Trevor May Scouting Report (2010)
Having experienced disappointment in having a 2009 start by Philadelphia Phillies prospect rained out last season in Savannah, I was thrilled to have a second chance to scout the young pitcher earlier this summer in Greenville. Over six innings, May's 0 ER, 3 H, 9 K, 3 BB performance was one of the best starts I had the opportunity to see in 2010 from a statistical standpoint. However, May's stuff fell short of the lofty expectations I personally held as May has, and continues to receive quite a bit of prospect love from major publications.
Physical Projection: On the mound, May is an impressive specimen. His listed height/weight of 6'5", 215 lbs. seemed about right leaving him with an ideal physique. When seeing May during a 2009 bullpen, I remember thinking he was a little soft through the midsection, but no more. It's apparent May has taken steps to improve his core strength and he looked to be in very good to excellent shape.
Mound Presence: May's mechanics are fluid, but he struggled to repeat his delivery. His release point varied from out front to off of his ear which left him "wild in the zone" with his fastball. In this particular outing, it worked against Greenville hitters because they simply could not dig in without fear of 92 MPH under the chin. This exemplified May on the mound as he fought and attacked on an evening where his pure stuff wasn't up to snuff.
Fastball: Throughout the outing, May sat 89-91 MPH, topping out at 92 up in the zone on my radar gun. It was a perfect example of why trusting stadium readings is difficult as he registered quite a few 95 MPH readings on the Fluor Field gun. In seeing his fastball from different angles and how he used it in game action, it became apparent why he struggled in his FSL stint. A handful of May's nine punchouts came on 92 MPH fastballs above the letters which simply won't work at higher levels as batters become more discerning. Additionally, the pitch lacked movement and his high release point, combined with a tendency to collapse on his back leg create concerns about his being able to create downward plane.
Curveball: At 76-78 MPH, May's curveball was another pitch which was good enough to dominate "Sally" hitters, but needs work to play at higher levels. In game action. he tipped the pitch to the point I could easily tell when it was coming out of his hand through my 4-inch view finder. As discussed in mound presence, May seemed to fighting himself the entire evening and his curveball was a prime example. At both lower and upper velocities, the pitch had significant break, but was not sharp or tight. On several occasions, he hung the pitch to the point where it was just left spinning in the zone. Much of this can once again be attributed to an inconsistent release point where he was releasing the pitch off of his ear at times. With proper extension, the pitch would tighten up significantly.
Changeup: While I was unable to get a velocity reading on May's changeup, he threw it enough from different angles that I was able to see a significant change in throwing mechanics whenever he threw the pitch. Instead of his mechanics mirroring that of his fastball, May stayed tall and visibly slowed his arm action. Significant refinement will be needed for this pitch to become an offering he can throw in key situations.
On the surface, 181 strikeouts in 135 innings pitched is something to behold. After seeing May in person, I'm left with the impression analysts are putting a little too much weight into the lofty strikeout totals in assuming he's more of a finished product than he actually is. There's little doubt Trevor May has the physique and ceiling of a quality mid-rotation starter, but his rough edges leave him further away than a top-5 ranking within the organization would indicate. For my money, he was the 5th best prospect on a loaded Lakewood team behind Colvin, Cosart, Singleton, and even Sebastian Valle.
Physical Projection: On the mound, May is an impressive specimen. His listed height/weight of 6'5", 215 lbs. seemed about right leaving him with an ideal physique. When seeing May during a 2009 bullpen, I remember thinking he was a little soft through the midsection, but no more. It's apparent May has taken steps to improve his core strength and he looked to be in very good to excellent shape.
Mound Presence: May's mechanics are fluid, but he struggled to repeat his delivery. His release point varied from out front to off of his ear which left him "wild in the zone" with his fastball. In this particular outing, it worked against Greenville hitters because they simply could not dig in without fear of 92 MPH under the chin. This exemplified May on the mound as he fought and attacked on an evening where his pure stuff wasn't up to snuff.
Fastball: Throughout the outing, May sat 89-91 MPH, topping out at 92 up in the zone on my radar gun. It was a perfect example of why trusting stadium readings is difficult as he registered quite a few 95 MPH readings on the Fluor Field gun. In seeing his fastball from different angles and how he used it in game action, it became apparent why he struggled in his FSL stint. A handful of May's nine punchouts came on 92 MPH fastballs above the letters which simply won't work at higher levels as batters become more discerning. Additionally, the pitch lacked movement and his high release point, combined with a tendency to collapse on his back leg create concerns about his being able to create downward plane.
Curveball: At 76-78 MPH, May's curveball was another pitch which was good enough to dominate "Sally" hitters, but needs work to play at higher levels. In game action. he tipped the pitch to the point I could easily tell when it was coming out of his hand through my 4-inch view finder. As discussed in mound presence, May seemed to fighting himself the entire evening and his curveball was a prime example. At both lower and upper velocities, the pitch had significant break, but was not sharp or tight. On several occasions, he hung the pitch to the point where it was just left spinning in the zone. Much of this can once again be attributed to an inconsistent release point where he was releasing the pitch off of his ear at times. With proper extension, the pitch would tighten up significantly.
Changeup: While I was unable to get a velocity reading on May's changeup, he threw it enough from different angles that I was able to see a significant change in throwing mechanics whenever he threw the pitch. Instead of his mechanics mirroring that of his fastball, May stayed tall and visibly slowed his arm action. Significant refinement will be needed for this pitch to become an offering he can throw in key situations.
On the surface, 181 strikeouts in 135 innings pitched is something to behold. After seeing May in person, I'm left with the impression analysts are putting a little too much weight into the lofty strikeout totals in assuming he's more of a finished product than he actually is. There's little doubt Trevor May has the physique and ceiling of a quality mid-rotation starter, but his rough edges leave him further away than a top-5 ranking within the organization would indicate. For my money, he was the 5th best prospect on a loaded Lakewood team behind Colvin, Cosart, Singleton, and even Sebastian Valle.
