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Fastball Slider Changeup Command Sits/Tops40/45 70/70. 40/45 30/35 93-96 / 97Cornelio was a famous high school prospect thanks to his prototypical build and mid-90s fastball, but he ended up at TCU, where he barely pitched until his junior year. As a pro, Cornelio has reached Double-A as a starter but projects into a big league role as a reliever due to a lack of fastball playability and command. He’s sitting 94 and touching 96-97 pretty regularly early in starts, but he’s only missing bats with his fastball half as often as the big league average because that pitch lacks effective movement. In the bullpen, where he might sit 96-plus, that might matter less.Cornelio’s best pitch is his mid-80s slider, which has tight, late, two-planed break and big length. Some of his well-located sliders are 70-grade weapons, but he throws a lot of non-competitive ones in the dirt or way off the plate. Solely honing his slider command would probably enable Cornelio to play a consistent middle inning role, as the pitch is nasty enough to front an up/down relief profile on its own.
Riley Cornelio struck out 7 without issuing a walk in 6.0 innings of 3-run ball in @RocRedWings 4-3 win on Saturday night.He leads Washington's system in ERA (3.08), opp. AVG (.204) and WHIP (1.12) and is 2nd in SO (117).
Last Spring Training, Brad Lord rode the momentum of a single-season ascension in the Minor Leagues to make the Opening Day roster out of the bullpen (and eventually earned a spot in the rotation). Cornelio, 25, could be on a similar trajectory. Last season, Cornelio advanced from High-A to Triple-A and was named the Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year. After Cornelio led their farm system in ERA (3.28), opponents' batting average (.205) and starts (26), they protected him from the Rule 5 Draft. He is in camp as a member of the 40-man roster. -- Jessica Camerato
Like Lord, Riley Cornelio was drafted in the 2022 class. He was taken in the 7th round, while Lord was selected in the 18th round. However, Cornelio’s breakout came a year after Lord. He gained three ticks of velocity according to Baseball America, averaging 94 on his heater.The velocity gain led to much better results, with Cornelio posting a 3.28 ERA in 134.1 innings across three levels. It looks like the right hander has added even more velocity this spring, averaging over 96 MPH in his first outing of the spring. In his first inning of work, Cornelio averaged over 97, but he was sitting more in the 95-96 range in his second inning....While the added velocity is the headliner for Cornelio, his fastball just sets the table for his best pitch. Riley Cornelio has always been known for his wipeout slider and he showcased that last night. He got five whiffs on the slider and threw it just as much as his fastball. Despite added velocity, Cornelio seems to be moving away from his fastball, a common trend in Nats camp.
