Nick Frasso
| IP | 152 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 2.961 |
| WHIP | 1.138 |
| BB/9 | 2.961 |
| SO/9 | 11.309 |
- Full name Nicholas Paul Frasso
- Born 10/18/1998 in Torrance, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Loyola Marymount
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Drafted in the 4th round (106th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020 (signed for $459,000).
View Draft Report
Frasso impressed with four scoreless innings in his lone start for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer. He entered this spring considered a potential first-round pick, but he failed to get through five innings in either of his first two starts before he was shut down with forearm tightness. Frasso is one of the most athletic pitchers in the draft class. He was a high school basketball standout capable of throwing down emphatic dunks, and he still has a basketball build at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds with room to fill out. Frasso still has a relatively fresh arm due to his two-sport background. His 92-95 mph fastball plays up with both a high spin rate and plus extension, and his high-spin slider gives him a second potential plus offering, although it is inconsistent. His changeup is rudimentary but flashes average potential. Frasso can locate his fastball to both sides of the plate and fills up the strike zone. He projects as a plus strike thrower overall. Frasso checks a lot of analytical boxes with his spin rates and extension, while traditional scouts love his athleticism and projection. He is in second-to-third-round consideration on talent, but his injury may drop him further.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 55/High
Track Record: Frasso grew up in suburban Los Angeles as a Dodgers fan who idolized Clayton Kershaw. He stayed close to home at Loyola Marymount and blossomed into a potential first-round pick before forearm tightness ended his junior season. The Blue Jays drafted him in the fourth round in 2020 and signed him for $459,000. Frasso had Tommy John surgery after signing, but he impressed enough in his return for the Dodgers to acquire him in the 2022 deadline trade that sent Mitch White to Toronto. Frasso opened 2023 at Double-A Tulsa and dominated early before a stomach bug caused him to lose 15 pounds, sapping his stuff and durability.
Scouting Report: A high-flying basketball star in high school, Frasso has a long, lean 6-foot-5 frame and explosive athleticism. He hides the ball well behind his big frame and comes across his body in his delivery, generating deception that helps his stuff play up. His fastball sits 93-96 mph and touches 98 with late run and projects to be a plus-plus pitch with his deception. His short, hard slider at 86-89 mph is an above-average pitch that plays particularly well against righthanded batters. Frasso mostly relies on his fastball and slider, but he sells his average 84-86 mph changeup well and can use it to get swings and misses and weak contact below the zone. His exceptional athleticism allows him to repeat his cross-body delivery and throw strikes with average control. Frasso has ingredients to start, but he has never pitched 100 innings in a season and his velocity drops early in outings. He has trouble holding weight and must get stronger to maintain a starter’s workload.
The Future: Frasso has midrotation potential if he can improve his durability. If not, he projects to be a late-inning relief weapon.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Frasso threw down emphatic dunks as a high school basketball star and used his size and athleticism to blossom into a top pitching prospect at Loyola Marymount. He impressed as a starter on USA Baseball's Collegiate National team and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fourth round in 2020 despite having forearm tightness that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Frasso returned to the mound for his first extended work in 2022 and starred at the Class A levels, leading the Dodgers to acquire him at the trade deadline in a four-player swap that sent Mitch White to Toronto. He continued to shine in six starts in the Dodgers system and finished the year in Double-A.
Scouting Report: Frasso is built like a basketball player with a tall, lean 6-foot-5 frame and has a potent mix of stuff and funk. His high-spin fastball explodes out of his hand at 95-100 mph and jumps on hitters quickly with his nearly seven feet of extension in his delivery. His fastball plays up further with late run and the deception he generates from his long limbs, making it a plus-plus pitch that hitters consistently swing through. Frasso's fastball is an impact pitch, but his secondaries are raw. He alternates between a hard, short slider and sweepier one with depth and is still figuring out which to use. His fading changeup plays well off his fastball and flashes plus, but he needs to improve his command of it. Frasso is a good athlete who throws strikes with average control and keeps his walks to a minimum.
