It cannot be easy pitching a full season of baseball, then shutting it down for a couple of months and then starting it back up with the same intensity. Pitcher’s arms are just not meant to do that type of thing. It does not matter if you are a starter or a reliever. I have to take that into account when I watch Frankie Scalzo pitch as he began throwing for Myrtle Beach late in August.
Basic Information
RHP
Age – 22
Position – RHP
Height – 6-foot-3
Weight – 185
Throws – Right
Grand Canyon University
14th Round – 2021 MLB Draft
Here’s what I said on Draft Day
He pitched in relief for both San Jose State and Grand Canyon. He throws a nice fatsball up to 97 and a spiked curve. In 2021, he had a 2.12 ERA in 29.2 IP with 31 Ks and 12 saves.
I like this view of him (sans moustache) as you can see what his pitched do.
It’s evident from the get go that Scalzo has a pretty live fastball. He was getting it up to 96 the very first time I saw him. The 14th round pick has plenty of room to add on some muscle and will probably be at South Bend to start 2022. There is a slight chance he could be back at Myrtle Beach, but considering his age, that’s not all that likely.
Scalzo’s college career began at San Jose State in 2018. It’s no wonder he left after a 6.23 ERA in 10 relief appearances. Instead, Scalzo went to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix where he appeared in 24 games and threw 59 innings with a 5.49 ERA and struck out 34 batters.
During the pandemic in 2020, he did not allow a run in four appearances out of the pen for the Antelopes as he only tossed 11 innings but struck out nine and walked just two.
What got Scalzo drafted was his senior season.
Scalzo earned 12 saves and struck out 31 in 29.2 innings and walked just 11 with a 1.08 WHIP.
With a fastball that can sit in the mid to upper 90s, it’s pretty easy to see why the Cubs took him. The question this winter is just exactly how the Cubs are going to build around that fastball. It’s likely the Cubs will probably work on a curve to offset the fastball with some sort of changeup, cutter, and/or curve.
Then again, at Myrtle Beach, he’s thrown 7 innings with 6 Ks and a 1.29 ERA in 4 games. He’s also allowed just 1 walk and opponents are hitting just .231 against him. That’s pretty good for a small sample size.
He might be one of the more interesting players next summer depending upon what all the Cubs do with him over the winter.
Cubs Central 