Back in the 11th round of the 2018 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected a BIG right-hander from North Carolina. When I say big I mean big. The 6’7 and 220-pound right-hander is reliever, Tanner Myatt. Myatt is a big prospect with a big-time arm. Myatt only has two pitches that he likes to throw and that would be his fastball which can touch 99 MPH and a decent curveball that sits in the low 80s. He has a good feel for both of those pitches and when he’s on, he can strike a lot of guys out. In a way, he reminds me of Dellin Betances but with an easier delivery. The delivery is easier to repeat which would give you hope that he would have good control, but that was one of the things that hindered Myatt in the 2019 season.
Big-Time Arm
In his second season of pro ball in the Yankees organization, Myatt made 19 appearances for the Charleston Riverdogs last year. In those 19 games, Myatt went 3-3 with a 4.24 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched. Starting with the positives, Myatt is really hard to square up. He held opponents to a batting average of just .157 last year. In addition to holding guys to a low batting average, he struck out a lot of guys averaging just under nine strikeouts per nine innings. However, there was one giant number that was alarming to see. In 40.1 innings Myatt had a very poor WHIP of 1.64 due to the insane amount of walks. He gave up 45 walks last year giving him a higher walk rate than his strikeout rate. In watching Myatt, it’s very clear that he’s a hot and cold pitcher. When he comes in and he’s on, he can sit down all three guys in the order via strikeout. If he’s not, you might see him throw 12 balls in a row to load the bases before he gets the hook. There is a lot to like about the arm that Myatt possesses, but there’s also reason to pause.
Command is Key
When Myatt gets back to pro-action, it’s very clear what he needs to work on. He needs to sharpen up the command of both his fastball and his curveball. He’s got a big-time arm with plus potential, but you definitely could not trust him at this stage in a high leverage situation. Over the next couple of seasons, Myatt needs to continue to look to stay in the strike zone with consistency. If he’s able to come out next year and do that, he’s the type of guy who can soar through the Yankees minor league system. Unlike other pitching prospects, there is no secret as to what type of pitcher Tanner Myatt is. He is a reliever through and through and that is how he’s going to be developed. With the fastball he has and the plus curveball, he’s the type of guy that you could see have a big impact on the Yankees bullpen one day. At this stage, we are far from that, but he’s definitely someone to keep an eye on as he continues to develop.