The Future: Frasso's arm strength and athleticism excite, but his secondary development will determine whether he becomes a starter or reliever. He'll begin 2023 back at Double-A.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50 -
TRACK RECORD: Frasso was mostly a reliever his first two seasons at Loyola Marymount and led the Lions in saves as a sophomore. He moved to the rotation in 2020 but failed to get through five innings in either of his first two starts before he was sidelined with forearm and elbow tightness and the college season shut down. The Blue Jays still drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $459,000.
SCOUTING REPORT: Frasso hits plenty of checkpoints scouts have for a young pitcher. He's a college arm who still has physical projection remaining in his 6-foot-5 frame and was a standout high school basketball player whose athleticism is evident on the mound. He throws strikes with a 92-95 mph fastball that plays up because of its high spin rate and his ability to generate extension out front. His slider is still inconsistent, but it has tight spin and flashes plus potential. Frasso has shown some feel for a changeup, but it's a third pitch that lags behind.
THE FUTURE: Frasso has the qualities to develop into a solid major league starter but needs to prove he can handle that workload. Otherwise, his stuff could play well in a multi-inning relief role.
Draft Prospects
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Frasso impressed with four scoreless innings in his lone start for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team last summer. He entered this spring considered a potential first-round pick, but he failed to get through five innings in either of his first two starts before being shut down with forearm tightness. Frasso is one of the most athletic pitchers in the 2020 draft class. He was a high school basketball standout capable of throwing down emphatic dunks, and he still has a basketball build at 6-foot-5, 200 pounds with room to fill out. Frasso still has a relatively fresh arm due to his two-sport background. His 92-95 mph fastball plays up with both a high spin rate and plus extension, and his high-spin slider gives him a second potential plus offering, although it is inconsistent. His changeup is rudimentary but flashes average potential. Frasso locates his fastball to both sides of the plate and fills up the strike zone. He projects as a plus strike thrower overall. Frasso checks a lot of analytical boxes with his spin rates and extension, while traditional scouts love his athleticism and projection. He is in second-to-third-round consideration on talent, but concerns about the health of his arm may drop him lower.
Scouting Reports
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BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Frasso threw down emphatic dunks as a high school basketball star and used his size and athleticism to blossom into a top pitching prospect at Loyola Marymount. He impressed as a starter on USA Baseball's Collegiate National team and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fourth round in 2020 despite having forearm tightness that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Frasso returned to the mound for his first extended work in 2022 and starred at the Class A levels, leading the Dodgers to acquire him at the trade deadline in a four-player swap that sent Mitch White to Toronto. He continued to shine in six starts in the Dodgers system and finished the year in Double-A.
Scouting Report: Frasso is built like a basketball player with a tall, lean 6-foot-5 frame and has a potent mix of stuff and funk. His high-spin fastball explodes out of his hand at 95-100 mph and jumps on hitters quickly with his nearly seven feet of extension in his delivery. His fastball plays up further with late run and the deception he generates from his long limbs, making it a plus-plus pitch that hitters consistently swing through. Frasso's fastball is an impact pitch, but his secondaries are raw. He alternates between a hard, short slider and sweepier one with depth and is still figuring out which to use. His fading changeup plays well off his fastball and flashes plus, but he needs to improve his command of it. Frasso is a good athlete who throws strikes with average control and keeps his walks to a minimum.
The Future: Frasso's arm strength and athleticism excite, but his secondary development will determine whether he becomes a starter or reliever. He'll begin 2023 back at Double-A.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50 -
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
Track Record: Frasso threw down emphatic dunks as a high school basketball star and used his size and athleticism to blossom into a top pitching prospect at Loyola Marymount. He impressed as a starter on USA Baseball's Collegiate National team and was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fourth round in 2020 despite having forearm tightness that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Frasso returned to the mound for his first extended work in 2022 and starred at the Class A levels, leading the Dodgers to acquire him at the trade deadline in a four-player swap that sent Mitch White to Toronto. He continued to shine in six starts in the Dodgers system and finished the year in Double-A.
