Player: Keegan Thompson
Position: Right-Handed Pitcher
Height: 6’1 Weight: 210 Age: 25 Bats/Throws: R/R Current Level: AA Tennessee
MLB.com Rank: 11th in Cubs System
Drafted: 2017 (3rd Round, 105th Overall by Cubs)
Hometown: Cullman, AL
College: Auburn
The Cubs selected Thompson in the third-round in 2017. He was one of a bunch of college pitchers taken by the Cubs in the early rounds of that 2017 draft. He made it all the way up to Double-A in 2018 and posted a 3.61 ERA in 129.2 innings (A+ Myrtle Beach and AA Tennessee combined). Injuries hit Thompson in 2019 as he made it only five innings before missing the rest of the season with elbow inflammation. He is currently practicing in South Bend and on the Cubs 60-man roster this season, but he is not part of the 40-man.
Scouting Grades
Thompson’s stuff and command are good enough to project him as a pretty reliable fifth-starter/long-reliever. He won’t blow major-league hitters away; his fastball sits 90-92 mph, so he pitches off of his breaking stuff. He has a curveball (75-78 mph), which was his main strikeout weapon in college and a slider (82-84 mph) which gives him plenty of options to keep hitters off-balanced. He’s able to use his changeup (82-84 mph) well in conjunction with his fastball as they have a similar plane: making them difficult for hitters to distinguish.
Thompson keeps hitters guessing with his four-pitch mix and ability to use all areas of the strike-zone. He limits his walks and home runs allowed; which is just another reason he should be able to succeed in a fifth/spot-starter role.
Keegan Thompson Stats
