Law: Dodgers' Maddux Bruns looks electric, plus a name to remember – Scouting the Cactus League's back fields - The Athletic

Maddux Bruns was the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2021, the final selection of the round after an up-and-down year that saw the Alabama high school lefty show premium stuff but often struggled with strikes. He’s been absolutely electric so far in spring training, showing the kind of pure stuff on Friday that might make teams question why he wasn’t the first high school pitcher off the board.

Bruns was 94-96 mph in a Low-A game against the White Sox on Friday afternoon, locating the pitch to both sides of the plate – a world away from the way he was scattering the ball in the summer before his senior year. He showed a plus-plus curveball at 75-78 mph that had tight two-plane break, and he threw it for strikes. He also showed a plus changeup with hard tumble and flashed a slider that might have been above-average too. Left-handed batters had no chance against him – more on that in a moment – and right-handers didn’t fare a lot better.

Bruns has always had a good delivery and his trouble throwing strikes was a mystery, with scouts questioning his feel to pitch, his toughness and his makeup. It’s only spring training, of course, but this is elite, elite stuff for a left-hander at any age, let alone a 19-year-old. He may start walking guys left and right when the bell rings in April, but if he carries this aggressive, strike-throwing approach over into the regular season, he’s going to be one of the top pitching prospects in the minors.

• Two of the left-handed bats he demolished were the White Sox’s first two picks from 2021, infielders Colson Montgomery and Wes Kath, neither of whom had a prayer against Bruns’ breaking stuff. Montgomery at least grounded out against a fastball, although he ran well below average on it.

source: https://theathletic.com/3210722/2022/03/26/law-dodgers-maddux-bruns-looks-electric-plus-a-name-to-remember-scouting-the-cactus-leagues-back-fields/

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