Ten Underrated Pitching Prospects Impressing Early In 2023

The early weeks of the season are a great time to dig into which players have shown improved skills. That can often come in the form of recent draftees, or lower-level prospects that have added or improved their abilities over the offseason.

Here we examine 10 pitching prospects showing improved stuff or command over the opening month of the season. Many of these players were off the prospect radar entering the season, with some not even ranking among their organization’s Top 30 Prospects. Pitchers, unlike hitters, can often change their arsenal by adding new pitches, adjusting grips on their current pitches or by adding velocity across their mix. Many of the names listed below have done just that.

Nick Frasso, RHP, Dodgers: Acquired by the Dodgers in the trade that sent Mitch White to the Blue Jays, Frasso looks like the next Dodgers breakout pitching prospect. The case can be made that Frasso has already broken out. Over his first five appearances in 2023, Frasso has allowed just three earned runs across 22 innings, striking out 30 batters and walking five. Frasso’s pitch mix consists of an upper-90s fastball that has touched 100 mph, an upper-80s gyro slider, a changeup in the mid 80s with heavy arm-side run and a cutter. He mixes a four-seam and sinker variation but a majority of his fastball usage comes from the four-seamer. A high-octane arm who can flourish in a variety of roles, after an injury plagued start to his professional career, Frasso is showing signs he might be a viable starting pitching prospect.

Justin Jarvis, RHP, Brewers: It’s taken a handful of years for Jarvis to trend upward, but the early returns point to an improved pitcher in 2023. Jarvis was drafted in the fifth round of 2018 out of Lake Norman High in Mooresville, N.C. and slowly matriculated through the minor leagues, reaching Double-A at the end of 2022. Jarvis had a strong but not overly impressive season in 2022 and showed no reason to be considered a potential breakout prospect heading into 2023. However, after four starts Jarvis is flashing improved stuff and performance. He’s allowed just four earned runs over 23 innings so far this season, striking out 32.6% of batters he’s faced while walking just 6.7%. This is all good enough for a 1.57 ERA and a 3.29 xFIP. The stuff is up this season for Jarvis as he’s seen a velocity bump of at least one mph across his entire arsenal. He’s throwing a splitter now in lieu of the more standard changeup he threw in 2022…