Aaron Combs

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: Extreme – Combs has a very weird breaking ball and below average velocity, and the weird breaking ball probably needs to end up special, or he will need to find more velocity in pro ball to have long term success.
Summary: Combs may have had one of the best debuts of any drafted pitcher. His stats do not include his 3 postseason appearances where he walked 1 and struck out 12 giving him a full season line of 12.1 IP 6 H 2 R 0 ER 5 BB 25 K, with opposing hitters managing a .140/.260/.140 line. He has a low slot and throws a pair of fastballs in the low 90s. His 4 seam fastball has good ride and run, and his sinker has good run. He works them up in the zone and shows a proclivity for throwing the sinker glove side and running it back over the plate to lefties and righties. Throwing the fastball up sets up his curveball. It has big break and sweep thanks to a very high spin rate and his lower slot (think Aaron Nola’s curveball). He will throw it in the zone to righties and lefties, and will also bury it gloveside. It sits in the mid to high 70s, which does raise a little bit of concern. He looks to also work in a mid 80s cutter, which will be important against lefties. Combs is the ideal guy to get into professional ball and add velocity, and if he does, he could really pop like Kerkering did a few years ago. If this is just how hard he throws, it will really come down to command, which can be a bit shaky right now, as his pitches have the shape to get chases and whiffs in the right location, but the lack of velocity is likely to make them hittable if he leaves them in the wrong part of the plate.
2025 Outlook: Combs ended the year in low-A and had success, assuming he has a good camp he should break camp with the BlueClaws.