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Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospect – #13 John Gant Scouting Report

By Benjamin Chase

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Mar 1, 2014; Melbourne, FL, USA; A scout measures pitch speeds with a radar gun during spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2014; Melbourne, FL, USA; A scout measures pitch speeds with a radar gun during spring training game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

John Gant Scouting Report

More from Tomahawk Take

I reviewed four of Gant’s six starts once he was acquired by the Braves, his first two and last two. In those four starts, he went 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 0.86 WHIP over 24 1/3 innings while posting a 7/27 BB/K ratio.

Gant is 6’5″ and 205 lbs. That’s likely accurate, which leaves him long and lean on the mound, but he is built long in the torso, so he doesn’t give the impression of 6’5″ until you see him next to another guy who you know is also a similar height. His delivery has him staying tall through the delivery, and he has an almost-toe-tap just before pushing forward that throws off the hitter’s timing. His motion has some stops and starts as he steps back, then forward, then moves up into his motion and delivery from the windup. From the stretch, he has a basic slide step, though he does still have his near toe tap as he goes toward the plate. He finishes with a 3/4 release.

Gant primarily works with a three-pitch mix, a fastball that sits between 90-93 and touches 95, a change-up with a split-finger fastball effect, and a curve ball. The fastball ticked up from touching 90-91 last season to sitting there this year, and while he was struggling to control that new-found velocity early in the season in the Mets system, by the time he got to Mississippi, he was spotting his fastball wherever he wanted, and he played off his fastball well with the change that has a perfectly similar look.

Gant’s biggest thing of worry is that he has struggled at times with his location. He had a recent growth spurt as evidenced by adding 2″ in height at age 21, followed by the 3-5 MPH uptick in velocity, and he’s still struggling at times with muscle memory in his new frame, especially out of the stretch. That has led to some struggles with his location, specifically of the fastball.

Next: 2016 outlook

The pitch that will likely determine Gant’s upside is the curve ball. While the slider has a great low break that gets batters swinging over the top of it, the curve ball seems to be at its most effective for Gant when he’s locating it on either side of the plate just above the belly button. It has a loop that gets the batter swinging underneath it, assuming it will drop even further, but it seems to curve and then sit on a level, which is just impressive movement. The issue is when he lets that pitch get over the middle of the plate. Then it gets driven pretty hard sitting in the middle of the zone.

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