Atlanta Braves Newcomer Review: Sean Newcomb

Sep 29, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; A low amount of fans scatter the stadium as Atlanta Braves starting pitcher

(37) delivers a pitch to a Washington Nationals batter in the second inning of their game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

New Atlanta Braves Lefty Sean Newcomb

Who Is He?

Newcomb was the reported jewel of the Andrelton Simmons trade with the Angels. The left-handed pitcher was selected 15th overall in the 2014 draft by Los Angeles out of the University of Hartford in Connecticut. He is originally from Massachusetts, born in June of 1993. Scouts raved about his great frame (6’5, 245 pounds listed) and tremendous movement on his pitches.

The Angels started Newcomb in their Arizona League rookie affiliate in 2014 where he threw only 3 innings over 2 starts before being quickly promoted to Burlington in the low-A Midwest League. While he only threw 11 1/3 innings over 4 starts with a 7.15 ERA, he made quite an impression on scouts, and the buzz on Newcomb was palpable in the offseason.

Over the offseason, Newcomb was rated by Baseball America as the #70 prospect in all of baseball and MLB.com ranked him the #67 prospect in all of baseball. John Sickels of minorleagueball.com rated Newcomb as a B+/B prospect, citing his low mileage on his arm due to being a “cold weather” pitcher being something that could be a definite benefit to him going forward.

The Angels started Newcomb back in Burlington to start 2015, and hitters there were much more perplexed with his offerings than they were at the end of 2014 as he sported a 1.83 ERA and struck out over 11 batters per 9 innings over 7 starts at that level. He was moved up to high-A Inland Empire in the notoriously hitter-friendly California League, but it didn’t phase his performance as he racked up a 2.47 ERA over 13 starts still striking out over 11 per nine innings. The Angels rewarded his performance with a late-season promotion to AA Arkansas in the Texas League. Newcomb found the sledding a bit more difficult at Arkansas, but he still posted a 2.75 ERA in 7 starts and struck out just short of 10 batters per nine innings. All told in 2015 across three levels, he posted a 2.38 ERA in 27 starts and 136 innings pitched. In those innings, he struck out 168 batters, but he also walked 76.

Next: Newcomb's scouting report

Oct 16, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a glove and baseball during batting practice prior to game one of the ALCS between the Kansas City Royals and the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Newcomb Scouting Report

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I went back on milb.tv and reviewed three starts of Newcomb’s at each Arkansas and Inland Empire to try to get a good view of him. To give an idea of the starts I saw, the combined stat line for those six starts was the following: 2-2, 31 2/3 IP, 2.56 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 17/39 BB/K.

The first thing you quickly notice about Newcomb on the mound is his presence. While he may have a “baby face”, he’s definitely no baby in stature. He looks all of 245 pounds and 6’5″ on the mound, and he doesn’t show any of that weight to be “bad” weight. As you watch him warm up, you are astounded to see the radar readings as he pops 95+ with effort that looks like a game of catch in the back yard. It’s pretty easy to see why folks gush over the eye appeal of Newcomb.

I happened to catch Newcomb’s last three starts at both high-A and at AA. His last two starts at AA showed a pitcher ready to be done for the season, and the fact that he wasn’t part of the Arizona Fall League is likely in part due to the jump in innings this year and wanting to protect his arm, noted by Sickels previously to have low wear and tear, but also likely needing to slowly be built up as well.

Newcomb’s delivery is led with his legs. He gets easy 95-97 on his fastball at the top end, sitting more in the 92-95 range, but able to grab a 97 even in the 7th inning of one game I was watching. He truly has what you’d call “injury-perfect” mechanics (I know, I know, knock on wood) as his delivery is predicated on leg and trunk movement, and if you have witnessed the size of this man’s feet/legs/trunk, you’d know there’s significant torque to be built in that lower half.

At the end of the delivery, Newcomb adds a touch to make life just a bit harder on hitters (as if a 97 MPH fastball wasn’t difficult enough already). He uses his big, thick legs to take a sizable stride toward the plate, and with his 6’5 frame and long limbs, he’s releasing the ball significantly closer to the plate than most pitchers. He’s also got significant power in his trunk and legs, and when he snaps those at the finish of a pitch, it leads to some wicked movement. In the first four starts, his fastball had arm side sink when thrown low in the zone and opposite side “rise” when thrown up in the zone, making it a nearly untouchable pitch.

Coming into 2015, Newcomb had a change up that was being called “plus” and even “plus plus” by evaluators, but in my viewings, I’d say it was above average, but it certainly wasn’t the swing and miss pitch that a well-located fastball and that his slider was. He also offers a curveball that he mostly throws as a “show me” pitch to adjust hitters’ views. The mix is certainly deadly when he’s on.

When he’s off, though, the catcher is the one who’s in for the rough experience. Newcomb’s delivery was so leg-driven that it appeared that sometimes, he went through the motions with his arm and didn’t focus on release point, leading me to see him release his fastball from a general 3/4 slot, but more like a range of 5/8 to 7/8. He also sometimes would “drag” his arm through the motion, leading to his body opening up before his arm had come through. From the starts I saw, that drag only happened on his change up, and I did hear after the trade that one of the reasons why the change up had possibly taken a step back this year was a “tell” in the delivery of the pitch. If that drag is the tell, it’d be an easy fix.

Next: 2016 outlook