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Atlanta Braves Scouting Report on Reliever Taylor Lewis

By Benjamin Chase

Jun 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators pitcher Taylor Lewis (16) throws against the Virginia Cavaliers in the sixth inning at the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Virginia won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators pitcher Taylor Lewis (16) throws against the Virginia Cavaliers in the sixth inning at the 2015 College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park. Virginia won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Danny Farquhar (43) throws a pitch at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Danny Farquhar (43) throws a pitch at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Future Outlook


I was not sure who to include as a comp for Lewis when I started looking. His pitch mix and arm angle make it fairly difficult to find a perfect match. I found an excellent website that helped steer me to a few options, sidearmnation.com, and I took a look at a few of the guys mentioned who were more upper-sidearm than submarine. Two guys stuck out, so I looked them up both. Honestly, both would fit here, so I’m going to include them both.

Coming up, Scott Feldman was primarily a reliever with a fastball/slider combination in the same velocity area as Lewis, and he throws from a very similar arm angle. Interestingly, as Feldman was moved to the rotation, he scrapped the slider in favor of a cutter and also added a curve and split finger to his arsenal. While he’s not a dominating pitcher in the minds of many, to me, he’s an example of how a guy with Lewis’ arm slot could be successful throwing as more than just a deception-based reliever type.

The guy who has had some dominance as a bullpen guy with a very similar arm angle and fastball velocity is Danny Farquhar, the reliever currently with the Rays. Farquhar throws a fastball/change mix primarily, mixing in a curve rarely. That is a different pitch mix than Lewis offers, but he has a similar arm angle in the bullpen, and I was interested that his curve really is not a looping curve, but just a touch of loop on the way to the plate and similar break downward near the plate as Lewis’ slider. There has been precedent for Lewis’ velocity and pitch type succeeding in the bullpen, even as a closer, in the majors, so there’s no reason to doubt his ability to make it as a reliever in the bigs.

Next: Braves Minor League Database

Lewis has an excellent ability to pitch to a hitter’s stance and attack. He does very well working fast so as to not give hitters a chance to really get used to his different arm angle and hip tuck. As he likely starts in Mississippi next season with a quick track toward Gwinnett, his ability to continue keeping hitters on their heels will determine how quickly he can move up to Atlanta and find a role in the big league bullpen.

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