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Atlanta Braves Scouting Report on Reliever Devan Watts

By Benjamin Chase

Jul 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A major league game ball and rosin bag sit on the dugout rail prior to being used in the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A major league game ball and rosin bag sit on the dugout rail prior to being used in the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scouting Report

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Size/Delivery

Devan is listed at 6′ and 205 pounds. That looks accurate overall. He works exclusively out of the stretch as a reliever, and he has a slight delay just before his foot hits the ground that can throw off a hitter, but otherwise, he has a fairly standard stretch motion.

Watts comes to the plate with a 3/4 arm slot that is a hair below typical 3/4 slot, but not low enough to be a “low 3/4” slot by definition. He really does well with the tick delay before he drops his lead left leg in holding his hips and torso to explode them all together toward the plate, helping his control and especially helping his velocity.

Pitches

Watts features a sinker/slider combination that really is tough for hitters to square up. His fastball sits in the low-90s, and there were some reports as high as 96 this year, though his college reports and game reports I had topped out at 94-95. The ball is HEAVY, though, which is impressive coming from a guy at 6′ tall to get that kind of weight on the ball that you typically see from guys in the 6’5+ range.

The slider has excellent bite and works in the low-80s. He gets surprising run on the slider. Most guys get arm side run on their slider, but his works glove side, and that seems to really throw off hitters to see slider spin from a right-handed thrower that breaks toward the left-handed batting box.

Watts is working on a change as well. He reports that he has been using it in warm ups, but if he can mimic his solid power sinker with a change, that would be a devastating 3-pitch mix that could honestly work in a rotation, but it would be incredible in the bullpen.

Video

Next: Future outlook

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