Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

The best pitcher from Connecticut to sign out of high school was Carl Pavano, a 13th-round pick back in 1994. Charlie Morton is one of the best to sign in the top five rounds as a third-rounder in 2002. Mozzicato is an athletic lefty who jumped on the radar more this spring with a bit of a velocity jump to give him the chance to be the first prep arm from the Nutmeg State to go in the top five rounds since 2014.

Over the summer, Mozzicato’s fastball topped out at 91 and was below-average from a velocity standpoint, typically sitting in the upper-80s. After spending time working out at Cressey Sports Performance, he came out this spring throwing considerably harder, sitting around 91 mph and touching 93 mph consistently. His curveball is the selling point here, a plus breaker now with high spin. 

The lefty has a changeup and while he doesn’t need it much at this level, there’s reason to believe from his athleticism and delivery that he’ll develop a solid offspeed pitch in time. He’s filled up the strike zone and been unhittable this spring with more and more attention from scouts, making one wonder if he’ll ever set foot on UConn’s campus.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

The highest-drafted Connecticut prep player since Bobby Valentine in 1968, Mozzicato went No. 7 overall to the Royals in 2021 and signed for an under-slot bonus. They’ve taken his development slow, but Mozzicato got off to a strong start in Single-A Columbia in ‘23; through his first nine starts, he had a 2.14 ERA with a 40 percent strikeout rate and a vastly improved walk rate. But a collision with a teammate during batting practice in early June caused Mozzicato to miss some time, and he struggled to find his rhythm after that with three more starts in Columbia, and then posted a 7.12 ERA in nine starts with High-A Quad Cities.

Mozzicato has always been able to spin the ball with a plus curveball that has downer movement, sitting in the upper-70s. His fastball fluctuates with his strength. When he’s at his best, it can hit 94 mph with deception. When it’s not, he’s in the upper-80s and low-90s. Strength has been a big focus for him, as he struggles to keep weight on during the season. Like most of their high school pitchers, the Royals urged Mozzicato to learn a changeup, and he threw it more last year. It has a chance to be an average pitch. 

Mozzicato has had control issues since he was drafted because of long arm action, but he really struggled after the collision last year with a 16.2 percent walk rate last season. But Mozzicato is extremely athletic with a lean frame that should add strength as he continues to mature. After a funky year that saw highs and lows, Mozzicato still has tons of ceiling because of his weapons, and the Royals see a mid-to-late rotation starter if he irons out the control issues.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45

The Royals pulled off a surprise pick when they selected Mozzicato seventh overall in the 2021 Draft and made him the highest-drafted Connecticut prep player since Bobby Valentine (fifth) in 1968. Mozzicato’s Draft stock increased during his senior season at East Catholic (CT) High School, when his velocity jumped and he pitched four consecutive no-hitters with one of the best curveballs in the country. The Royals were able to sign him for a $3,547,500 bonus, about $2 million under slot, and Mozzicato made his professional debut alongside Kudrna in May 2022. Mozzicato made 19 starts for Single-A Columbia, posting a 4.30 ERA.

Mozzicato can spin the ball well, with a plus downer curveball that has a good depth and the potential to be plus-plus. His fastball was anywhere from 87-94 mph in 2022, but it landed mostly around 90-92 mph. The Royals are hoping for more velocity as Mozzicato grows into his tall, lean and athletic frame. He is still developing a changeup, which showed improvement early in 2022. He sells it well with his arm speed, and the pitch has the chance to be average or above-average with more repetitions. Developing that third pitch will continue to be a priority. Mozzicato has a free and smooth delivery that should allow him to command the ball well, although sometimes he can lose control of his front side. Command was an issue in his first full season, walking 6.7 per nine in Columbia. Hitters barreled the ball against him, too, so spotting the ball better is a point of emphasis as he moves forward.

