Scouting Reports - Bobby Wahl (2010 Draft Class)

Scouted:

West Springfield HS (Va.), Various, Spring 2010 (film)

WWBA World Championship (Jupiter, Fla.), October 24, 2009 (in attendance)
Under Armour All-America Game (Chicago, Ill.), August 8, 2009 (in attendance)

Frame:

Broad frame with room in shoulders and hips for growth. Could conceivably add up to 30 pounds over the next three years, or so. Good flexibility and body control should help him maintain a handle on his mechanics as he continues to fill-in. Good projection -- could develop into sturdy-framed workhorse.

Motion:

Wahl enters his motion with a simple sidestep in and coils well in his high legkick. He gets great extension towards home, utilizing his flexibility, and shows solid hip/shoulder separation. Wahl keeps his momentum directed towards home, though he can occasionally land hard on his heel, perhaps from over-striding some. This stops his momentum short and prevents his right side from finishing effectively. His arm action is easy enough that recoil shouldn’t be a concern, but he’s probably leaving some velocity, and certainly leaving some command, on the table when he “hard plants”. He's also losing some momentum when he occasionally begins to drift towards home early, rather than centering over the rubber at the apex of his leg kick. Still, Wahl keeps a reasonably good tempo from kick to release and is fairly clean from hand break to load to release. He comes from a 3/4 slot and is loose in his arm action. The ball looks terrific coming out of his hand. UPDATE: Wahl has done a good job of smoothing out his mechanics this spring, softening his landing and getting more uniform arm action on his offerings. His velocity increase this spring is likely at least partly due to his improved landing.

Stuff:

Fastball - Wahl doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball, yet. Currently sitting in the mid- to upper-80s, touching the 90/1 mph range, but there’s plenty of room for increased velocity. He could sit in the low-90s, touching as high as 94-96 mph when all is said in done, primarily due to the ease in his arm action, flexibility and room in his frame to add significant strength. UPDATE: Wahl's fastball has been clocked up to 94 mph this spring, more regularly sitting 89-92. Some of this is natural growth, while some is likely also attributable to a smoother landing and more efficient use of his momentum towards home this spring.

Slider - Generally 80-82 mph, Wahl’s slider shows the potential to be a plus offering with wipeout sweeping action. But he struggles to throw it consistently for strikes and can lose his release point. He’s generally out of the same arm slot as his fastball, which will help his cause as he refines across the board. UPDATE: Wahl has continued to improve his slider, showing a high level of comfort and showcasing the offering as his put-away pitch and current second best weapon behind his rapidly improving fastball.

Curveball - Wahl’s curve is a soft low-70s offering that can flash good bite and shows the potential for plus depth. He gets solid spin and hits the same arm slot as his fastball, making it a potential above-average offering in the future. One item he may need to address is a tendency to lengthen his arm action some in the back, potentially tipping the pitch to hitters. UPDATE: Wahl's arm action this spring has been a little cleaner with his curve and a little shorter. The result has been a tighter spin and a more consistent break on the downer. If he can find consistent mid- to high-70s velocity with the pitch it could be above-average when all is said and done.

Change-up - Wahl’s change-up shows some promise but is still a work in progress. As evidenced by radar gun readings ranging from the mid-70s to the low-80s, he can throw the pitch too hard at times and can get inconsistent in his arm speed. The pitch could project to a Major League average offering as Wahl continues to improve its consistency. It flashes some tumble when he doesn’t slow his arm down. UPDATE: This pitch has been a focus of Wahl's this spring. While still a work in progress, the off-speed has shown growth and more consistency, projecting as a potential fourth pitch that is at least ML average.

Cutter - Not observed. Wahl has begun work on a cutter this spring.

Nick's Notes:

Wahls is a fun collection of current skill and projection and has taken a nice step forward this spring. Though his stuff isn’t as overpowering as the more highly touted high school arms, he has already seen the beginning of the jump in velo projected last November when this report was originally filed. He flashes a legit four-pitch mix and shows enough feel for pitching for his arsenal to project well across the board. In addition, he has worked this spring at adding a cutter to his repertoire. His frame has room for growth, and his flexibility and body control should help him work through the transition. Wahl is set to attend Ole Miss, should he by-pass a shot at starting his professional career this upcoming summer. Were he to log three seasons with the Rebels, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him among the better draft-eligible college arms come 2013. His spring performance was solid and the growth in the quality of his arsenal is exactly what scouts were looking for. While he is still a ways from a finished product, Wahl is heading in the right direction and at an impressive pace.

Projected Position: Front-End to Mid-Rotation Starter

Suggested Draft Slot: 3rd to 5th Round (amount of projection prevents Top 2 Round suggested slot)

Updates:

5/27/2010 - (Further Updates in-report, above) Wahl has seen good growth in his stuff this spring, highlighted by a velo jump in his fastball (mentioned above), with potentially more still to come. His secondaries are progressing and he has started to work in a cutter, as well. Still in need of refinement, Wahl represents an excellent opportunity for teams to grab a potential mid-rotation starter (perhaps better) with a 3rd Round pick or later. It may take some cash to buy him away for Ole Miss, but considering his athleticism, deep repertoire and immense projection remaining, the investment could yield big returns. Were he to attend Ole Miss, Wahl could emerge as one of the top arms in the 2013 class.

12/7/2009 - Wahl was selected in the 8th Round of PnR Scouting's "WWBA World Championship Draft". The righty went three innings down in Jupiter, striking out five and allowing four hits while walking none.

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