Joseph
Whitman

A transfer from Purdue, Whitman pitched sparingly for the Boilermakers over the past two seasons, and he struggled to get the ball over the plate consistently when he did see action. He started to put it together for his new team over the fall, showing improved command and catching the attention of the scouting community. He’s been consistent this spring, going five plus innings in all but two starts on the season, including working a career high seven and a third innings on Saturday. Starting from the third base side of the rubber and using a sidesaddle windup, Whitman displays some stiffness in the lower half, but he does a good job of staying balanced throughout a moderate effort delivery. His fastball averaged 93.1 mph on Saturday and he held his velocity throughout the duration. He popped 95 a few times in the second inning and again when he reached back for something extra on an elevated strikeout in the seventh. A mid-80s offering with spin up to 2700 rpm, Whitman’s slider is a swing-and-miss weapon to righties and lefties alike. The pitch ranged from 82-87 mph on the day, and the better ones were at the upper end of that velo band with tight spin and late sweeping action. With that said, he also stole a few strikes early in counts with backup sliders that had more gyro movement. He didn’t seem to have feel for his changeup on Saturday, throwing just a few during the game and the ones he threw in between innings were inconsistent. A well-proportioned 6-foot-5 lefthander with sloping shoulders, Whitman looks the part of a future major league starter. Although the track record is limited, Whitman is a low mileage arm and one of the better collegiate lefthanders in the draft. Whether he profiles best in the rotation or in the bullpen will hinge on the development of his changeup. (Burke Granger)

Cape Cod: Loose and athletic with a projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds. His whippy three-quarters arm action produced fastballs in the 88-91 range. His 79-82 mph slider showed solid bite with tight spin in the 2400s. Good arm speed on the changeup at 83-85 with solid tumble, used it to induce some weak contact and get some empty swings. Making just two starts and throwing just 5.2 innings this summer, he's an interesting breakout candidate after struggling in his first two years at Purdue.

Body Type: 6-foot-3, 180-pound very projectable frame.

Mechanical/Delivery Notes: Long lever type that gets down the mound well. Arm is loose/on time with well above average arm speed. Tosses each of his offerings with intent.

Fastball: 84-87 mph. High spin rate guy, 2200-2400 rpms and low 90% spin efficiency. Could easily have more in the tank.

Slider: Hammer of breaking ball when in the zone. Late, hard bite at 75-78 mph. Generated consistent swing/miss all day.

Pitchability: Was in the zone for the most part throughout his outing.

Additional Comments: It was our first time seeing Whitman and he didn’t disappoint. Southpaw with a very projectable frame, athletic actions, up to 87 mph and can spin it. Also a good student with a 28 ACT.