Mozzicato still has a high ceiling and won’t be rushed in his development, likely moving one level per year. He projects as a back-end starter, although some see a bullpen arm in the future with his fastball/curveball combination. Some of his command issues might have stemmed from losing stamina later in starts, so adding strength is a priority. That will also happen naturally as he matures physically. He repeated Single-A Columbia in 2023 and moved up to High-A Quad Cities, where control continues to be a real issue.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Mozzicato’s Draft stock soared during his senior season at East Catholic (CT) High School when he showed a jump in velocity and pitched four consecutive no-hitters with one of the best curveballs in the country. The Royals still pulled a surprise when they selected him seventh overall in the 2021 Draft, making him the highest-drafted Connecticut prep player since Bobby Valentine (fifth) in 1968. Mozzicato signed for a $3,547,500 bonus, about $2 million under slot, and reported to the Royals' training facility in Arizona to make his unofficial debut during instructional league.

Mozzicato’s curveball is his selling point, a plus breaker with high spin, sharp bite and good depth, and many scouts believe it could eventually be plus-plus, especially after seeing how he can throw it for strikes and expand the zone with it. Mozzicato’s velocity used to sit in the upper-80s, but after working out at Cressey Sports Performance, he came out last spring throwing 91-93 mph consistently. With a projectable frame and his athleticism, he should be able to add more velocity. The Royals were impressed with Mozzicato’s improved changeup in the fall, a pitch he didn’t use much in high school but one that’s hard for hitters to read thanks his arm speed. It has the potential to be a solid offspeed pitch and will be a focus for him going forward. Mozzicato is an athletic lefty with a free and smooth delivery, though his control has wavered in his early days of pro ball.

The Royals went against the grain taking Mozzicato as high as they did given his relatively low profile, but with the weapons he has, his room for growth and overall competitiveness, he has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter. He’s been at Single-A Columbia since late May, working on honing a fuller arsenal that will help meet his ceiling. With how deep the Royals system is right now, there’s no rush with Mozzicato, giving the club time to develop him into a big league starter.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

Prior to Mozzicato, the best pitcher from Connecticut to sign out of high school was Carl Pavano, a 13th-round pick back in 1994. Charlie Morton is one of the best to sign in the top five rounds as a third-rounder in 2002. Mozzicato, who grabbed headlines with four consecutive no-hitters, is an athletic lefty who jumped on the radar more this spring with a bit of a velocity jump that gave him the opportunity to be taken seventh overall by Kansas City in July, making him the highest-drafted Connecticut prep player since Bobby Valentine (fifth) in 1968. The southpaw signed for well below slot at $3.55 million.

Over last summer, Mozzicato’s fastball topped out at 91 and was below-average from a velocity standpoint, typically sitting in the upper-80s. After spending time working out at Cressey Sports Performance, he came out this spring throwing considerably harder, sitting around 91 mph and touching 93 mph consistently. His curveball is the selling point here, a plus breaker now with high spin. 

The lefty has a changeup and while he didn’t need much in high school, there’s reason to believe from his athleticism and delivery that he’ll develop a solid offspeed pitch in time. He filled up the strike zone during the spring and received plenty of attention from scouts, leading to his high pick. It’ll be on the Royals now to work him into starting-pitching form in the pros.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/07/2024	Kansas City Royals Prospects activated LHP Frank Mozzicato.
	07/02/2023	LHP Frank Mozzicato assigned to Quad Cities River Bandits from Columbia Fireflies.
	06/15/2023	Columbia Fireflies activated LHP Frank Mozzicato from the 7-day injured list.
	06/03/2023	Columbia Fireflies placed LHP Frank Mozzicato on the 7-day injured list retroactive to June 2, 2023.
	05/17/2022	LHP Frank Mozzicato assigned to Columbia Fireflies from Royals Organization.
	08/17/2021	LHP Frank Mozzicato assigned to Royals Organization.
	07/17/2021	Kansas City Royals signed LHP Frank Mozzicato.
	07/05/2021	LHP Frank Mozzicato and assigned to College Workout.