The end of high school brings drastic change for so many young adults. They must decide on a life path, usually centered around where to go to college, if at all. Normally when one opts to not go to college, it is to enter the workforce picking up honorable jobs that do not need the schooling that higher education provides. It is rare that the decision not to attend college is because the opportunity to become a professional athlete presents itself, but that is the situation for high-school pitcher JJ Goss.
JJ Goss MLB Draft Profile
JJ Goss is a standout pitcher from Cypress Ranch High School in Texas. He throws right handed, and he is currently the 24th ranked draft prospect according to MLB.com. The eighteen-year-old hurler is listed at six-feet-three-inches tall weighing 185 pounds. Currently, Goss is committed to pitch at Texas A&M.
Stengths
Goss has a solid repertoire, featuring a fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball sits in the 90-92 MPH range, but scouts expect him to grow into his frame and be able throw in the mid-90s more consistently. That pitch has a 55/80 grade.
In terms of scouting grades, Goss’s best pitch is his slider, felt to be a 60/80. His slider is one of the best in the draft among high school pitchers, and it is a low-80s breaker with late bite and occasional two-plane depth. Goss also has a good feel for his chanegup with similar velocity as the slider and occasional fade.
One of the toughest things for a pitcher to do is to repeat his mechanics pitch after pitch, but this is not the case for Goss. In fact, he repeats his motions very well. He has a quick, whip-like arm that works for his motion. Overall, he should hold up as a major league started once he adds additional strength.
Weaknesses
Goss’s greatest weakness is his size. While there is the potential for him to grow into his body, his frame is a little undersized in present day. Therefore, a lot of his potential is reliant on whether he can fill into that frame as scouts hope he can.
Another con to his game is his athleticism where he may not even be the most athletic pitcher on his own team. Cypress Ranch High School has seen its fair share of notable pitching prospects over the recent years. In 2018, they had three premium arms, including Goss, Matthew Thompson, and Ty Madden.
Madden has since graduated, but Thompson and Goss have been leading the charge this season. Thompson is more so the superior athlete of the two which has been noted by scouts. This actually resulted in Thompson being higher on draft radars than Goss at the start of the season. Athleticism aside, Goss has clearly out-pitched Thompson this season propelling him up the draft boards to his current rankings.
MLB Comparison
Goss compares well to the likes of Luis Cessa, who appears out of the bullpen and makes spot starts for the New York Yankees. Cessa illustrates the importance of Goss being able to fill out his frame. Goss is three inches taller than Cessa, but 20 pounds lighter. Ideally, 205 pounds (Cessa’s weight) is a good ballpark for where Goss needs to get.
Cessa also throws a similar repertoire to Goss although Cessa’s time in the league has allowed him to develop a larger repertoire, featuring the same three pitches as Goss plus a sinker and a curveball.
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