Nick
Sando

2019 San Dieguito Academy and Santa Clara commit LHP Nick Sando is listed at 6’ 1” 170 pounds in a lean pitchers frame with broad shoulders. Starts tall before driving down the mound to gain ground. Arm angle works from a high 3/4 slot with a long arm swing in the back which exposes the ball to the hitter before release which could cause pitch tipping down the line. Upper and lower half timing are crucial as there are times when his lower half leads first and the arm plays catch up causes him to miss arm side and up in the strike zone. Finishes upright with limited follow, holding back a potential lower half driven velocity increase. Fastball carriers well through the zone with natural cut ranging from 83-86 mph in the wind-up and 80-84 in the stretch. Effective pitch when located down in the zone as the natural cut sinks and darts missing barrels and generating a high level of swings and misses. Primary secondary pitch is a cutter that acts and breaks more like a slider on a 2/8 plane. Released from the same arm slot and with the same arm speed as his fastball, ranging from 68-72 mph. Hitters were forced to react early as the pitch crosses through the zone with fastball spin and as a strike before breaking out of the zone, generating six strikeouts and swings and misses on pitches that ended up in the dirt. Showed a changeup from the same arm slot as fastball and cutter but will less arm speed. Change-up tailed away to right-handed hitters with hard sink down in the 78-80 mph range. Change-up development will be crucial to his development as both the fastball and cutter break similarly creating a greater need for a pitch to generate arm side movement. Ability to generate a high rate of swings and misses with average velocity projects well down the line. Balked twice, threw a pick away and did not show good footwork when fielding bunts. Division 1 caliber stuff with starting pitcher potential with a developed change-up.