Tyler Skaggs
Position: Starting Pitcher
Height: 6'4 - Weight: 180
Bats: Left - Throws: Left
DOB: 07/13/1991
2009 Stats
Arizona (Rookie Ball): 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk, 6 IP
Orem (Rookie Ball): 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk, 4 IP
Starting the 2010, AngelsWin.com ranked Tyler Skaggs as the Angels’ #17 overall prospect. That still placed him as the third best left-handed pitcher in the organization according to AngelsWin.com and the tenth best pitcher overall. Although he is a bit less known to some of the fans, Skaggs is a local player drafted out of Santa Monica High School who was thrilled to be drafted by his favorite team. The Angels drafted the tall and projectable left-hander as a supplemental pick in the first round of the 2009 draft (#40 overall). As another talented 18-year old, the Angels have been cautious with his development so far, limiting his innings pitched. Currently playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels, Skaggs has been posting some very good numbers that would place him in the top 20 pitchers for the Midwest League in many categories.
Below is our scouting report for Tyler Skaggs for the 2010 season.
Scouting Report: The Angels were happy to nab Skaggs with their 40th overall 1st round supplemental pick in the 2009 amateur draft. A projectable, lanky, 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds frame, Skaggs has an athletic build that should develop more muscle down the road without gaining much weight. In an amateur showdown between two coveted arms, Skaggs matched against Bryan Berglund and came out on top with over 50 scouts on hand. The southpaw struck out 12 batters in five innings of work, giving up just an unearned run. Skaggs posted a 1.80 ERA and fanned 13 in 10 innings of work between the AZL Angels and the Orem Owlz in his professional debut.
Skaggs has an old-fashioned over the top windup that gets a lot of forward movement from his back leg driving off the rubber. While his fastball sits in the 88-92 range right now, some scouts believe he'll eventually work in the low 90's consistently, hitting 95 mph. Skaggs curveball has a true over-the-top rainbow effect to it that generates swings and misses. His slider is a new pitch that is a work in progress, much like his changeup which shows flashes of being a plus offering.
There's a lot to be excited about when talking about Tyler Skaggs and we should see a lot from Tyler with the Orem Owlz in 2010.
AngelsWin.com journalist Cassy Carlson recently spent a few minutes speaking with Tyler Skaggs on May 20th, 2010 about being drafted, his experiences playing for the Kernels this year, his development as a player, and his life outside of baseball. To hear the audio interview Cassy Carslon conducted with Tyler Skaggs click on the play button below.