Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball 70 | Slider 55 | Changeup 50 | Control 50 | Overall 50

Only one New Jersey high school right-handed pitcher has been drafted in the first round since 2007, Rick Porcello, and only three prep pitchers from the Garden State total during that timespan, with lefties Rob Kaminsky and Jay Groome in 2013 and 2016. After showing off one of the best arms on the high school showcase circuit all summer and dominating New Jersey prep competition enough in the spring to be named the Gatorade state high school player of the year, Petty has the chance to join their ranks in 2021.

There are no questions about Petty’s pure stuff. He touched triple digits at the Area Code Games and sat regularly in the upper 90s across all the events he attended, throwing it with sink and run in on right-handed hitters. His upper-80s slider plays well off his fastball, running away from righties. Petty has a changeup that can be too firm at 90 mph at times, but he showed some depth with the pitch over the summer. He’s fearless on the mound and isn’t afraid to pitch inside.

The only questions surrounding Petty are around his size and delivery. There is some effort with a low three-quarters slot and his command has been up and down, leading some to feel there could be reliever risk in the 6-foot Florida recruit. He threw more consistent strikes as the summer went on and he’s athletic enough to believe he can start at the next level, with teams undeterred by the “undersized right-hander” label certain to keep tabs on him all spring.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Petty rose up Draft boards in 2021 as a strong-armed -- albeit undersized -- high school right-hander from New Jersey, one who could hit triple digits. His premium velocity was a big reason why the Twins took him at the end of the first round in that year’s Draft. He was in his first Spring Training as a pro in 2022, when he was sent to the Reds in the Sonny Gray deal. Petty had a solid first full season, making his way from Single-A to High-A, and while he was slowed out of the gate in 2023 with a minor elbow issue, he still pitched well enough to touch Double-A.

The Reds monitored Petty’s workload very carefully post-injury, limiting his innings to make sure he made it through the year, and they were very pleased with how dominant he was while he continued his evolution from pure thrower to pitcher. While he can reach back and get 95-96 mph, he’s also shown he can pitch at 91-93 mph, pitching to contact with a two-seamer that features a ton of sink and run thanks to his lower arm slot, which helps him get a lot of ground-ball outs. His plus mid-80s slider is a go-to pitch that misses bats, and his changeup has continued to improve.

Petty’s plus athleticism plays well on the mound, helping him repeat his delivery and fill up the strike zone with all of his pitches. The gloves will come off a bit in 2024, hopefully, as Petty continues to learn routines necessary to maintain velocity and stuff deep into starts, and from outing to outing. He’ll be just 21 for the whole season, so there’s time for him to figure himself out as he hits the upper levels.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Petty was high on the Reds’ Draft board as the 2021 Draft approached, but they opted to go the college bat route with Matt McLain at No. 17 overall as Petty, the New Jersey prep standout, went nine picks later to the Twins. He appeared in just two complex league games the summer after he signed and was preparing for his first full season of pro ball when he was sent to the Reds in March for Sonny Gray. He had a very successful year with his new organization in 2022, finishing the year up a level in High-A.

Known for his triple-digits velocity in high school, Petty showed signs of being more of a complete pitcher than some anticipated, especially out of the gate. He sat around 94-95 mph while working with a pretty strict pitch count and his lower arm slot leads to sink and run and resulting groundball outs. His mid-80s slider is a plus breaking ball that can miss bats and he’s made a lot of progress on his changeup, which was a point of emphasis last year.

Petty’s athleticism -- some say he looks like a shortstop on the mound -- works to his advantage and he pitches with a ton of energy. His move up a level to Dayton in 2022 helped him learn about professional routines and preparation as well as to trust his stuff in the zone more, with more advanced hitters less likely to chase. He’s just as willing to pitch to contact -- that improved changeup will continue to come in handy -- and looks like he has the combination of stuff and command to be a solid big league starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Heading into the 2021 Draft, it was a little hard to figure out what to do with Petty. He’s not very big, but he’s athletic. He throws 100 mph. He’s a high schooler from the northeast. The Twins liked the upside potential of the premium velocity enough to take him at the end of the first round and signing him for $2.5 million. He made his brief pro debut in the Florida Complex League, but they sent him to the Reds in March in the Sonny Gray deal.

