Atlanta Braves Scouting Report on RHP Matt Withrow

2015 draftee Matt Withrow made a big impression in high-A with the Atlanta Braves system in his first full season. What is ahead for 2017?

Player Profile

The Atlanta Braves drafted Withrow out of Texas Tech in 2015.

Withrow was drafted out of high school in Texas by the Texas Rangers in the 37th round of the 2012 draft. He chose instead to honor his commitment to Texas Tech.

After a very up and down career with Texas Tech, Withrow was selected by the Braves in the 6th round of the 2015 draft. Withrow started his college career as a starter, but by his senior year, he was primarily a reliever.

The Braves sent Withrow to advanced rookie Danville in the Appalachian League for the rest of 2015 after he signed. He made 13 starts there, with a 3.56 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 7.66% walk rate, and 16.75% strikeout rate over 48 innings.

Withrow skipped completely over low-A Rome to high-A Carolina in the Carolina League in 2016. His season started off very well and ended very well, with a rough middle.

Withrow was eased into his starting in 2016, which helped his performance in April. A tthe end of April, he’d only thrown 11 1/3 innings over 3 starts, but he did own a 0.79 ERA.

Having to work his way through the lineup a second time was found to be more of a challenge for Withrow, and that was seen in May as he stretched out to deeper outings, posting a 5.68 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 5 starts and 25 1/3 innings.

On May 26th, Withrow threw an easy 6 innings, throwing 92 pitches. Beginning with that start and going forward, he made 18 starts, throwing 90 innings, posting a 3.60 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 12.6% walk rate, and 27.25% strikeout rate.

What was very interesting to me is that Withrow’s attitude on the mound is notable and a definite positive. He had a game in July where it just was clear from the get-go that it was not his day.

He walked 2 of the first three hitters he faced, and the cap of the first inning was allowing a grand slam home run to Indians prospect Francisco Mejia, who is an excellent contact hitter, but has minimal power.

That sort of stuff just happened continually, yet he was offered to come in twice, once on the mound, and once in the dugout between innings, per two reports I received this offseason, but he declined, because the bullpen had thrown a ton of innings the previous day in a double header and were drained.

He stuck it out, and his final line in that one start was 3 innings, 6 hits, 6 walks, 4 strikeouts, 11 runs allowed.

I heard from those sources that his role in the rotation changed with that game, and from there, his results were incredible: 34 innings, 1.59 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 13.67% walk rate, and 32.37% strikeout rate.

Overall, his numbers were 25 appearances, 120 2/3 innings, 3.80 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, a 12.83% walk rate, and a 24.72% strikeout rate.

Next: Withrow's scouting report