6-3, 180 - Dallas, Ga. - drafted 1st round 2009 by SF
2010 - A-ball - 3-3, 3.99, 58.2-IP, 70-K
Fastball – Sits mostly in the 91 – 94 range, but can get as high as 95 or 96 in short spurts…tremendous life…gets on hitters quickly as it explodes out of his hand…will run into lefties and away from right handed batters…terrific carry through the strike zone, indicating plenty of arm strength…Wheeler has said he features two fastballs — a two-seamer and four-seamer
Slider – Hard slider is more like a slurve…comes out of his hand looking like his fastball and travels on a similar plane as well, which you can see in the below clip…the pitch breaks a little early, so it could use some tightening, but the break has some snap to it and will generate plenty of swings-and-misses.
Change-Up – Below average at the moment…doesn’t get enough differentiation from his fastball velocity to really get hitters off balance. When you contrast that with Jacob Turner’s change-up, even though he doesn’t throw the pitch very often, I’ve never seen it described as anything worse than “developing”. That’s one of the differences between Turner and Wheeler.
Mechanics - Wheeler’s mechanics are a bit herky-jerky. Pitchers with herky-jerky mechanics will often times make hitters less comfortable in the box, make it more difficult for hitters to pick up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, and make it tougher for hitter’s to time a pitcher’s release. - http://www.baseball-intellect.com/scouting-zack-wheeler/
Fastball: At 94-96 MPH, Wheeler’s fastball exploded on top of Sand Gnats hitters. His long stride created excellent downward plane with a touch of arm side fade. In this outing, he appeared to be rearing back trying to light up the radar gun instead of working to command the pitch. With only an inning to showcase his stuff, it’s easy to understand why. The fastball may already be a plus offering and has plus-plus potential with improved command.
Curveball: Thrown in the low-80′s, Wheeler’s curveball is a harder offering than I normally see at the level. With tight, sharp break, the pitch exhibits wipeout potential in the bullpen. although he hung it a couple of times in game action, Wheeler creates plenty of depth with enough glove side run to make it more of a 11-5 offering.
Changeup: A third offering with plenty of potential, Wheeler’s changeup features some arm side run and a good amount of velocity separation from the fastball. However, in reviewing his side angle video, I was able to pick up on a slight slowing of his arm action which will have to be corrected.
While it’s not easy producing a report off of a single inning of relief work, I felt it important to let readers know Wheeler is still a fantastic prospect even after missing a couple of months due to injury. Wheeler had a definite “wow” factor which the overwhelming majority of prospects simply do not have. Behind Julio Teheran, he’s the second best pitcher I have ever seen at the level and has true impact starter upside. I look forward to seeing him again in a couple of weeks in what I hope will be for multiple innings. - http://scoutingthesally.com/zack-wheeler-san-francisco-giants-baseball-prospect-scouting-report-video/
5-23-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/05/23/zack-wheeler-scouting-report - Wheeler has two pitches that could surface as plus, in his fastball and curveball. The changeup I saw doesn't look like it will be more than a slightly above-average pitch. He could use more seasoning with his changeup as well as his command, but he could be a back-of-the-rotation starter in the big leagues tomorrow. His upside, which he could still be 3-4 years from reaching, is as a very good No. 2 starter and maybe even an ace for stretches of time. Every young pitcher comes with a good amount of injury risk, but Wheeler's mechanics make him an unlikely bet to avoid major arm injuries over the next five years. Hopefully he can stay healthy, mature into his frame, sharpen his command and get a chance to face big-league hitters. Wheeler is a treat to watch and one of the higher upside arms in the minors.
7-28-11: - http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2011/index.jsp - Scouting report: The Giants' first-round pick in 2009 is was a Futures Gamer in 2010, his first full season. He features a heavy fastball that he can run into the mid-90s with a vastly improved breaking ball and a changeup that has developed well this year. He's a much better pitcher after an up-and-down first full year that was interrupted by a fingernail problem, though he's still working on refining his command. Still, at age 21 and in the California League, he's ahead of the curve.
7-29-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6079 - The PG scouting report filed after the National Showcase read: “(Wheeler) pitched 90-93 topping at 94 with a very lively fastball and little to no effort in the Metrodome. He gets good extension out front and has an excellent breaking ball with a sharp break in the upper 70s. He commands his pitches well and everything looks easy for him on the mound. Wheeler continues to project … and he is already one of the top 2009 RHP in the country.”
7-29-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/ - Wheeler's stuff is top notch. His final pitching line was ugly: 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's, but the takeaway was that Wheeler has the stuff to pitch at the front of a major league rotation. The videos above will show that he can make pretty drastic adjustment to his delivery and I expect him to continue to make progress which will lead to improved command/control. The development of the change will be the main thing to keep an eye on in his development as he looks for a pitch to neutralize left handed hitters. Keep in mind that he has only logged 146 2/3 professional innings. There aren't a lot of minor league pitchers that have his type of upside. I was very surprised that Wheeler was traded for a playoff run "rental". These types of prospects aren't often traded.
8-1-11: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2011/07/31/top-10-trade-deadline-prospects - Zack Wheeler SP: New York Mets straight up for Carlos Beltran - We saw other teams trade big leaguers for quantity over quality -- like Houston trading Michael Bourne for a gaggle of replacement level players -- but in the Carlos Beltran deal Mets' GM Sandy Alderson swung for the fences. Wheeler is one of the very few prospects traded who could end up being a difference maker and represents excellent value for a few month rental, even a player as good as Beltran. An elite high schooler, in a draft replete with prep talent, Wheeler has lived up to expectations as the former sixth overall pick. He has struck out over 25% of batters he's faced in each of his professional stops, working off a fastball with plus movement and velocity as well as a potentially plus curveball. The changeup and command need to improve. His motion is a bit unusual and potentially a cause for concern, but Wheeler slightly augments the length in his arm action with excellent leg drive, stride length and hip rotation. Wheeler's still a few years off and carries significant risk, but is an excellent gamble for the Mets.
8-1-11: - http://baseballdraftreport.com/ - Zack Wheeler has the kind of frame that scouts everywhere love to dream on. He’s a lanky 6-4, 180 (lanky, but athletic – Wheeler can get above the rim and throw down 360 dunks) with plenty of room to fill out, and, if things go according to plan, capable of adding some serious velocity. If Wheeler was throwing in the high-80s, he’d be a very intriguing prospect based on the prospect of physical maturity and increased heat alone. However, the kid is already sitting comfortably in the low-90s (91-92) and has hit 94-95 MPH on the gun out of the bullpen at the summer showcases. Add a couple of ticks to that fastball and you are really on to something. Wheeler’s very good curve, power slider, and burgeoning splitter all complement the fastball well.
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