Unowned
Angel Zerpa, P
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Scouting report
After what struck me as a surprise addition to the Royals' 40-man, fall and spring looks at Zerpa indicate that, yes, he might have gone in the Rule 5 Draft even though he has yet to pitch above rookie ball. Zerpa has good east/west command of three pitches, including a fastball that plays even though it has mediocre velocity. His lower arm angle creates tailing action on his fastball, and his ability to locate it with precision as well as the pitch's late movement make it a viable offering even though it only sits about 91-93. His two-planed curveball and changeup are both above-average and he locates those, too. He doesn't throw all that hard, but Zerpa does have two bat-missing weapons and his command keeps his fastball out of trouble. He barely threw with the big league club during the spring even though he's on the 40-man, which I think is a sign that this guy's going to be developed as a starter all year rather than quickly moved to the bullpen, where I think he'd be a fit in a multi-inning role. This is a squat-bodied athlete who can really pitch. Some similar pitchers who I've really liked in the recent past (like Jaime Barria and José Suarez of the Angels) had pretty abrupt body/athletic regressions that detracted from their command and put them in up/down purgatory. There's risk that happens here, but if not then I think Zerpa can become a No. 4/5 starter. (Fall Instructional League)