LHP Ryan Kellogg 5th Round (143rd Overall)- Chicago Cubs [Signed]
With the eighth pick of the fifth round (143rd overall) the Chicago Cubs selected collegiate left-handed pitcher Ryan Kellogg.
Kellogg has come to terms with his new team on a deal for slot money.
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Hometown: Whitby, Ontario
Teams: Arizona State, Ontario Prospects
Coaches: Tracy Smith, Rob Butler, Rick Butler
Twitter Handle: @RyanKellogg49
Scouts: Steve McFarland, Tim Wilken
Slot Money: $376,700
Signed For: $376,700
Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
Rated: 131st on Baseball America's top 500. 183rd on Perfect Game's top 500, 59th among college juniors, second among Canadians in college. 171st on MLB.com's top 200 Prospect Watch.
Scouting Reports:
MLB Prospect Watch
After a huge freshman year at Arizona State in 2013, it looked like Kellogg was pointing toward being one of the better college lefties in the Draft class of 2015. While he's been effective, he hasn't been quite as dominant as hoped.
At the outset, Kellogg looked more like a guy who would pitch in the low 90s with a power breaking ball. He's morphed a bit into more of a pitchability lefty, albeit one with three at least average offerings.
His fastball sits more in the 90-91 range with some solid life when he keeps it down in the zone. He can spin a decent breaking ball and he mixes in a changeup that will be at least Major League average as well. Kellogg doesn't hurt himself with walks, but also doesn't miss a ton of bats, pitching to contact.
Even if Kellogg didn't develop into the pitcher scouts thought he would be, he still profiles as a starter who really knows how to pitch, a value especially as Day 2 of the Draft unfolds.
Perfect Game
Standing at 6-foot-5, the tall lefthanded Kellogg has been most consistent arm for the Sun Devils this spring, giving Coach Tracy Smith a chance to win every night he takes the ball. Logging the third highest total of innings pitched in the Pac-12 this spring with 108 over 15 starts, which includes two complete games.
While his stuff isn’t completely overpowering, Kellogg shows an advanced overall feel on the mound, competing and pounding the strike zone with a full four-pitch mix. Almost always ahead in the count, Kellogg does a nice job of working both sides at the knees while showing the ability to pound in on the hands of hitters. Kellogg is able to work in the 89-92 mph range during the course of an outing, showing a fast arm through the backside while generating late life to his arm side.
Just like his fastball, the Ontario native lives low in the zone with the rest of his arsenal, creating ground ball contact early in the count. With an equally strong feel for both his changeup and curveball, Kellogg also shows a shorter and tighter slider throughout a game while varying the shape on his breaking balls. His changeup has served as a quality offering for him throughout last summer and this spring with late diving life to his arm side in the 79-81 mph range.