Body
Legit 6’5″ and started to fill out a bit more; looks a bit more muscular in the lower half and upper portion of the thighs, as he filled out slightly more in the upper torso. Presently looks about 195-200 pounds, may fill out a bit more as his frame could easily handle 220 pounds.
Mechanically
Mike Wright is a bit more fluid to the plate than in previous encounters. The pre-load in the arm is not something that I subscribe to at the moment, but nothing that I would now say is a red flag in his delivery. His arc and break are clean, but he rears back a bit more than I prefer.
Mike Wright pitching in the GCL.
They have done a good job of speeding up that aspect of the delivery so that he is in a safe and clean path at toe touch, and his arm slot is in a safe point to transition through the zone with minimum effort and impact towards the joints.
His stride should be a tick or two longer from my views as he is too upright, standing too tall for my tastes. It is a bit longer than last season, with a more consistent landing, albeit the landing can be stiff. It would be best to see that consistent knee bend, but this is something that looks better than previous encounters.
His follow through should be a bit more athletic and he still stands upright too much for me. I would prefer a better hip bend and for him to come down the line a bit more. The arm action on the follow though just leaves me pausing a bit — bringing it through and slapping it against the thigh can jar the shoulder, and anything that can do it could lead to problems down the line.
Overall I see a better load, transition to the plate, and follow through that has sped up, and been a bit more fluid this season, but more can be done to iron out some of the wrinkles. I think more could be done to clean up down the line, and it could only help improve and preserve him to handle the rigors of starting pitching.
Fastball
The added strength and weight has really pushed this pitch to another level. He currently sits 93-95 mph as a starter, and can dial up, with my eyes seeing 97 mph.
The speed starts out early and he should be able to maintain it the third time through the order. The ball hides well and shows a decent amount of deception, and with the speed it has some pure getty up. The 4S has some good boring action and he can locate the pitch well in the lower half of the zone, and mixes the location well.
There will be a hand full of times where he has an early release and the ball sails, but for the most part the command has taken a step for the better. His 2S has some late tail and he can keep it low and away for strikes. The pitch runs mainly 91-92 mph and shows a decent amount of horizontal movement, laced with a bit of vertical drop. This pitch should continue to be a tough offering to square up.
Grade: 7
Slider
This offering is being de-emphasized and suppressed in sporadic fashion at the moment. In his limited offerings, it displays that plus ability that has been a constant in his repertoire.
His slider runs mainly 87-89 mph, and the higher the speed the crisper the rotation, showing the two plane bite. It is a tight swing/miss offering at this stage, and its action and his ability to keep it down help the pitch play up. It has just enough movement to force a flailing swing, and gives him two quality pitches at his disposal.
Grade: 6
Change Up
This pitch is being flashed from time to time and there has been some progress. At its best, it has a decent amount of fade, with more vertical than horizontal movement, but two way.
The pitch runs mainly 81-83 mph and he does a solid job locating the pitch. It can still flash the grooved offering and sit in the wheelhouse, but the progression is at least playing well off the power pitches and is giving him an offering that flashed MLB quality. His ability to locate and keep the hitter honest allows his fastball to play up better. He has shown solid development of this offering.
Grade: 4 (5)
Curve
A new professional offering that he has brought back to the table. It mainly sits 75-79 mph with good rotation and solid depth.
Wright’s curve sits 75-79 mph with good rotation and solid depth.
The pitch has to be properly developed, but I liked the shape and path so much that with time this could be another knock out pitch in his pocket. He has the strength, lead elbow, and the man paws to get that pitch to bite. It has the foundation right now and the development of this offering could take him into another category.
Grade: 4 (6)
Command
This is maybe the biggest step forward that I have seen from him. He has really worked hard to command the lower half and he is starting to make it routine. He has his over power lapses, but shows the ability to command both halves of the plate and ride the pitches low.
It is not superb, but for a power pitcher it is great to see a 92 mph 2S and an 82 mph change up worked in the same location and he can hit his spots. Wright must continue to limit the early release from rearing its head, but overall it is sound improvement.
Grade: 5 (6)
Control
He has rather good control for a guy that can touch the upper 90s. He does a solid job throwing strikes and nibbling the edges. Mike tends to gain too much action with the 2S and SL and these two pitches have a life of their own from time to time.
Biting sliders may stretch the zone on some professional hitters, but a good deal have the patience to lay off. I do not think this is a road block or hiccup, but if there is any improvements this is where I would start. The curve ball shows flashes, but this pitch has to be controlled a bit better to round out the offering.
Grade: 5 (6)
Overall
Wright is a power pitcher that shows a blend of swing/miss stuff and some of the traits to be an efficient ground ball pitcher. He has done a solid job attacking hitters early and keeping the ball on the ground. He attacks hitters and keeps them on their toes with an effective mix that should continue to progress slightly.
The ability to command and locate pitches has taken a large stride, making him a solid prospect to sit in the upper portions of a rotation. He has taken the strides from turning from a thrower into a pitcher and is a real national dark horse player to watch. I want to see a bit more progress of that third pitch, but the additional curve has promise to give him a quality arsenal. He is not only a part of a group of stable arms recently by the Orioles, but he has the chance to be a major player in the rotation within the next year or two.
Ceiling: No. 2 pitcher
Floor: Closer
Likely Role: Low No. 2/Power No. 3
