Scouting Report - RHP - Irving Carter

 Irving Carter

 

RHP 6-4 200 Boynton Beach, Florida Home schooled

 

@Irvcarter42 

 

Prospect Worldwide -

 

Irving Carter – RHP: Irving has the perfect mix of projection, pitchability, electric arm, nasty movement, and ability to give so many different looks from hesitations to multiple leg pumps that hardly give his command issues, as it grades as Above-Average (55) With a Plus (60) Fastball with strong-arm side sink that sits 91-94 T95 and a Plus (60) Slider combo and a Splitter/Changeup that flashes a chance to be more than the Above-Average (55) Grade I have it as, shows potential to be his best pitch with more consistency. He misses a ton of bats and has all the fire and competitive edge you want from a Starting Pitcher. 

 

Fish Stripes -

 

Irving Carter, RHP, Calvary Christian HS (Fort Lauderdale)

 

Yes, there’s another Calvary Christian hurler on this list. Carter, alongside staff ace Andrew Painter, form what is perhaps the best prep 1-2 punch since Lucas Giolito and Max Fried were at Harvard-Westlake. At 6’4”, 210 lbs, Carter has an ideal frame and big now stuff headlined by a mid-90s heater, most often a two-seam. His breaking stuff is impressive for his age, with a power slider in the mid-80s that projects as a plus pitch. Carter has thrown a curveball in the past as well, and while he has seemingly shelved it for now it might be worth revisiting in the pros.

 

Carter’s delivery isn’t quite as picturesque as his teammate’s, with a very long arm circle and a higher level of effort, but he repeats very well and looks controlled throughout, so it isn’t something that I’d ding him for. He’ll even play with his timing to try to keep hitters off balance, which can be a very beneficial wrinkle in a pitcher’s profile, and it could be important for Carter, who really doesn’t hide the ball much at all in his delivery as of now. While he really only takes a two pitch approach right now, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll fill out his arsenal in time, and could either choose to get to work on a changeup or revive his old curveball to complement the fastball/slider combination. He’s also praised for his mentality and aggression on the mound, which should serve him well in the pro game. Compared to Painter, Carter’s arsenal is a bit more narrow and it’s more difficult to project impact command, if you happen to find yourself nearby, the trip to Cavalry Christian could be well worth it this spring. 

 

Talking Chop -

 

Irving Carter, RHP, Florida HS

The final guy in my second tier of prep arms is 6’4, 200 pound Irving Carter from Florida. The Miami commit is a projectable and athletic pitcher with a natural feel for pitching. Carter tops out at 94 MPH with his fastball, though there is more in the tank once he fills out, and adds in a plus slider and a high quality change that can get swings and misses. Carter’s stuff is nice, and the athleticism and projection should mean plenty more to come, but that isn’t the main reason he ranks so high. Carter knows how to keep hitters off balance in a way few high school arms can, changing his speeds and the timing, and has some deception in his delivery. Carter’s feel for pitching shouldn’t surprise anyone, as he started his high school’s state championship game...as an 8th grader! So his experience in big games has given him a level of extra confidence on the mound. Carter also has at least above average command, giving him pretty much everything you could ask for in a prep arm. Should he gain some velocity, you can expect him to push his way higher on this list of rankings. 

 

PG -

Irving Carter is a 2021 RHP/1B with a 6-3 200 lb. frame from Boynton Beach, FL who is home schooled. Big and strong athletic build, pretty mature physically. Turn and throw delivery with good direction to the plate, high 3/4's arm slot, will vary his wind up pace and throw in hesitations, arm is fast and loose. Fastball topped out at 92 mph, mostly straight and gets on hitters quickly. Breaking ball showed the potential to be a plus swing/miss pitch, has power and depth with sharp biting action at times, tunnels his breaking ball well with his fastball. Developing change up that he tended to cup in back. Threw strikes with all three pitches and has an idea how to work the zone and when to challenge.

 

Diamond Digest -  

 

23) Irving Carter, RHP, Calvary Christian Academy (FL)

 

A lean, projectable righty, Carter has shown up this summer throwing harder than he ever has before while retaining above-average command of his three-pitch mix. His fastball was in the mid-high 80s last year, but has been anywhere from 90-93 with touches of 94 this summer. He shows the ability to get some run on his fastball at times, and he does a good job of throwing the pitch for strikes. Carter has two quality secondaries in his slider and changeup. His slider has sharp break that he does a good job of throwing to the back foot of lefties. The pitch quality isn’t as consistent as it could be, but the ability to spin the ball is there. He has a very good feel for his changeup, which has swing-and-miss movement at the bottom of the zone that has been clocked anywhere from 80-86 this summer. Carter loves to mess with the hitter’s timing, altering his leg lift and times to the plate to mess with them. He has some serious deception with a lot of moving parts coming at the hitter from a gangly 6’4 frame. Carter gets into his legs well enough in his hip hinge, and he remains athletic in his delivery. The release height is quite high considering his high arm slot/height combination, which creates a less-than-ideal steep vertical approach angle. Carter has also shown that he is a bulldog on the mound that loves to compete, which makes him fun to watch on the mound. Overall the strike throwing ability and projectability of Carter is intriguing, and if he continues to develop properly it is easy to see a #4/5 starter projection. Carter is committed to Miami. 

 

Prospect Live - 

 

*Irving Carter (R)

 

6’4’’ 200

 

Calvary Christian Academy- Boynton Beach, FL

 

Carter, one of the best prep arms in the draft class is a warrior. He is extremely intense, and has an inner self confidence in his stuff that very few in this class possess. With a very athletic build, he is extremely mature physically, which plays into his style on the bump. Carter attacks the zone with a 91–94 mph fastball that gets on the hitter quicker than expected (plus extension). His ¾ armslot (low release) helps him greatly when it comes to his breaking ball, which shows sharp bite and makes up for his below average change (a work in progress).

 

He throws all three of his pitches for strikes consistently and has good arm action. Carter up the pacing of his delivery extraordinarily well (Cueto esque), which does not affect him in regards to locating his pitches. Irving has a solid stride length (though he could get more) and his backside drive is very good (sinks into his rear glute and leg prior to stride beautifully).

 

When watching his different deliveries, it's worth noting that his extension is superior on his slidestep variant; I would like to see said extension applied to all variations of his windup. If the pieces are put together properly, he could become more dangerous with a lower release height (see sidestep variation of delivery).

 

I see Carter projecting out as a mid rotation to top of the line starter (2–4) depending on the development of his fastball. He has the competitive attitude needed to be a top arm, and is reported to have a solid work ethic. Carter doesn’t feel very high risk (and has fewer shots used in the gun), which may make him more attractive than some college arms that will be available at a similar stage of the first 2–3 rounds.

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