Joely Rodriguez has some nice stuff for a left-hander. He throws his fastball in the 91-94 MPH range, and hit 96 MPH last year. His changeup has shown some improvements, with late, sharp tailing action. His slider has some good break, and is a weapon to shut down left-handers. Rodriguez has good movement on all of his pitches, as seen in the video. The Pirates added him to the 40-man roster this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, mostly due to his overall package as a left-hander with a good arsenal. He should start the 2014 season in Altoona, with a shot at Indianapolis by the end of the year, and possibly a September callup.
Rodriguez was our number 15 prospect, and you can read our scouting report on him here.
