A.J.
Palumbo

7/20/16 5-foot-11, 160-pounder with clean arm action who pitches out of multiple arm slots. Starts with a sideways rocker step and gathers well over the rubber. Slightly crossfire landing leads to inconsistencies in release point and command at the present time. Fastball sat 80-83, while he will drop down sidearm at the lower end of that range and also mix in a short, 1-plane cutter. Curveball at 69-71 with 11/5 shape is solid, with some variance in the size of the break, while change-up at 70-71 had occasional sink.

Right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance and strides to square. Tended to hook the ball during his BP round, while ability to drive the baseball (74 mph exit velocity) will improve as he adds strength to his frame. Did slam a triple to the pullside gap in his final at-bat during game action. Posted an in-game 4.59 home-to-1B time. Defensively, he tends to sit on his heels and field the ball deep, causing him to have to restart his feet in order to get off a throw.

3/4/16 5-foot-11, 155-pound right-handed hitter starts from a slightly open stance and initiates his swing with a heel raise stride. Displayed a solid feel for the barrel with a short swing path and a bat exit velocity of 79 mph. Palumbo ran a 7.45 60-yard dash and flashed above average defensive actions with active feet and an accurate 74 mph arm across the diamond. The righty sat 77-79 off the mound from a high 3/4 arm slot with a side-rocker step into a high knee delivery. Palumbo also showcased a 71 mph curveball with 11/5 rotation, a 71 mph splitter and a changeup with significant arm side run at 76 mph.