Alejandro Rosario is a right-handed pitcher out of Miami Christian High School in Miami Florida. Originally slated to be in the 2021 draft, the 18-year-old Rosario got reclassified to be eligible in this year’s draft. MLB.COM has Rosario listed as the 71st ranked prospect.
The 6’1″ 165 pound Rosario has already signed a National Letter of intent with the University of Miami but is also expected to be taken in this year’s draft. Depending on what scout you talk to Rosario could be a first-rounder or a second to third-rounder. Rosario does have quite possibly the most electric arm in this draft. At his age and size Rosario could get even better once he fills out his body.
The feeling is that if Rosario is not taken in the first round he might not sign a pro contract. Instead, he would attend Miami to improve his draft stock into a no-doubt first-round pick.
Strengths
Rosario’s fastball sits in the 93-95 MPH range. Despite Rosario’s small size, he can hit the gun in the 97-99 MPH range. His ability to attack hitters while showing command of the pitch is something most scouts love. Rosario also throws a split-change which is his best-offspeed pitch. Rosario also throws a slider and is also working on a cutter.
In his junior season, Rosario went 6-0 with a .81 ERA. He struck out 42 batters in just over 43 innings. His delivery is effortless and clean. Rosario’s arm strength and his competitive makeup is also a big strength. Despite being a little small and undersized Rosario is athletic and strong.
Last Summer Rosario played for Team USA’s 18U National Team. He pitched 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA and had nine strikeouts and two walks. He was one of the more reliable arms on the team.
Weaknesses
As good as Rosario’s fastball is he didn’t miss a lot of bats in the limited games he appeared in this year. Baseball America’s scouting report on Rosario has this to say: “Despite his pure stuff, scouts have some concerns about how everything plays. This spring, scouts noted that he wasn’t missing many bats, which is alarming considering his velocity was still up to 97. There’s not a lot of deception in Rosario’s operation, and scouts wonder how his fastball will play at the next level.”
Rosario’s secondary pitches also need to get better. There is a concern about whether he will have the repertoire and the command to be a starting pitcher. Rosario is described as more of a thrower than a pitcher and he does lose his release point at times. For this reason, he could be heading to college if he is not drafted in the first round.
MLB Comparision
With Rosario’s small frame and body type, it compares closely to David Cone. But that’s where the comparisons end. Cone is a much more refined pitcher who has multiple secondary pitches that were used as out pitches. Rosario’s future could very well be in the bullpen if he does not improve on his secondary pitches and location.
If you are reading into what the scouts are saying about Rosario you could compare him to Edwin Diaz. Diaz’ 6’3″ 165-pound frame compares to Rosario’s. Additionally, both can approach 100 MPH but as we saw from Diaz in the 2019 season if he is not missing bats the ball is going out of the ballpark.
Unlike Rosario, Diaz was the most dominant relief pitcher in baseball during the 2018 season. His slider was explosive during that season. Diaz does have seven years on Rosario. He is more of a project at this point than someone who is a sure-fire major league pitcher. Like Diaz he will need a few years of seasoning before being major league ready. If he gets drafted in the first round it will be because his fastball is too good to pass up.
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