Rookie Review: 2019 LHP Ethan Patch (Whitehall)

PBR DEBUT
Campus Series-Albany (July 18, 2017)

SCOUTING REPORT
Patch stands in at 5-foot-11, 190-pounds with a strong athletic frame. Offensively- Lefty sets up square to the pitcher with his feet wide outside shoulder width. Shows a slight knee bend with an upright torso holding the bat above the back shoulder using little pre-pitch bat movement. On pitch, his trigger is a quick toe tap to stride forward while his hands move back into the hitting position. Has slow lower body rotation getting his whole-body frame involved in the process of the swing, but needs to be more aggressive. Shows quick hands into the hitting zone with a level barrel path throughout into a mid-body one-handed finish. Demonstrated line drive ability all fields during batting practice round. Fluid, projectable swing with added strength and development. Recorded an exit velocity of 84 MPH. Defensively- Good approach and footwork getting to the baseball. Funnels the ball well into the chest with a quick transition to the throwing hand. Arm swing is long on the throw. Will need to shorten to get the ball out on double plays and throws to home. Moves off the bag at first well and gets into a good fielding position. Moves well left/right and effectively can field a double play off first. Recorded a positional arm velocity of 79 MPH. Pitching- Lefty sets up in the middle of the rubber with a high leg raise above the hip crease. Breaks down well with good separation into a high ¾ release point. Reliable with his mechanics and gets whole body involved in the pitching delivery. Consistent throwing strikes in the zone with clean mechanics. Fastball range was 79-80 MPH and peaked at 81 MPH with good arm side run. Change-Up was 64-68 MPH with arm side sink. Curveball was 61-62 MPH with 12/6 action that featured a tight break but needs more development.

THOUGHTS ON THE FUTURE
" Patch demonstrated positive skill sets both as a position player and on the mound. Long term, with his ability to spot his fastball and add/subtract along with some movement, it's easy to see that his projection as a pitcher is higher. Would like to see him be able to go inside on RHH to only enhance his ability to run his FB away along with a fading change up. At the plate he really loads up behind the ball with and maintains an aggressive swing through the zone. Serviceable around the bag at 1B with a strong enough arm to kick start the double play (with above noted adjustments). Interesting player to watch, with the demand of left-handed pitching, it's hard to believe that he wouldn't end up solely on the mound at the next level."