Former WR and current analyst for the NFL networkFull Name: Sterling Sharp
Age: 24 (May 30, 1995)
Birthplace: Southfield, MI
Bats/Throws: R/R Ht: 6' 3" Wt: 170
Draft: Round 22 (2016, WSH)
School: Drury, MO
Currently the #13 Nationals Prospect (as of November 2019)
2019: Pitched at GCL, Auburn, and Harrisburg
http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=643532#/career/R/pitching/2019/ALL2019 AFL: 24 IP, 11BB, 24Ks, 1.50 ERA 0.917 WHIP
2018 Scouting report:
https://www.masnsports.com/byron-kerr/2018/12/nats-top-prospects-no-8---rhp-sterling-sharp.html“He’s one of the guys that maybe has taken one of the biggest jumps,” Collazo noted. “Obviously, he wasn’t in our top 10. I’m not even sure we ranked him in the top 30 prior to this year. Drafted in 2016. With Sharp what stands out with him is just exceptional athleticism.”
MLB.com did not have Sharp in its top 30 in 2017, but ranked him at No. 11 in 2018.
“He might not have a plus tool in a sense of his pitches or his control at this point, but his athleticism is elite,” Collazo added. “He was recruited to play basketball at the college level and could’ve played there, so I think he’s probably the most athletic guy in this entire system. Maybe Victor Robles has an argument there as well, but we went with Sharp.”
Collazo says Sharp’s fastball is 90-92 mph, but has a real good boring action down to the lower half of the strike zone, which makes it difficult for hitters to loft. Sharp features the fastball, slider and changeup.
“He’s a fastball, slider guy, kind of a sinking fastball,” Collazo said. “With his body control and the groundball rate that he has, and a really exciting arm, in my mind, and I heard nothing but good things about Sharp when I talked to scouts and Washington officials this year.”
mlb.com:
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
A 30th-round pick by the Braves out of high school in 2013, Sharp opted not to sign and instead honored his commitment to Eastern Michigan, where he pitched for one season before transferring to Division II Drury University and sitting out for all of '15. Taken by Washington in the 22nd round the following year, Sharp is looking like a Draft steal after making steady progress in each pro season en route to his first taste of Double-A in 2018.
A two-sport standout who could have played college basketball, Sharp's tremendous athleticism translates and gives him big upside on the mound. The 6-foot-4 right-hander has an exceptional sinker -- it has an average spin rate of about 1900 rpm -- that sits in the low 90s and nets him ground balls at an elite clip. His 59.7 percent ground-ball rate in 2018 was tops among qualified starters in the Nationals' farm system and ranked inside the top 10 in the entire Minors. Sharp pairs his heater with a quality changeup, giving him two above-average offerings, and the Nationals have been pleased with his development of a slider.
Sharp possesses average control and command because his athleticism allows him to repeat his delivery and arm action so well. That feel for pounding the zone allows for Sharp's three-pitch mix to play up, and he's never had issues keeping the ball in the park. Sharp is still a work-in-progress, and therefore his ceiling is still coming into view, but his impressive development and remaining projection portends to at least a back-end starter role at the highest level.