I'm including below some of the more interesting updates from Fall Instructs.
http://news.soxprospects.com/2020/11/scout-chatter-bradley-blalock-durbin.html
- Even though he was drafted in 2019, right-hander Bradley Blalock is still only 19 years old and was one of the younger pitchers at instructs. He got off to a slow start, but as camp went on, his delivery and stuff improved. By the end of camp, the reports coming back on him were very encouraging, enough so that he entered our rankings for the first time in our recent update, all the way up at number 36. At his best, Blalock sat 92-94 mph and topped out at 95 mph with a good slider that complimented his fastball well. He also mixed in a curveball and changeup, giving him a four-pitch mix with remaining projection in his frame. He pitches with the type of swagger you like to see on the mound and looks like someone who will add velocity as he matures. Blalock has a lot of development remaining to project as a starter, but his fastball/slider combination gives him a reasonable floor as a potential relief option if his other pitches do not take a step forward.
- After a strong debut in 2018, right-hander Durbin Feltman really struggled in Double-A Portland in 2019, considerably decreasing his stock. It seems Feltman put in the work at instructs, as he looked much closer to the pitcher we saw in 2018 than he did at any time in 2019. Feltman’s velocity came back, as he was up to 96 mph, mostly sitting 93-94 mph. His 85-87 mph slider flashed above-average potential, and even though it was not as crisp as it used to be, he still was able to use it to get swinging strikes. He also mixed in his low-80s curveball, which was a good change of pace to his slider. Feltman’s command and control profile is still a long-term concern, but the stuff he showed at Instructs definitely could play in a middle relief role at the major league level.
- After a breakout 2019 professional debut with Lowell, left-hander Chris Murphy had a steady, but not spectacular Fall Instructional League, which fits the type of player he is. Murphy did not show any standout pitch, but showed three average to above-average offerings. His fastball sat in the low-90s, topping out at 96 mph, and he mixed in a curveball at 73-75 mph that flashed above-average, a changeup in the low-80s that flashed average, and a below-average slider in the low-80s. He seemed to be working on the slider early in camp, as he was not using his other secondary pitches much, but it lags well behind his other pitches. Scouts do have some questions on Murphy, particularly regarding his long-term command and control profile and whether or not he can consistently repeat his delivery, as it lacks coordination at times.
- In 2019 with Lowell, outfielder Nick Decker showed significant power and the ability to hit right-handed pitchers, but he really struggled against left-handed pitching. That continued at Instructs, where he raked against right-handers, but continued to struggle against lefties. Even with his struggles against southpaws, scouts were encouraged by his power and offensive potential against righties, so much so that they think he could develop into a really good platoon player.
- Shortstop Matthew Lugo had an up-and-down Fall Instructional League. Lugo, who received the second highest bonus of any player in the Red Sox 2019 draft class, seemed to have regressed some athletically and did not look as good at shortstop as he did in 2019. His arm is still strong, at least above-average, but the rest of his defensive skill set left question marks about whether he will be able to stick at shortstop long-term.
