Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Haynes was a bit of a wild card in 2020 as a raw left-hander who needed to show innings out of remote West Columbus High School in North Carolina and who didn’t turn 18 until after the Draft. Of course, the pandemic robbed him of those opportunities, but the Padres saw enough of him previously to take a fifth-round shot and landed Haynes with a $300,000 bonus. It’s been all promise and little production since. After experiencing elbow issues and undergoing Tommy John surgery, the southpaw didn’t make his pro debut until 2023 with Single-A Lake Elsinore, and even then, he was only limited to 25 1/3 innings over 11 starts due to blister and shoulder problems.

When he did get back on the mound for the Storm, the 6-foot-3 hurler showed solid velocity, touching 97 and generally sitting 92-95. It was a solid bounceback from the elbow injury, but considering Haynes didn’t throw more than 56 pitches in any of his California League starts, it’s still worth wondering how that heat will hold over longer outings. His mid-80s curveball helped play off the fastball and generate a 26.6 percent K rate, while he’s had the workings of a changeup dating back to his amateur days.

Haynes’ 11.0 percent walk rate in the small sample isn’t a huge concern yet because of the missed time off. He was trending in the right direction before hitting the IL again, and that’s the main story here. He’ll still be on the young side as a 21-year-old on Opening Day 2024 and has the upside of a Major League starter, but he’ll need to prove both his stuff and his health over a longer term this summer.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Haynes felt like the ultimate high-risk, high-reward prospect entering the 2020 Draft, and that remains true almost three years later. The southpaw needed innings to impress scouts out of remote West Columbus High School in North Carolina, and the 2020 pandemic wiped away that opportunity, and considering he wouldn’t turn 18 until after the Draft, he was considered somewhat of a wild card. The Padres and their area scouts believed enough in Haynes to take him in the fifth round, making him the youngest player selected that year, and signed him for a little below slot at $300,000. Left elbow issues and eventual Tommy John surgery have kept him from making a pro debut entering 2023, though his rehab process shows promising signs.

During his healthier days, Haynes threw out of an athletic and easy delivery. His fastball was already touching 94 mph, and at 6-foot-3, he had the size and projection to add a few more ticks to the heater as he aged. His average slider represented some feel for spin, while his changeup looked like a potential above-average weapon, helping his case to start in the pros.

After all the missed time, Haynes got back to pitching for Single-A Lake Elsinore this summer, and San Diego officials felt comfortable with how he was tracking before he hit the shelf with a blister issue in July. Haynes is going to need time to build up his repertoire as he enters his 20s.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Hailing from the same remote county in North Carolina that produced fellow lefty MacKenzie Gore, whom the Padres selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 Draft, Haynes came with much less fanfare when San Diego took him in the fifth round in ‘20. The fact that Haynes’ senior year at West Columbus High was wiped out by the pandemic made him even more of a wild card, and at 17 years, 8 months old, Haynes was the youngest pitcher selected in the entire Draft. Unfortunately, left elbow issues and subsequent Tommy John surgery have kept Haynes from making his professional debut.

Much like Gore, Haynes is an athletic left-hander with a free and easy delivery, albeit without the same raw stuff. Haynes can run his fastball up to 93-94 mph, and given his age and remaining physical projection, it’s easy to envision more velocity in the future as he adds strength and gains much-needed experience. He shows a feel to spin the ball and has a pair of promising secondary pitches in a slider and changeup.

The Padres believe they landed a steal in Haynes and are quick to note that he likely would have shot up other team’s Draft boards had he been able to have a normal senior year. Because he’s so young, Haynes may need extra time to develop his craft in the Minor Leagues. He has enough qualities to profile as a starter long-term. But as a left-hander who is expected to throw hard, a spot coming out of the bullpen could be an option as well.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Hailing from the same remote county in North Carolina that produced fellow lefty MacKenzie Gore, whom the Padres selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 Draft, Haynes came with much less fanfare when San Diego took him in the fifth round of the ’20 edition. The fact Haynes’ senior year at West Columbus High was wiped out by the pandemic made him even more of a wild card. At 17 years, 8 months old, Haynes was the youngest pitcher selected in the entire Draft. Unfortunately, elbow issues have kept Haynes from pitching for an affiliate in 2021.

