Message #1053542

[tomterp]

by Doug Thorburn, Baseball Prospectus

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=17368

Giolito was the biggest wild card in the draft, with early-season hype that he could become the first high school right-hander ever to be selected with the number-one overall pick, followed by a strained UCL that brought whispers of Tommy John and magnified his draft risk. The Nats were unfazed, drafting yet another high-ceiling player to join recent first-rounders Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Anthony Rendon. The teammate of number-seven pick Max Fried, Giolito brings the best combination of age, size, and stuff of any pitcher in the draft.
 
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Giolito follows the same early pattern as Fried, using a very deliberate approach as he reaches maximum lift. Giolito keeps the delivery slow and steady until just before foot strike, though he finishes with a burst of momentum just before the front foot touches down, prior to kicking in the rotational elements of his delivery. The pace is slower than that of his high school teammate, but the similarities suggest that both players have been influenced by a particular coaching method that discourages early momentum. The late burst provides a boost, but it falls short of the level of mechanical efficiency that Giolito needs to meet his elite potential.
 
He creates exceptional hip-shoulder separation that is aided by a scapular load and a late delay of trunk rotation, approaching triple-digit heat while running the risk of elbow drag, which could be related to the injury problems that he has recently experienced. Giolito also features an extremely high angle of shoulder abduction at release point, establishing an arm slot near 11:00 despite very little spine-tilt. He finishes with all of his energy going in a straight line toward the target, to the extent that he literally sticks his neck out to complete the pitch sequence. There is a lot to like about Giolito's mechanics, though he has his work cut out for him if he hopes to reach his lofty ceiling.