When the 2018 season began for Brady Singer he was at the top spot on all of the national rankings among draft prospects. That’s changed a little bit and he has watched his stock fluctuate a bit during the spring.
Background Information
- Position: Right Handed Pitcher
- Height: 6′ 5″
- Weight: 210 lbs
- Class: Junior (Florida)
- Previously drafted: 2nd round, 2015 (Toronto)
College Career
In his freshman season at Florida, Brady Singer spent almost his entire year in the bullpen. He made one start and 22 relief appearances. He was solid, but unspectacular – posting a 4.95 ERA in 43.2 innings with 17 walks and 38 strikeouts. It was the next season, his sophomore year, when he broke out. Singer took over in the rotation, making 19 starts and one relief appearance. He posted a 3.21 ERA in 126.0 innings and had 129 strikeouts.
After an outstanding sophomore season, Brady Singer entered the 2018 season as the Gators #1, and he hasn’t disappointed. He’s 10-1 on the season and he has posted a 2.25 ERA in 88.0 innings. He’s given up just 59 hits, walked 18 batters and he’s struck out 92.
Career Stats
Let’s note that these stats are through May 27th.
| Year | ERA | IP | H | HR | BB | K | WHIP |
| 2016 | 4.95 | 43.2 | 43 | 0 | 17 | 38 | 1.37 |
| 2017 | 3.21 | 126.0 | 120 | 6 | 32 | 129 | 1.21 |
| 2018 | 2.25 | 88.0 | 59 | 7 | 18 | 92 | 0.88 |
Scouting Report
What led to the drop in stock earlier this spring for Brady Singer was that his velocity dropped off. He was topping out in the low 90’s for a few weeks earlier in the year, but his velocity has returned. For the most part of the year he’s thrown in the low-to-mid 90’s with good movement. His slider will flash itself as a plus offering, but ranges from average-to-above-average most nights. It’s his go-to offering to put hitters away.
His change up is a solid offering when he throws it, but he doesn’t throw it very often at Florida. It projects as an average offering. Some have concerns about his arm angle, and think he could wind up as a reliever because of it. Others see more of a middle of the rotation arm who pounds the strikezone and could move quickly to the Major Leagues.
What’s to like with Brady Singer
He’s an advanced pitcher who throws strikes and already has two above-average offerings to his name. Singer has also absolutely dominated the SEC for the last two seasons, so there’s a strong track record of performance against the best conference in the country from college baseball.
What’s to be concerned about with Brady Singer?
As mentioned in his scouting report above, there are some scouts that are concerned that his lower arm angle projects more towards a reliever than a starter. There’s also the fact that he doesn’t use his third pitch, the change up very much. If you want to dive into the statistics you can say that generally speaking, guys taken out of college this high in the draft usually have better strikeout numbers than Singer is showing as a junior. He rarely walks hitters, so his strikeout percentage is a little better than his strikeouts-per-9-innings pitched suggests, but it’s still on the lower end for guys in contention for being a Top 5 selection in the draft.
Does Brady Singer fit for the Reds?
Yes, Brady Singer fits in for the Cincinnati Reds. Any pitcher that would be taken would. Pitchers aren’t blocked in the organization because there’s always a need for more of them given the amount of spots available and the inevitable injuries that come along with being a pitcher that opens up spots.
What also helps Brady Singer potentially fit in well with the Reds is that he’s a guy that most believe could move very quickly from the draft to the Major Leagues. The Reds have some young pitchers that they are still working through to try and figure out where they will wind up in terms of the rotation or the bullpen, but having a guy like Singer who could get there quickly and if things go right, throw tons of strikes, it could help one of the current bigger weaknesses on the team in short order.