The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Emmet Sheehan with their sixth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, and since joining the organization, all the right-hander has done is shine.
Last season in the Arizona Fall League, Sheehan was drawing praise as someone who should have been a first-round pick. This year, the 23-year-old earned Pitcher of the Week honors for Week 6 in the AFL.
Even when Sheehan was struggling, he was still impressing scouts with a fastball that looks unhittable despite its lack of elite velocity, according to Zach Buchanan of The Athletic:
Funnily, multiple scouts who spoke for this piece saw him at his worst this fall, struggling to get out of the first inning, yet still came away impressed with the stuff. “I still put him in as a No. 5 starter,” said one. Most of the value comes from the fastball, which another scout described as “invisible.” The pitch sits in the mid-90s — it might play up when Sheehan isn’t pitching at the end of the longest season of his life — and coming from a low slot with good spin, it has a lot of carry that sneaks it past hitters. “One of the most live arms of any of the guys in the fall,” said one evaluator.
Sheehan finished his 2022 AFL campaign with a 3.54 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 20.1 innings pitched. He also set an AFL record by striking out eight batters in a row during a one-hit scoreless outing, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2005.
Although Sheehan is only ranked as the Dodgers’ No. 22 prospect, he reached Double-A Tulsa at the backend of the 2022 season and should continue to rise. He could eventually earn a spot in the Dodgers rotation, but also seems to have a strong floor as a relief pitcher.
Emmet Sheehan’s 2022 season
Sheehan began the season with the High-A Great Lakes Loons and pitched 63.2 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 2.18 FIP and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 14.28 batters per nine and walking 3.96 per nine. After being promoted to join the Drillers, he posted a 4.15 ERA, but it only came in 4.1 innings.
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