Josh Hartle
LHP 6-5 180 Reagan HS (NC)
Mack's spin -
I may have Hartle a little early here but it is my mock.
I am hoping to see a huge tick up on his fastball velo which, when added to his mastery of pitching, should propel him into the first round.
2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -
31. Josh Hartle, LHP, Reagan HS (NC)
Hartle is a projectable, easy-throwing southpaw with present low-90s velocity and a good feel for throwing strikes. His low three-quarters release point creates a flatter plane to the top of the zone, a plus in this day and age. Hartle is a Wake Forest commit. The worst-case scenario here is that he spends some time in their pitching lab, whereafter he might reemerge in a few years as a top-10 candidate.
1-14-21 - Baseball America
Joshua Hartle
Reagan HS, Pfafftown, N.C. LHP
Ht: 6-3 | Wt: 205 | B-T: L-L
Commit/Drafted: Wake Forest
Age At Draft: 18.3
Hartle appears to be the next impact lefthander to come out of the North Carolina prep ranks, following recent draftees like Liam Norris, Blake Walston and MacKenzie Gore. A projection pitcher with a clean arm action, delivery and a lean, 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame with plenty of room to fill out, scouts love the way Hartle throws. It’s an incredibly easy operation and the quality of his strikes are among the best in the class. His stuff isn’t overpowering, with a fastball that sits in the 89-92 mph range and ticks up to 93-94 at his best, with two solid secondaries. There are some questions about his natural ability to spin a breaking ball out of a lower, three-quarter slot, as the movement of his 78-84 mph sweeping breaking ball isn’t great, but he has good feel for the pitch and lands it consistently. He also has a mid-80s changeup that could give him a third average offering with developing feel. With plenty of starter traits thanks to his loose arm action and strike-throwing ability, many teams are just waiting for the Wake Forest commit to fill out a bit and see his fastball tick up next spring.
12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3
Miami Marlins
The Marlins capitalize on a falling lefty and grab Josh Hartle. Hartle is average to above average across the board, but his build is great for a pitcher and his pitching IQ is impressive. He’s not overpowering, but he is crafty enough to get outs. He should be easily swayed from his Wake Forest commit, though a strong spring could put him back in the first round proper.
11-11-20 - Prospects Live Top 300 Prospect List -
43. Josh Hartle - LHP
Bio:
Height: 6-5
Weight: 195 lbs
Hits/Throws: L-L
Hometown: King, NC
School: Reagan
Tall, lanky southpaw with athletic, balanced delivery. Impressive arm speed for a kid his size. Generally 88-91 with a little run. Some have called him "the Mackenzie Gore of the class." Throws two distinct breaking balls. Slider at 81-82, curveball is much slower and drifts across the zone at 72-74. Good command across the board.
23) Josh Hartle, LHP, Reagan HS (NC)
Hartle is a unique arm with many characteristics that progressive scouting and player development departments want in their organization. His fastball sits 88-91 right now, but the pitch has above average to plus potential. At a lanky 6’5 and 180 pounds, Hartle will likely add velocity as he continues to develop physically, especially since he already has good mechanics. He generates really good hip/torso separation at foot strike in his delivery, creating good arm speed. His fastball also plays up due to his flat vertical approach angle, which he creates with superb extension and a lower arm slot. Hartle’s breaking ball is more slurvy with a lot of length that misses bats. He shows a good ability to get it below the zone to get chases from hitters on both sides of the plate. His changeup is slightly below average that needs improved command, but he can mix it in to RHH occasionally. Hartle likely projects as a starter at the next level with mid to back-end rotation potential, as he already possess a number of traits that are key in the development of pitchers. Hartle is committed to Wake Forest.
Josh Hartle – LHP: The unquestioned top Prep Left-hander in the class has a ton of projection remaining in his 6’5 frame. Shows strong command as a prep with a Future 55 and potential to move into a 60 Grade. Expected velo bump from his 89-92 MPH he works with now to go with a plus Slider and an Average-Above Average (55) Changeup. Coming from a tough lower arm slot for hitters to deal with, similar to Chris Sale’s arm slot. The high-end upside with the pitchability and projected velo boost make him as good as any in the class. 9 months until the July Draft, I expect to see some of that projection start to fruition come Springtime.
Josh Hartle - Coming into the event, Hartle was the top prep lefty on the circuit, and he did nothing to lose that spot. There’s a lot to like about him, plenty of projection to a 6’5, 200 pound frame, a fluid and deceptive delivery, and an arsenal that has three potentially above average pitches. While Hartle did allow a bloop double to Daylen Lile, which Thaddeus Ector nearly caught, he did garner two impressive strikeouts of Joe Mack and Izaac Pacheco. He did not showcase all three pitches, as he was mainly utilizing the fastball and the slider. The fastball was consistent and pounded gloveside, with the velocity mainly sitting 89-90. The slider was a sweeper that showcased added velocity, as it was in the 80-81 range. The changeup has been a weapon throughout the summer, sitting in the mid-80’s with good fade to it. If he can add velocity to his fastball before next April, he could find himself as a Day 1 pick.
*Josh Hartle (L)
6’5’’ 195
Reagan HS- King, NC
The 6’5” left hander is one of my favorite arms in this entire draft class (college or prep). Josh is committed to Wake Forest, showcasing a fastball in the low 90s. Given that big league pitchers such as Josh Hader and Jack Flaherty were almost identical in build and fastball velocity at his age, I would not be surprised to see him fill out some, picking up mphs over the next couple of years. A combo of Chris Sale and Josh Hader is a good comp for him, as he is built like Sale, with similar mechanical attributes to both, and a fastball that projects more like Hader’s.
Like both aforementioned aces, Hartle has a very lengthy stride (low release height for someone his size and flat approach angle) that finishes slightly closed off on the left side of the rubber (Sale). This landing point allows for his whole body to rotate extra, which provides more torque with little added arm stress. The closed off landing point also helps particularly on glove side breaking balls (like Sale, he has a really nice sweeping breaking ball). Hartle sits deep into his glutes to create a very low release height post drive, while getting the maximum out of his legs with a fantastic hip hinge.
He is very raw in terms of his physical build, but he has a projectable frame and will undoubtedly put on more weight. The frame is even more reason for a team to jump on him now, as having him in your own arm program as he fills out and adds velo would be more advantageous than trying to draft him later.
If I had to give him a comp to a recently drafted prospect, I would say he could look like a Garret Crochet (R1 P11 in 2020) with a couple more years of physical development and fastball velo. Just like Crochet, Hartle throws a fastball that plays well up in the zone, has a solid breaking ball, and a build that projects to similar big league left handers. Hartle’s release point is actually far lower than Crochet (more similar to the aforementioned Sale and Hader), yet he will likely have less velo at the end of the day than Crochet (hence better Hader comp than Sale).
Hartle is a high school arm definitely worth drafting early. He could project to an ace if he fills out as expected (would like to see 20lbs more on him), and gets better scap retraction to create better separation (minor league coaches can address this).
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Hartle would be a nice 2nd round pick up
ReplyDeleteYes he would.
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