2021 MLB Draft Profile: RHP Chase Petty, Mainland Regional HS (N.J.)

Dustin Nosler 06/11/2021 MLB Draft Leave A Comment

Chase Petty (pay no attention to the hat/shirt)

Next up in the MLB Draft Profile series is Chase Petty, who might have the most arm talent of anyone in the class — college or high school.

Previous Profiles

Vitals
6’2, 190 pounds
Position: Right-handed pitcher
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
DOB: April 4, 2003

Location
Linwood, N.J.
Commitment: Florida

Rankings
The Athletic: 32
Baseball America: ??
ESPN: 43
FanGraphs: NR*
MLB Pipeline: 25
Perfect Game: ??
Prospects Live: 17

*Not updated

Slot recommended bonus (No. 29): $2,424,600

Note: All information of draft prospects compiled from Internet sources, scouting reports and videos.

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Before drafting J.T. Ginn in the first round of the 2018 draft, the Dodgers hadn’t selected a prep arm since Grant Holmes in 2014. With the college bat class lacking a bit, the Dodgers might be more inclined to look to the prep ranks. Petty is one of the best high school arms available. He threw an 18-strikeout no-hitter at the end of April and, despite not having prototypical size, has massive upside.

Petty works with a fastball that sits in the mid-to-high-90s and has cracked triple digits on a few occasions. It also features some significant movement and sink — not dissimilar to Bachman. He pairs it with an absolute wipeout slider in the high-80s. He also has a high-80s changeup that has improved, but still needs some work. He’ll need all three of his pitches if he’s to remain a starter as his career progresses. He also has great makeup and an advanced feel for pitching for a kid his age.

There’s some effort in his delivery. Scouts are split on whether he can remain in the rotation, but the higher effort definitely gives him some reliver risk. His release point is three-quarters, which helps him get some run on his fastball. He has a little arm whip, but his quick arm and strong lower-half helps him generate elite-level velocity. His command wavers a bit because of the higher effort delivery, but the Dodgers are good at getting their pitching prospects to iron things out, especially since he has an athletic frame. Physically, he reminds me a bit of Walker Buehler, and we see what the Dodgers have done with him since taking him in the first round of the 2015 draft.

Video

Prep arms — especially right-handers — tend to fall a bit on draft day. There’s more risk in a prospect like Petty vs. a more polished college pitcher. He has a commitment to the University of Florida, and if the Dodgers took him at 29, they’d have to use at least their entire slot amount to get him out of that (and maybe even a little more). But the talent is undeniable. He has No. 2 starter upside, but also significant risk.

About Dustin Nosler

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Dustin Nosler began writing about the Dodgers in July 2009 on his blog, Feelin' Kinda Blue, and co-hosted a weekly podcast with Jared Massey called Dugout Blues. He was a contributor/editor at The Hardball Times and True Blue LA. He graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in digital media. While at CSUS, he worked for the student-run newspaper The State Hornet for three years, culminating with a one-year term as editor-in-chief. He resides in Stockton, California.
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