Pirates Prospects Scouting Notes: Anthony Solometo

On Monday at Pirate City, Anthony Solometo pitched two innings in the Low-A game against the Braves.

Solometo was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and signed to a $3 million bonus out of high school. The left-handed pitcher features one of the most unique deliveries in the system, as you can see in the video below, followed by a report on Solometo.

The Delivery: I watched a video today of Simone Biles doing a slow-motion summersault spin with a flip at the end. The graceful way she controlled her body to propel it wildly in the air, the gasp you feel as you start to see it potentially spin rapidly out of control in a horrible way, and then suddenly she just snaps into position and lands the attempt. The same day I watched Anthony Solometo pitch live, and I can’t think of a more apt description of what it’s like to watch his delivery.

The Stuff: More advanced hitters might be able to tune out the funky delivery, but they’ll have difficulty with pitches that are released on the first base side of the mound, and end of running all the way to the third base edge of the plate. Solometo was sitting 90-93 MPH today, pairing that with a slider that can be an out pitch and a changeup that he rarely throws. His tall frame could add more delivery in the future as he fills out, though he just needs his movement, deception, and control to be a tough pitcher to hit.

The Extras: Solometo falls behind 3-0 to the second batter in the video above, but battled back for the next three pitches to get the strikeout.

Analysis: It’s too far away to project anything for Solometo in the majors. He’s fun to watch, and has the stuff and potential to make it to the upper levels, and maybe eventually the big leagues. His deception should get him at least to the upper levels, even with control issues. My guess is the Pirates take a similar approach to him that they took with Jared Jones last year, giving him work at Pirate City in extended Spring Training for a month, then bringing him up on a reduced workload for the season.