While Petty fits the “undersized right-hander” mold, he is an excellent athlete and has plenty of strength in his relatively compact frame. The velocity is undeniable, having touched triple digits repeatedly and sitting in the upper-90s on a regular basis, throwing the fastball from a lower slot that creates excellent sink and run. His upper-80s slider flashes plus, a big, hard sweepy breaking ball that can miss bats. The changeup is a distant third pitch, though he’s shown a little feel for it, with some concern over creating one with enough separation from his sinking fastball.

Though there are concerns about his delivery, both in terms of effort and that lower slot, Petty does a fairly decent job in finding the strike zone. If he can fine-tune his mechanics, he’s athletic enough to repeat his delivery. That, along with development of his third pitch, gives him a good chance to start.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Heading into the 2021 Draft, it was a little hard to figure out what to do with Petty. He’s not very big, but he’s athletic. He throws 100 mph. He’s a high schooler from the Northeast. The Twins liked the upside potential of the premium velocity enough to take him at the end of the first round and sign him for $2.5 million. He made his brief pro debut in the Florida Complex League, then was acquired by the Reds in the March 2022 Sonny Gray trade.

While Petty fits the “undersized right-hander” mold, he is an excellent athlete and has plenty of strength in his relatively compact frame. The velocity is undeniable, having touched triple digits repeatedly and sitting in the upper-90s on a regular basis, throwing the fastball from a lower slot that creates excellent sink and run. His upper-80s slider flashes plus, a big, hard sweepy breaking ball that can miss bats. The changeup is a distant third pitch, though he’s shown a little feel for it, with some concern that it doesn't yet have enough separation from his sinking fastball.

Although there are concerns about his delivery, both in terms of effort and that lower slot, Petty does a fairly decent job in finding the strike zone. If he can fine-tune his mechanics, he’s athletic enough to repeat his delivery. That, along with development of his third pitch, gives him a good chance to start.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

When the Twins took Petty No. 26 overall in the 2021 Draft, he became the first New Jersey high school right-hander to go in the first round of the Draft since Rick Porcello was taken back in 2007, and just the fourth prep pitcher from the Garden State to go that early in that timespan (lefties Rob Kaminsky and Jay Groome went in 2013 and 2016). Attracted to his premium arm strength, the Twins signed the Gatorade state player of the year for $2.5 million. The Reds acquired him in March 2022, trading Sonny Gray and Francis Peguero to Minnesota to land him.

There are no questions about Petty’s pure stuff. He touched triple digits at the Area Code Games and sat regularly in the upper 90s across all the events he attended, throwing it with sink and run in on right-handed hitters. His upper-80s slider plays well off his fastball, running away from righties. Petty has a changeup that can be too firm at 90 mph at times, but he showed some depth with the pitch last summer. He’s fearless on the mound and isn’t afraid to pitch inside.

The only questions surrounding Petty are around his size and delivery. There is some effort with a low three-quarters slot and his command has been up and down, leading some to feel there could be reliever risk in the 6-foot righty. He has shown the ability to throw strikes consistently against good competition and he’s athletic enough to believe he can start at the next level.

Awards

Baseball America High Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/11/2024	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Louisville Bats from Chattanooga Lookouts.
	01/11/2024	Cincinnati Reds invited non-roster RHP Chase Petty to spring training.
	09/25/2023	Chattanooga Lookouts activated RHP Chase Petty.
	09/12/2023	Chattanooga Lookouts transferred RHP Chase Petty to the Development List.
	08/29/2023	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Chattanooga Lookouts from Dayton Dragons.
	05/06/2023	Dayton Dragons activated RHP Chase Petty from the 7-day injured list.
	04/06/2023	Dayton Dragons placed RHP Chase Petty on the 7-day injured list.
	07/27/2022	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Dayton Dragons from Daytona Tortugas.
	07/27/2022	Dayton Dragons activated RHP Chase Petty.
	04/07/2022	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Daytona Tortugas from ACL Reds.
	03/22/2022	RHP Chase Petty assigned to ACL Reds.
	03/13/2022	Cincinnati Reds traded RHP Sonny Gray and RHP Francis Peguero to Minnesota Twins for RHP Chase Petty.
	10/07/2021	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Twins Organization.
	09/11/2021	RHP Chase Petty assigned to FCL Twins from Twins Organization.
	08/17/2021	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Twins Organization.
	07/26/2021	Minnesota Twins signed RHP Chase Petty.
	06/22/2021	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Tri-Cape All-Stars.
	06/22/2021	RHP Chase Petty assigned to Tri-Cape All-Stars.
	06/15/2020	RHP Chase Petty and assigned to PG National 1 - Black.