Seattle Mariners Top Five Impact Rookies to Watch in 2020
Justus Sheffield, Seattle Mariners.
3. Justus Sheffield – Starting Pitcher
Justus Sheffield has several things going for him. First, Sheffield is left-handed in a game that favors lefties. Next, he is only 24-years-old with a live arm. Also, the 2014 first-round pick has a nasty slider with a penchant for avoiding lumber. All the above puts him in a position to be a Seattle Mariners mainstay this season.
Among the rookie hurlers, Sheffield has the best opportunity to make an impact. He pitched well enough in spring training to claim the fourth spot in Servais’ rotation. At summer camp, Sheffield has been equally as good if not better. Unless the lefty gets hurt, or bombs horrendously, he’ll be on the mound every fifth (or sixth) day.
Not the fastest pitcher on the team, his fastball regularly clocks in the low- 90s. Now and then, Sheffield gets a little extra on it. His lively slider, as mentioned earlier, is more than MLB ready. Sheffield needs to do a better job with his control, as he can get wild. In 2019 he made eight appearances, yielding 18 walks in 36 innings. That won’t cut it in the bigs.
What will help Sheffield more than anything this season is an improved changeup. He has to throw it with confidence to keep hitters off balance. Confidence is the right word to use. The more trust Sheffield has in his abilities, the more effective he becomes.
#Mariners No. 9 prospect Justus Sheffield turned in his best #MLB outing so far today vs. the #Cubs:
5 IP
0 R
5 H
2 BB
7 KLive @Mariners prospect stats: https://t.co/afsK1QjS9u pic.twitter.com/YUhkDjdjLv
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 2, 2019