Angels top prospect, Sean Newcomb was promoted to Double-A Arkansas. Newcomb was drafted 15th overall in the 2014 draft by the Angels out of the University of Hartford. He is 22 years old, and is a 6’5 245 lbs left hander.
He was rated as the #67 overall prospect according to MLB.com to start the season. He started the year in class A, Burlington, and posted a 1-0 record with a 1.83 ERA in seven starts. He was then called up to Single -A Inland Empire, and went 6-1 with a 2.47 ERA, to along with 84 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings as well as a 1.26 WHIP in 13 starts. His progress has moved him up the rankings and he is now rated as the 24th overall prospect in all of baseball. He was recently named to the MLB futures game in July, and pitched a scoreless inning for team USA.
He is now regarded as the Angels’ top prospect with the graduation of fellow southpaw, Andrew Heaney, who was called up on June 24 to the Angels, and has logged the minimum requirement of 50 innings, to lose his prospect status. Newcomb posses a high 90’s fastball that sits between 93-95 but can hit 97. He also has three off-speed pitches, most notably his change-up that sits in the mid 80’s and comes from the same arm slot as his fastball. His curveball currently seems to be a change of pace offering to keep batters guessing. It sits in the 76-81 range, and Newcomb has found ways to change the speed of his curve, making it even harder to read. It has an 11-5 break, being somewhat slurve like with downer movement. Newcomb’s slider is slightly better than his curve, with good tilt and added velocity. It comes in in the low to mid 80’s, and has short break. Scouts have raved about his mechanics, as he has a fluid three-quarters delivery, and is also a good athlete as he played basketball as well in high school.
Newcomb is quickly rising in the Angels system, and it is no secret why the Angels management have told teams he is unavailable for trades. His ETA is 2017, but if he dominates Double-A, like he has in every other level, there is chance you will see him in an Angels uniform sometime in 2016.