Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 70 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50 

Despite displaying first-round stuff during his summer high school senior season and getting overtures of first-round money from pro teams in 2021, Brecht turned them down because he was set on playing wide receiver at Iowa. He redshirted in football in his first year with the Hawkeyes and played sparingly in his second before deciding to concentrate on baseball last March. He led NCAA Division I with a .143 opponent average in 2023 before getting off to a slow start this spring as scouts complained about how Iowa has messed with his pitches and mechanics. He made some adjustments on his own and finished strong, which should allow him to become the program's first first-rounder since Tim Costo in 1990.

When he's on, Brecht's fastball and slider are comparable to those of Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's Draft. He can sit at 96-99 mph and touch 101 with his heater, which has explosive running action and superior shape to Skenes' fastball, though Brecht doesn't locate his nearly as well. All that said, his best pitch is a slider that parks at 87-89 mph and peaks at 91 with plenty of horizontal and vertical action.

Iowa has had Brecht use more sliders than fastballs, which hasn't helped him improve his well below-average command of the latter pitch. He also doesn't have a lot of feel for his sparsely used splitter, which averages 93 mph with promising tumble at its best. He finished third in D-I with 61 walks in 77 innings last spring, has had similar control issues this year, may never have average command and comes with considerable reliever risk. But he's also an exceptional athlete and baseball has his full attention, so he could take off with pro instruction.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 70 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 40 | Overall: 50 

Despite displaying first-round stuff during his summer high school senior season and getting overtures of first-round money from pro teams in 2021, Brecht turned them down because he was set on playing wide receiver at Iowa. He redshirted in football in his first year with the Hawkeyes and played sparingly in his second before deciding to concentrate on baseball last March. He led NCAA Division I with a .143 opponent average in 2023 before getting off to a slow start this spring as scouts complained about how Iowa had messed with his pitches and mechanics. He made some adjustments on his own and finished strong, allowing him to be taken in the Competitive Balance Round A by the Rockies, who went a bit over slot to sign him for $2.7 million.

When he's on, Brecht's fastball and slider are comparable to those of Paul Skenes, the No. 1 pick in last year's Draft. He can sit at 96-99 mph and touch 101 with his heater, which has explosive running action and superior shape to Skenes' fastball, though Brecht doesn't locate his nearly as well. All that said, his best pitch is a slider that parks at 87-89 mph and peaks at 91 with plenty of horizontal and vertical action.

Iowa has had Brecht use more sliders than fastballs, which hasn't helped him improve his well-below-average command of the latter pitch. He also doesn't have a lot of feel for his sparsely used splitter, which averages 93 mph with promising tumble at its best. He finished third in D-I with 61 walks in 77 innings last spring, had similar control issues this year, may never have average command and comes with considerable reliever risk. But he's also an exceptional athlete and baseball has his full attention, so he could take off with pro instruction.

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

Brecht reportedly hit 98 mph during a 16-strikeout effort as a junior in the Iowa state tournament late last July, but scouts weren't there to see it and he seemed to have his heart set on playing football at Iowa. A three-star wide receiver recruit who helped Ankeny High win the state 4-A football championship last fall, he didn't attend baseball showcases before his senior season and opted to run track rather than play in Iowa's unofficial spring league. He told scouts he only planned on playing for Ankeny once the official prep season started because he wanted to pursue a state title -- but once he took the mound in June he showed first-round stuff and athleticism and had teams scrambling to scout him. 

In his early starts this spring, Brecht operated at 92-94 mph throughout and topped out at 97. His slider was a plus pitch as well, ranging from 82-85 mph with late bite. Gatorade's Iowa high school player of the year, he also employed a curveball that had some power in the upper 70s but lacked sharp break. 

As a lanky wide receiver with impressive arm strength, he naturally draws comparisons to Jeff Samardzija. Like Samardzija did at Notre Dame, Brecht relies on his natural athleticism to overcome his lack of polish on the mound. He doesn't throw a changeup, his delivery is raw and his command is unrefined. He's only scratching the surface of his potential and it's exciting to think of what he might become if he devoted himself to baseball, but scouts still think it will be almost impossible to divert him from playing football for the Hawkeyes. 

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/05/2024	RHP Brody Brecht assigned to ACL Rockies.
	07/21/2024	Colorado Rockies signed RHP Brody Brecht.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated RHP Brody Brecht.
	05/10/2024	RHP Brody Brecht assigned to Iowa Hawkeyes.
	06/29/2023	College Workout activated RHP Brody Brecht.
	06/26/2023	RHP Brody Brecht assigned to USAB Stripes Team.
	06/26/2023	RHP Brody Brecht roster status changed by USAB Stripes Team.
	02/06/2023	RHP Brody Brecht assigned to Iowa Hawkeyes.