Phil Bickford Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, Mlb Draft, Prospects

TRACK RECORD: Bickford was drafted 10th overall by the Blue Jays out of high school, didn't sign and was picked in the first round again when the Giants selected him 18th overall in 2015. The Brewers acquired him one year later in the deal for lefthander Will Smith. Bickford flamed out as a starter and moved to the bullpen during the 2018 season. He had several strong outings at the alternate training site in 2020 and got called up for his major league debut on Sept. 1.

SCOUTING REPORT: Bickford overhauled his mechanics and now relies on deception and angle to help his stuff play up. His velocity is below-average, sitting 88-91 mph and scraping 93 mph, down from the mid 90s he sat as an amateur. Bickford has a crossfire delivery where he jumps toward the third base side, creating a difficult angle for righthanded hitters. Along with the movement on his fastball, he gets more uncomfortable swings than would otherwise be expected. Bickford's low-80s slider is a fringy pitch that sweeps across the zone and relies more on his angle than the quality of the pitch. Control was an issue earlier in Bickford's career, but he has made significant strides throwing strikes.

THE FUTURE: Bickford will need more minor league time to begin 2021. He projects as a middle reliever.