Baseball Beginnings

By John Klima
May 11, 2010

Had my first look at Santa Margarita left-hander Kyle Richter since Fall Ball.

Here, Richter was 88-91, commanding best with movement at 88-89, and bumping to 90-91 with some life. He had more power in September when I saw him in an Angel Elite inning pitch at 88-92 with one bump to 93. His change-up was 72-74 in that look and remains his best secondary weapon. Here, it was 75-77 (75) with some deception, movement and command. Richter does a good job of hiding the pitch, not tipping it, and throwing it from the same arm slot as his fastball.

In this look, he ran into two problems that will be reflected in adjustments to be made in the coming years. Richter will probably need a breaking ball that has more separation in stuff and speed from his change-up. He also needs to stay above his fastball and not short arm it so he’s not elevated. He lost his downhill plane in about the fourth inning of this game. These mechanical corrections in the coming years will likely help him take advantage of what you want to like about this pitcher. Richter has broad shoulders, long legs and a look that offers more physical projection in the future. He’ll help himself with strength and conditioning. He also trusts his change-up, which you absolutely can’t discount. There needs to be a more consistent third pitch here in the coming years, which when paired with his body type and arm strength, should give him a chance to become a very solid 3-pitch left-handed starter. He has also slowed down and simplified his mechanics from when I saw him last, a good sign for a young pitcher.

Watch Kyle Richter Scouting Video

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