Conor Grammes

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #24 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The D-backs bet on Grammes’ athleticism when they drafted him out of Xavier despite the former two-way player’s relative inexperience on the mound. He looked like a quick study during his time at instructional league in 2020, but he did not pitch well early in the 2021 season, then went down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before surgery, Grammes still had some of the best stuff in the system. His fastball averaged 96 mph to go with a slider, curveball and changeup, the latter two lagging behind the others. He is raw when it comes to his pitching acumen and had managed to get by on stuff and athleticism before last year. A former two-time state wrestling champion, he is an excellent competitor who keeps his emotions in check on the mound.
  
  The Future: The injury pushes back Grammes’ timeline and might point him more toward a future in the bullpen, but it will give him a chance to learn how hard he’ll need to work in order to make it back. With a big fastball and usable secondary pitches, his stuff will play regardless of the role.
  
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #11 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a two-way player who spent more time as a position player than a pitcher at Xavier. Intrigued by his quick arm and athleticism, the D-backs drafted Grammes as a pitcher in the fifth round in 2019 despite his limited experience on the mound. The early returns, albeit not in a normal minor league setting, were encouraging in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has some of the best pure stuff in the D-backs' organization. His fastball routinely sat 97-100 mph during instructional league and he backed it up with a hard, 87-88 mph slider and mid-80s power curveball that both drew above-average grades. Grammes also has a firm, upper-80s changeup, but it lags behind his two breaking balls. Grammes walked more than six batters per nine innings in college. His control has made strides, but his command remains a work in progress. With the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, he has not had the opportunity to show he can go deep into games or maintain his stuff over a full season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Grammes is most likely a future hard-throwing reliever. Given how much he has improved since being drafted and his relative lack of pitching experience, starting isn't out of the question if he keeps making strides.
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #28 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a position player and a wrestler in high school, barely stepping foot on the mound. He became a two-way player at Xavier, but as his velocity climbed and ultimately touched triple digits, it became clear where his future would lie. The Diamondbacks selected him in the fifth round and signed him for $300,000, and already think he has a chance to be a steal.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has an explosive arm that generates fastballs in the mid-to-upper 90s. He has two breaking balls, a curveball he can throw for strikes or bounce and a slider he buries in on left-handed hitters. He began to get a better feel for his little-used changeup late in his pro debut at short-season Hillsboro. His high-effort delivery occasionally broke down across multiple innings in college and led to a walk rate of more than six batters-per-nine innings, and after signing he had issues with maintaining his arm slot and keeping his backside from collapsing. Given Grammes' athleticism and limited pitching experience, the organization is hopeful his delivery and strike-throwing will become more consistent with time.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Diamondbacks believe the upside with Grammes is significant. He has obvious reliever risk, but the organization will develop him as a starter.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #246 prospect in 2019 draft
  A two-way player for Xavier, Grammes has a huge fastball that was touching triple digits last summer in the Cape Cod League and has regularly been in the mid-90s this spring in a starting role, getting up to 97 regularly. Grammes pairs that with a hard, mid-80s slider that's inconsistent but flashes above-average potential when he is on top of it. He also infrequently throws a firm, mid-80s changeup. The limiting factor for Grammes on the mound is his well below-average control. Over three years with Xavier--including his first 12 starts and 58.2 innings this spring--he's walked 6.5 batters per nine innings. That stems from a max-effort delivery. Without radical improvement there and with his control, he profiles as a reliever on the mound. His production with the bat has been more impressive, statistically, during his time with Xavier with a .333/.395/.507 line and 23 home runs over 162 collegiate games, with impressive plate discipline numbers this spring. Grammes has good bat speed from the right side of the plate and runs well, though scouts are less convinced where his defensive home would be. Likely at third, second or in a corner outfield spot.
• Ranked #388 prospect in 2018 draft
  Grammes was recruited to Xavier as a hitter but when the Musketeers' coaching staff saw him pitch during his senior season of high school they decided to give him a chance as a two-way player. He's been a regular in the lineup at Xavier, while also working out of the bullpen. He remains raw on the mound but has run his fastball into the upper 90s. He has an average breaking ball, though he struggles to throw strikes with the pitch. He has an energetic delivery that he'll have to work to smooth out to allow him to be more consistent. Grammes has had more success at the plate for the Musketeers and has some pop in his bat. But his professional future is as a reliever, thanks to his powerful arm. Grammes is a draft-eligible sophomore.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The D-backs bet on Grammes’ athleticism when they drafted him out of Xavier despite the former two-way player’s relative inexperience on the mound. He looked like a quick study during his time at instructional league in 2020, but he did not pitch well early in the 2021 season, then went down with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
  
  Scouting Report: Before surgery, Grammes still had some of the best stuff in the system. His fastball averaged 96 mph to go with a slider, curveball and changeup, the latter two lagging behind the others. He is raw when it comes to his pitching acumen and had managed to get by on stuff and athleticism before last year. A former two-time state wrestling champion, he is an excellent competitor who keeps his emotions in check on the mound.
  
