AJ Puk (LHP/Oakland Athletics)

AJ Puk (LHP/Oakland Athletics) -


Seen 2x Instructs, 2x Spring



Physique -



Tremendous length through build; higher set waist; extremely wide through lower half with noticeable excess through midsection and trunk; high risk of build further softening; sloped shoulders with a chest through upper half, large hands; poor athletic projection and limited present athleticism; big bodied




Makeup -



Goes about business on the mound; even tempered, softer spoken amongst teammates; aggressive on mound, demonstrates pitching acumen and competitiveness, shows in game adjustment; limited visible emotion in game; good foundation for in game actualization




Mechanics -



Very slight rock and adjustment on rubber from wind up, almost identical to stretch; slightly to first base side; smooth leg lift, hands set away from body and break away as lift ends and delivery begins to initiate towards the plate; moderate shoulder tilt and slight closed landing, can show firm on foot strike and collapse front half; mild effort; larger circle with wrap on back side of arm path; good arm action with decent extension, above average arm speed, slight hook in arm; shoulders frequently leak and can show some rotation at times; delivery fairly repeatable with better extension possible





Fastball - Present 55, Future 70



Quality life from left side with exceptional hop; 93-96 T98 plays higher with length, mild natural tail from left side at times with giddy up, flashes intense bore; long term command projection limited given physical and athletic restraints, confidence in pitch and mature approach with fastball will play pitch up beyond; frequently alters batter sightline, establishes armside to lefties and gloveside righties, works inside and north out of zone to both establish and execute in sequence; pitch action and deception plays up dramatically; truly a special pitch; approach to pitching will carry fastball further and allow it to actualize.





Slider - Present 50, Future 60



Flashes quality late tilting action and depth when on, 84-88; has shown to be more loose spinning two plane 2-8 depth on occasion, can let up off arm speed and extension, tells pitch; even with slot and plane can struggle to get on top of offering; mostly executes at back end of sequences, can struggle to manipulate and throw for strikes consistently and reliably; arm strength, arm speed more than conducive for pitch to show even higher; will play up and work more than effectively off of fastball




Changeup - Present 35, Future 50



Firm mild tumbling action with limited present feel for pitch; lesser deception and arm speed replication, deliberate in executing pitch, can show more hesitance in utilizing pitch when forced to in sequence; can flash decent tumble and depth on occasion; will play up given fastball and approach on mound, confident in pitch actualizing to in game utility




Curveball - Present 45, Future 55



Decent wrist action and spin; 1-7 two plane depth with noticeable improvement to feel and confidence in pitch since picking it up during Instructs; better depth and break with above average potential; 79-82 MPH velocity band, serviceable to facilitate velocity separation off fastball and remaining firmer offerings; legitimate projection on pitch with potential to actualize in game



Realistic Role - 60 (Mid-Rotation Starter)





Review -





Puk has very noticeable risk given state and what will be the continued condition of the physique; physical monitoring and conditioning will be absolutely paramount. Fastball life, extension from left side alongside approach and confidence in fastball will allow profile to actualize to major league future easily; fastball is miss bat pitch. Introduction of multiple breaking balls often risky, confident in foundation of the profile to benefit rather than regress given another developmental focus; change of pace will have opportunity to play up in game; ultimate role of mid-rotation value from left side in short term, may possess shorter window, at least in rotation capacity, given the athletic projection and the soft body