Scouting Report: Frasso is built like a basketball player with a tall, lean 6-foot-5 frame and has a potent mix of stuff and funk. His high-spin fastball explodes out of his hand at 95-100 mph and jumps on hitters quickly with his nearly seven feet of extension in his delivery. His fastball plays up further with late run and the deception he generates from his long limbs, making it a plus-plus pitch that hitters consistently swing through. Frasso's fastball is an impact pitch, but his secondaries are raw. He alternates between a hard, short slider and sweepier one with depth and is still figuring out which to use. His fading changeup plays well off his fastball and flashes plus, but he needs to improve his command of it. Frasso is a good athlete who throws strikes with average control and keeps his walks to a minimum.
The Future: Frasso's arm strength and athleticism excite, but his secondary development will determine whether he becomes a starter or reliever. He'll begin 2023 back at Double-A.
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 50 -
BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: A multi-sport athlete in high school who was a high-flying basketball player in addition to a pitcher, Frasso matriculated to Loyala Marymount where he gained 40 pounds of muscle over his three years with the program, getting his fastball up to 97 mph. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2021 and returned to action less than 11 months following the surgery.
Scouting Report: A tall righthander that oozes athleticism, Frasso's game is predicated on power. He blends his mid-to-high-90s four-seamer that's been up to 100 mph this spring with a tighter slider at 82-85 mph. His best pitch based on performance this season is his mid-80s changeup. He's been limited to 3-4 innings per start which is to be expected as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. Promoted to High-A Vancouver in early July, Frasso has impressed, missing bats with all three of his pitches and limiting walks. It's still undetermined how many innings Frasso can build up to but he has the stuff to dominate in the pen.
The Future: A rapid return to form from Frasso has seen his profile take a significant jump. Due to his high-powered stuff he provides a bullpen floor, with a potential rotation ceiling. -
TRACK RECORD: Frasso was mostly a reliever his first two seasons at Loyola Marymount and led the Lions in saves as a sophomore. He moved to the rotation in 2020 but failed to get through five innings in either of his first two starts before he was sidelined with forearm and elbow tightness and the college season shut down. The Blue Jays still drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $459,000.
SCOUTING REPORT: Frasso hits plenty of checkpoints scouts have for a young pitcher. He's a college arm who still has physical projection remaining in his 6-foot-5 frame and was a standout high school basketball player whose athleticism is evident on the mound. He throws strikes with a 92-95 mph fastball that plays up because of its high spin rate and his ability to generate extension out front. His slider is still inconsistent, but it has tight spin and flashes plus potential. Frasso has shown some feel for a changeup, but it's a third pitch that lags behind.
THE FUTURE: Frasso has the qualities to develop into a solid major league starter but needs to prove he can handle that workload. Otherwise, his stuff could play well in a multi-inning relief role. -
TRACK RECORD: Frasso was mostly a reliever his first two seasons at Loyola Marymount and led the Lions in saves as a sophomore. He moved to the rotation in 2020 but failed to get through five innings in either of his first two starts before he was sidelined with forearm and elbow tightness and the college season shut down. The Blue Jays still drafted him in the fourth round and signed him for $459,000.
SCOUTING REPORT: Frasso hits plenty of checkpoints scouts have for a young pitcher. He's a college arm who still has physical projection remaining in his 6-foot-5 frame and was a standout high school basketball player whose athleticism is evident on the mound. He throws strikes with a 92-95 mph fastball that plays up because of its high spin rate and his ability to generate extension out front. His slider is still inconsistent, but it has tight spin and flashes plus potential. Frasso has shown some feel for a changeup, but it's a third pitch that lags behind.
THE FUTURE: Frasso has the qualities to develop into a solid major league starter but needs to prove he can handle that workload. Otherwise, his stuff could play well in a multi-inning relief role.
