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Atlanta Braves Top 100 Prospect – #45 Robert Whalen Scouting Report

By Benjamin Chase

Aug 25, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 25, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Braves hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Colorado Rockies at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; The glove, cap, and batting glove of Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Martin Prado (14) in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Diamondbacks 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 4, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; The glove, cap, and batting glove of Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Martin Prado (14) in the dugout during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Diamondbacks 5-2. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Rob Whalen 2016 Outlook

Whalen’s injury time has been really due to one injury, an injury to his knee that cost him 2 months of 2014 and two different stints of at least a month of missed time in 2015 as well. He had surgery on the knee in the offseason, and I’m very, very curious to see how this could affect his control of his pitches because as any pitcher knows, your legs are vital to your velocity, command, and movement.

A quick and dirty tutorial in the difference between command and control: control is the ability to throw the ball for strikes, while command is the ability to throw the ball exactly where you want it. Whalen has certainly still been keeping the ball around the zone, as evidenced by his strike percentage, but his ability to command the pitches could be what is causing a guy throwing between 3/4 and 4/5 of his pitches in the strike zone to walk 3 or more hitters in 40% of his starts. Having both legs totally healthy could help Whalen add possibly an extra tick or two of velocity, some extra snap to his breaks, and most importantly, consistently command pitches where he wants it every time.

Next: Braves Top 100 Prospects Updated

Whalen will likely start back at Carolina to start this season, mainly due to the glut of pitchers the Braves have at AA and AAA. I’ll be very intrigued to see how the surgery this offseason affects Whalen’s ability to command his pitches, because with the sink he already gets, he could be a wickedly nasty ground-ball specialist #2/3 starter if he can command those pitches well in the zone. Think peak Ubaldo Jimenez for a guy with similar velocities and pitch selection, but also a warning story in how important staying around the zone is for a pitcher with those skills. I’m personally curious to see how much some of the things I noticed in his delivery change as he’s healthy.

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