LNG
Quinn Priester, P
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Scouting report
Priester looked so incredible during instructs that his name was often brought up unprompted during my early-offseason name-gathering for the Top 100. He showed up in Bradenton sitting 94-97, continuing the climbing velocity trend he began to exhibit throughout his senior spring in 2019. He went from showing a lot of 91-94 during his pre-draft summer to sitting comfortably in the mid-90s, then settled back into the 91-95 range the summer after Pittsburgh made him the first high school arm selected in 2019. He added a considerable amount of strength over the last year and a half, and has also made some subtle mechanical changes. His glove has migrated north during his gather, his arm swing isn't as long, he's clearing his front side better, and he lands with more control and balance in his blocking leg. I'd understand some hesitancy to alter one's evaluation of someone like this based on the context of the look, since Priester had most of the year off and came out throwing just a few innings at a time in a very controlled environment, but because the uptick in velocity has been coupled with physical and mechanical changes, I'm more inclined to believe it's real. And perhaps I've buried the lede here: Priester has one of the nastier curveballs in the minors, and maybe in all of baseball. He had feel for creating shape on his breaking ball in high school but it wasn't nearly as hard as it is now, nor was its movement as sharp, vertical, and vicious. It comes out of his hand high and then crests and drops with the curvature and angle of a waterfall of seams and leather. It has Adam Wainwright's curveball's shape but is harder, and Priester is going to use it to embarrass a lot of big league hitters. He had some changeup feel in high school and now that he's wielding huge arm strength, that has backed up a little bit. I'm betting that will improve as he gets starter's innings in 2021. His delivery is still somewhat violent and arm-y but it's better now than in high school, and he has less command-based reliever risk than other pitchers toward the back of the Top 100. Those who read these lists consistently know that what I'm about to say is not often seen on these electronic pages: Priester has top-of-the-rotation ceiling. (Fall Instructional League)