Much like Gore, Haynes is an athletic left-hander with a free and easy delivery, albeit without the same raw stuff. He can already run his fastball up to 93-94 mph, and given his age and remaining physical projection, it’s easy to forecast more velocity in Haynes’ future as he adds strength and gains much-needed experience. He has a pair of promising secondary pitches in a slider and changeup and was able to refine both offerings during his training this past spring. 

The Padres believe they landed a steal in Haynes and are quick to note that he likely would have shot up other team’s Draft boards had he been able to have a normal senior year. Because he’s so young and given the health of his elbow, Haynes may need extra time to develop his craft in the Minor Leagues. He has enough starter qualities to profile in that role long-term. But as a left-hander who is expected to throw hard, a spot coming out of the bullpen could be an option for him as well.

Hailing from the same remote county in North Carolina that produced fellow lefty MacKenzie Gore, whom the Padres selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2017 Draft, Haynes came with far less fanfare and wasn’t listed among MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Prospects ahead of the 2020 Draft. The fact Haynes’ senior year at West Columbus High was wiped out by the pandemic made him even more of a wild card. But the Padres received glowing reports on the 6-foot-3 southpaw from former big league hurler Seth Frankoff, who trained Haynes in North Carolina once the Major League season was temporarily shut down, and ultimately selected him in the fifth round, signing him away from a Tarheels commitment for $300,000. At 17 years, 8 months old, Haynes was the youngest pitcher selected in the entire Draft. 

Much like Gore, Haynes is an athletic left-hander with a free and easy delivery, albeit with raw stuff that lags behind the Padres top prospect. He can already run his fastball up to 93-94 mph, and given his age and remaining physical projection, it’s easy to forecast more velocity in Haynes’ future as he adds strength and gains much-needed experience. He has a pair of promising secondary pitches in a slider and changeup and was able to refine both offerings during his training this past Spring. 

The Padres believe they landed a steal in Haynes and are quick to note that he likely would have shot up other team’s Draft boards had he been able to have a normal senior year. Because he’s so young and given the circumstances surrounding the 2020 season, Haynes may need extra time to develop his craft in the Minor Leagues. He has enough starter qualities to profile in that role long term, but as a left-hander who is expected to throw much harder as he moves through the pro ranks, a spot coming out of the bullpen could be an option for him as well. 

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/31/2024	LHP Jagger Haynes assigned to Fort Wayne TinCaps from Lake Elsinore Storm.
	09/22/2023	Peoria Javelinas activated LHP Jagger Haynes from the 7-day injured list.
	09/19/2023	Lake Elsinore Storm activated LHP Jagger Haynes from the 7-day injured list.
	07/28/2023	Lake Elsinore Storm placed LHP Jagger Haynes on the 7-day injured list.
	07/26/2023	Lake Elsinore Storm activated LHP Jagger Haynes from the 7-day injured list.
	06/29/2023	Lake Elsinore Storm placed LHP Jagger Haynes on the 7-day injured list.
	04/03/2023	LHP Jagger Haynes assigned to Lake Elsinore Storm from ACL Padres.
	11/10/2022	ACL Padres activated LHP Jagger Haynes from the 60-day injured list.
	06/05/2022	ACL Padres placed LHP Jagger Haynes on the 60-day injured list.
	06/05/2022	ACL Padres placed LHP Jagger Haynes on the 60-day injured list.
	11/07/2021	ACL Padres activated LHP Jagger Haynes from the 60-day injured list.
	08/11/2021	ACL Padres placed LHP Jagger Haynes on the 60-day injured list.
	02/12/2021	P Jagger Haynes assigned to San Diego Padres .
	02/12/2021	San Diego Padres invited non-roster LHP Jagger Haynes to spring training.
	06/24/2020	San Diego Padres signed LHP Jagger Haynes.
	06/24/2020	LHP Jagger Haynes assigned to AZL Padres 1.