re: The ATL Thread: Offseason Edition

Write up on Fried before this season and his TJ surgery:

The Year in Review: One of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the game, Fried is quite polished for a teenager with just two pro seasons under his belt. He spent the 2013 season in Low-A ball where he allowed just 107 hits in 118.2 innings of work. He struggled a little more with his control than expected and he issued 56 free passes.

The Scouting Report: Fried does an outstanding job of staying on top of his pitches and pounds the lower half of the zone. Fried’s repertoire includes two potentially plus offerings in his low-to-mid-90s fastball and curveball. His changeup needs more development than the other two pitches but it should be average or better in time. He nibbles more than he needs to given his solid present stuff, which led to the higher walk rate, as well as a lower strikeout rate.

The Year Ahead: Fried will move up to High-A ball in 2014 but he could actually spend more time in Double-A. He could push for a big league promotion by the end of 2015.

The Career Outlook: Fried has the potential to develop into a No. 2 starter with the ability to rack up both strikeouts and ground-ball outs.