CLE
Noah Song, P
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Scouting report
Song did not pitch in 2020 and instead began his two-year military commitment, which is just as well since there was no minor league season and next year's might start later than usual. I've updated some of the stuff related to his commitment's timing, but his scouting report is exactly the same: It's fairly common for a prospect's trade value to be affected by something circumstantial, but Song's situation is unique. He was clearly a first round talent ahead of the 2019 draft, but it was unclear where he'd be picked because of his military commitment. At the time, service academy policy stated that Song had to complete two years of Naval service, after the Trump administration repealed an Obama-era rule that allowed athletes to petition for an exemption in order to pursue pro sports or some other activity that might bolster recruitment or the military's image in general. Then, weeks after Song was drafted, the now-outgoing president reinstated the rule, with the exemption slated to take effect again in 2020. But Song's application for a retroactive waiver was denied by the Navy. He is eligible to apply for an early release in May. However long it takes, Song still has among the highest ceilings in this system. He works fast and throws hard, up to 99 during Team USA's late-2019 Premier12 scrimmages in Arizona, his slider is plus, and he will mix in the occasional knee-buckling rainbow curveball. He at least profiles in a high-leverage relief role given the current composition of his stuff and control, and perhaps more than that had he been put into the developmental pipeline more quickly. We can't anticipate what'll happen to his stuff because of the layoff. It's tough to wrangle just how that affects Song's standing as a prospect even if it doesn't impact his talent level, which is rare. (At-home dev)