue to pitch well in the Pirates minor league system and he may get a chance to shine for the Pittsburgh Pirates at some point in 2018.
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