Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The Pacific Northwest has produced some exciting high school pitching talent in recent years, from first-round Oregonians Noble Meyer and Mick Abel, both from Jesuit High School, to Washingtonians JR Ritchie, a 2022 comp round pick and Jackson Cox, taken in the second that same year. Swanson has the chance to become a 1-2 punch with Cox as products of Toutle Lake High School much in the way Meyer and Abel have, though he struggled to gain traction after transitioning from basketball to the diamond this spring.

Like some of those who preceded him in the region, Swanson has a full repertoire and plenty of projection. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has thrown harder in each of the last few seasons, going from sitting 89-92 mph as a sophomore to now showing he can live in the 93-95 mph range with good carry, and there could be more velocity to come, though it fluctuated this spring. His tight 84-86 mph slider is often his best pitch, a sharp breaker with high spin and good depth. He’ll flash a decent mid-80s changeup, but it’s a work in progress with inconsistent depth.

Swanson can get rushed and erratic in his delivery, causing issues with his command, and he can try to nibble too much, like he did at the Area Code Games, rather than trust his impressive stuff in the zone. He’s had trouble with consistency this spring in finding the zone, but when the Oregon State recruit repeats his delivery, he can look like one of the better prep arms in the class, even if that hasn’t shown up as much as some evaluators hoped to see before he began his senior year.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

The Pacific Northwest has produced some exciting high school pitching talent in recent years, from first-round Oregonians Noble Meyer and Mick Abel (both from Jesuit High School) to Washingtonians JR Ritchie, a 2022 Comp. Round A pick, and Jackson Cox, taken in the second round that same year. Swanson has the chance to become a 1-2 punch with Cox as products of Toutle Lake High School much in the way Meyer and Abel have, though he struggled to gain traction after transitioning from basketball to the diamond this spring. Betting on his upside, the Tigers selected Swanson in the ninth round and signed him for well above slot at $722,500.

Like some of those who preceded him in the region, Swanson has a full repertoire and plenty of projection. The 6-foot-3 right-hander threw harder in each of the last few seasons, going from sitting 89-92 mph as a sophomore to now showing he can live in the 93-95 mph range with good carry, and there could be more velocity to come, though it fluctuated this spring. His tight 84-86 mph slider is often his best pitch, a sharp breaker with high spin and good depth. He’ll flash a decent mid-80s changeup, but it’s a work in progress with inconsistent depth.

Swanson can get rushed and erratic in his delivery, causing issues with his command, and he can try to nibble too much, like he did at the Area Code Games, rather than trust his impressive stuff in the zone. He’s had trouble with consistency this spring in finding the zone, but when the former Oregon State recruit repeats his delivery, he can look like one of the better prep arms in the class, even if that didn’t show up as much as some evaluators hoped to see before he began his senior year.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	08/13/2024	RHP Zach Swanson assigned to FCL Tigers.
	07/26/2024	Detroit Tigers signed RHP Zach Swanson.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated RHP Zach Swanson.
	06/16/2024	College Workout activated RHP Zach Swanson.
	06/09/2024	RHP Zach Swanson assigned to College Workout.
	07/06/2023	American activated RHP Zach Swanson.
	09/21/2022	RHP Zach Swanson assigned to High School Workout.
	09/21/2022	High School Workout activated RHP Zach Swanson.