  The Future: The injury pushes back Grammes’ timeline and might point him more toward a future in the bullpen, but it will give him a chance to learn how hard he’ll need to work in order to make it back. With a big fastball and usable secondary pitches, his stuff will play regardless of the role.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a two-way player who spent more time as a position player than a pitcher at Xavier. Intrigued by his quick arm and athleticism, the D-backs drafted Grammes as a pitcher in the fifth round in 2019 despite his limited experience on the mound. The early returns, albeit not in a normal minor league setting, were encouraging in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has some of the best pure stuff in the D-backs' organization. His fastball routinely sat 97-100 mph during instructional league and he backed it up with a hard, 87-88 mph slider and mid-80s power curveball that both drew above-average grades. Grammes also has a firm, upper-80s changeup, but it lags behind his two breaking balls. Grammes walked more than six batters per nine innings in college. His control has made strides, but his command remains a work in progress. With the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, he has not had the opportunity to show he can go deep into games or maintain his stuff over a full season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Grammes is most likely a future hard-throwing reliever. Given how much he has improved since being drafted and his relative lack of pitching experience, starting isn't out of the question if he keeps making strides.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a two-way player who spent more time as a position player than a pitcher at Xavier. Intrigued by his quick arm and athleticism, the D-backs drafted Grammes as a pitcher in the fifth round in 2019 despite his limited experience on the mound. The early returns, albeit not in a normal minor league setting, were encouraging in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has some of the best pure stuff in the D-backs' organization. His fastball routinely sat 97-100 mph during instructional league and he backed it up with a hard, 87-88 mph slider and mid-80s power curveball that both drew above-average grades. Grammes also has a firm, upper-80s changeup, but it lags behind his two breaking balls. Grammes walked more than six batters per nine innings in college. His control has made strides, but his command remains a work in progress. With the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, he has not had the opportunity to show he can go deep into games or maintain his stuff over a full season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Grammes is most likely a future hard-throwing reliever. Given how much he has improved since being drafted and his relative lack of pitching experience, starting isn't out of the question if he keeps making strides.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a two-way player who spent more time as a position player than a pitcher at Xavier. Intrigued by his quick arm and athleticism, the D-backs drafted Grammes as a pitcher in the fifth round in 2019 despite his limited experience on the mound. The early returns, albeit not in a normal minor league setting, were encouraging in 2020.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has some of the best pure stuff in the D-backs' organization. His fastball routinely sat 97-100 mph during instructional league and he backed it up with a hard, 87-88 mph slider and mid-80s power curveball that both drew above-average grades. Grammes also has a firm, upper-80s changeup, but it lags behind his two breaking balls. Grammes walked more than six batters per nine innings in college. His control has made strides, but his command remains a work in progress. With the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, he has not had the opportunity to show he can go deep into games or maintain his stuff over a full season.
  
  THE FUTURE: Grammes is most likely a future hard-throwing reliever. Given how much he has improved since being drafted and his relative lack of pitching experience, starting isn't out of the question if he keeps making strides.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Grammes was a position player and a wrestler in high school, barely stepping foot on the mound. He became a two-way player at Xavier, but as his velocity climbed and ultimately touched triple digits, it became clear where his future would lie. The Diamondbacks selected him in the fifth round and signed him for $300,000, and already think he has a chance to be a steal.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Grammes has an explosive arm that generates fastballs in the mid-to-upper 90s. He has two breaking balls, a curveball he can throw for strikes or bounce and a slider he buries in on left-handed hitters. He began to get a better feel for his little-used changeup late in his pro debut at short-season Hillsboro. His high-effort delivery occasionally broke down across multiple innings in college and led to a walk rate of more than six batters-per-nine innings, and after signing he had issues with maintaining his arm slot and keeping his backside from collapsing. Given Grammes' athleticism and limited pitching experience, the organization is hopeful his delivery and strike-throwing will become more consistent with time.
  
  THE FUTURE: The Diamondbacks believe the upside with Grammes is significant. He has obvious reliever risk, but the organization will develop him as a starter.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  A two-way player for Xavier, Grammes has a huge fastball that was touching triple digits last summer in the Cape Cod League and has regularly been in the mid-90s this spring in a starting role, getting up to 97 regularly. Grammes pairs that with a hard, mid-80s slider that's inconsistent but flashes above-average potential when he is on top of it. He also infrequently throws a firm, mid-80s changeup. The limiting factor for Grammes on the mound is his well below-average control. Over three years with Xavier--including his first 12 starts and 58.2 innings this spring--he's walked 6.5 batters per nine innings. That stems from a max-effort delivery. Without radical improvement there and with his control, he profiles as a reliever on the mound. His production with the bat has been more impressive, statistically, during his time with Xavier with a .333/.395/.507 line and 23 home runs over 162 collegiate games, with impressive plate discipline numbers this spring. Grammes has good bat speed from the right side of the plate and runs well, though scouts are less convinced where his defensive home would be. Likely at third, second or in a corner outfield spot.