Bloss spent three years at Lafayette, largely pitching out of the rotation, while getting his undergraduate degree with a double major in math and economics. He moved on to Georgetown both to further his studies as a graduate student working towards a master's in finance and to keep pitching. His stuff has all ticked up, as well as his ability to use it, in 2023 en route to him being named Big East Pitcher of the Year and turning into one of the more intriguing senior signs in the class.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander has the makings of a legitimate four-pitch arsenal. He’s added some velocity since his Lafayette days with a fastball that averages around 93 mph and has touched 97 with good riding life to it, allowing him to miss a good amount of bats. He throws both a true overhand mid-70s curve and a harder, tighter low-80s slider, with the former typically a touch better than the latter, though both can flash above-average and elicit swings and misses. He doesn’t throw his changeup often or land it for strikes consistently, but it does show some fade away from left-handed hitters at times.
Bloss has done a much better job at finding the strike zone this year, but it’s still control over command. Though he is a graduate student, he was just 21 for the entire spring season. Maybe he’s a bullpen arm when all is said and done, but he could be a very good Day 2 value.
After three seasons at Lafayette, Bloss graduated early with a double major in math and economics, then transferred to Georgetown. As he worked on a master's degree in economics in 2023, he also won the Big East Conference pitcher of the year award and became the highest Draft pick in Hoyas history. He signed for an under-slot $497,500 as a third-rounder and continued to thrive while reaching Single-A in his pro debut. Bloss made quick stops at High-A and Double-A in his first full season before debuting with Houston on June 21, less than one year after his Draft date. He was dealt the following month to the Jays in a Deadline move that sent Yusei Kikuchi the other way.
Throwing from a low release point, Bloss unleases a 92-94 mph fastball that peaks at 97 and carries past hitters now that he's focusing on working up in the zone. He already has upgraded his curveball during his short time as a pro, and it has gone from a fringy mid-70s bender to a solid upper-70s offering with sharper break. He uses a pair of sliders, an upper-80s one with tighter action and a low-80s one with more sweep. The latter gets more whiffs per swing, but the former is his most oft-used secondary. Bloss’ sinking mid-80s changeup lags behind the rest of his repertoire.
The former Hoya provided more strikes at Georgetown than he did at Lafayette and solid control is what pushed him to The Show so quickly. With injuries piling up across the system, the Jays needed a quality arm to give the farm a boost, and Bloss immediately steps in to fill that role north of the border.
Bloss spent three seasons at Lafayette, graduating early with a double major in math and economics, before transferring to Georgetown for the 2023 season. As he worked toward a master's degree in economics, he earned Big East Conference pitcher of the year honors and became the highest Draft pick in school history. He put his education on hold to sign with the Astros for an under-slot $497,500 in the third round.
Bloss has a four-pitch mix and works off a fastball that operates at 92-94 mph and tops out at 97 with riding life that enables it to dodge a lot of bats. His best secondary offering is a low-80s slider that can be a solid weapon at its best. He also mixes in a soft mid-70s curveball and a nascent mid-80s changeup with modest life.
Though Bloss did a better job of throwing strikes with the Hoyas than he did with the Leopards, his control still stands out more than his command. He doesn't have much margin for error and will need to locate his pitches with more precision to succeed in pro ball. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter or multi-inning reliever, and it's possible that his stuff would have more power in shorter stints.
How this works: Every pitch is affected by the forces of gravity,
which means that every pitch drops on its way from the mound to the plate.
These numbers are reported with gravity, which makes them larger and
different than other pitch movement numbers you may have seen. Since gravity
requires time, and slower pitches aren’t ‘better’ just because they have
more time to move, the movement of a pitch is compared to ‘average’ movement
by comparing it to other MLB pitch types within +/- 2 MPH and from within
+/- 0.5 feet of extension and release.
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
Team
Avg HR Trot
Actual HR
xHR
HR-xHR
Doubters
Mostly Gone
No Doubters
No Doubter %
2024
23.7
5
4.4
1
0
4
1
20.0
Player
23.7
5
4.4
1
0
4
1
20.0
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Adjusted" view here accounts for different wall heights, distances and environmental effects using Statcast Park Factor data.
Standard
Year
HR
2024
5
3
4
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
4
4
5
4
4
3
5
5
3
Player
5
3
4
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
4
4
5
4
4
3
5
5
3
Note: xHR tells how many of this pitcher's home runs allowed would have been out of other stadiums. The "Standard" view here accounts for different wall heights and distances but excludes environmental effects. It is based purely on the observed trajectory of the hit.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift:
three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of
their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about
how positioning is defined here