FB Velo: 45/50
FB Mvmt/Life: 55/55
FB Command: 45/50
Overall FB Quality: 45/50
SL: 60/65
CH: 45/50
CUT: 50/55
Overall Control: 50/50
Deception: 50/50
Delivery: 50/50
Arm Action: 50/50
Arm Slot: H 3/4
Future Value: 50 (#4 SP)
Summation:
Wesneski is a 50 future value, #4 starting pitcher. He utilizes both a two and four-seam FB, with the four-seam having above-average riding action through the zone, with the two-seam showing solid tail/sink. The command is fringe-average at present and is hindered by his long arm circle, projects to be average long-term. His bending SL has sharp teeth and misses bats against both RH and LH batters and he shows advanced feel for the offering. His cutter projects to be a solid-average pitch with its late, sudden depth once he’s able to maintain the shape more regularly. His CH projects to be average and has fade/depth action when at its best. Wesneski will have more than enough weapons in his mix to be a productive back-end SP.
Hayden Wesneski recently pulled off one of the most impressive feats in baseball, tossing an immaculate inning. I wanted to take a deeper look into Wesneski and went through video from his four MLB starts and various video from his Minor League career too.
A sixth round draft pick in 2019 by the Yankees, Wesneski made his debut earlier this September and looks like he’ll be there to stay. He has a medium build with a hint of leanness to him. There’s not much projection for the future, but there are also no red flags on the body.
He uses a rhythmic SWU from the middle of the rubber, has a high leg lift, and a 1/4 turn before going down the slope. He’s a drop and drive guy with an online stride who shows plus hip/shoulder separation at foot strike. He controls his body and keeps his head quiet throughout the delivery and has solid extension. He throws from a H 3/4 slot and has a very long arm circle that has a tendency to hinder his timing. The long arm circle has a clean path and also has looseness to it.
He has a two and four-seamer in his arsenal and while he’s used the two-seam a little more in his career, he uses both regularly to same side hitters especially. His command is fringy at present and has the ceiling of average based off my video looks. His long arm swing and its effect on his timing make it especially tough to be consistently fine.
His four-seamer, which averages 93.3 mph shows solid-average ride through the zone, along with a hint of late run. Here’s a good example of him utilizing his four-seam effectively and missing a LH bat up in the zone:
His sinker, which has averaged 92.2 mph at the ML level this year will flash solid-average tail/sinking action that effectively induces weak contact against RH hitters when he’s able to keep it down in the zone. Here’s a good example of him doing just that:
The best pitch in Wesneski’s arsenal is his slider. It shows plus action and bite at present and he shows advanced feel for locating it. The SL tends to sit in the low-80’s and shows sharp, bender shape with late tilt. It’s an offering that plays well against both RH and LH batters due to his ability to tunnel it well with his heater and the late teeth the offering has. He also has some feel for manipulating the depth and speed of the pitch that often times give it the shape of a SL/CB tweener while maintaining the usual tightness. It’s a present 60, future 65 breaking ball for me.
The video on the left is Wesneski generating and swing and miss with a perfectly located slider glove side against a RH hitter. The video on the right is a slider that isn’t quite as well located but has enough action and teeth to miss the bat of LH hitting Zack Collins.
Also in Wesneski’s pitch-mix is a cutter that ranges between 87-91 mph. At its best, the cutter has traditional slider-type tilt and depth. From my video looks, the pitch has a tendency to flatten out and show minimal cut and depth which turns it into a very hittable offering. The pitch flashes above average often, but plays average now due to inconsistency of the action. He flashed enough for me to be confident in throwing a future 55 on it.
The video on the left is an example of one of Wesneski’s above average cutters that features late teeth and depth. The vide on the right shows one of his cutters backing up and turning into a mistake. He gets away with it in this particular video, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on cutters like this missing bats long-term.
The last pitch in the mix is his changeup that has averaged 87.3 mph in his ML appearances. He does a nice job of maintaining his FB arm speed which adds an element of deception to a pitch that occasionally lacks action. The best CH’s he shows have fading action, along with slight depth while others have minimal action and are much less effective pitches. It’s a fringe-average pitch at present, but he shows enough feel at times that I think it turns into a consistently average pitch for him in the near future.
The video on the left shows Wesneski throwing a solid CH that features fade and sinking action. The video on the right shows one of his CH’s that have very minimal action.
Wesneski is a back-end #4 starter long-term for me with his four-pitch mix, including a slider that is going to give hitters fits at the plate. Wesneski has some feel to pitching and does a fine job of playing the pitches in his arsenal off one another. He’ll give whatever rotation he’s in quality production.