Red Sox Prospect Isaac Coffey Is Opening Eyes From a Distinctive Slot

Isaac Coffey is quickly rising as a prospect to look at within the Red Sox system. Drafted within the tenth spherical final summer season out of Oral Roberts University, the 23-year-old right-hander logged a 2.83 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 60.1 innings at High-A Greenville earlier than being promoted to Double-A Portland per week in the past. His profile is exclusive. Our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen has described Coffey as having “a funky, drop-and-drive, low-slot delivery (but his arm action is super short, not typical of low-slot guys) that creates big lateral divergence between his fastball and slider.”

Coffey mentioned his four-pitch arsenal and his atypical arm slot previous to a latest sport at Portland’s Hadlock Field.

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David Laurila: Let’s begin with the self scouting report. What is your arsenal?

Isaac Coffey: “I’ve received a four-seam fastball. Lots of people assume it’s a sinker or a two-seam, however with the discharge top and my slot — I spin it between 2:15 and a pair of:30 on a clock, with 100% spin effectivity — it tends to appear like it’s rising, although it has extra run than experience. It performs up within the zone as a result of it’s coming from that decrease slot. It averages round 89 [mph], topping out at 91, however my command of it’s fairly good. I can place it on either side of the plate and use it at any time when I must.

“My changeup is a four-seam, mainly a circle change. I spin it actually good, and it’s received 100% spin effectivity, too. I spin it at like three o’clock to three:15, and that creates a whole lot of run. It’s mainly straight sideways however generally with a bit of detrimental drop. It’s at all times been my greatest off-speed pitch.

“I even have a slider and a cutter, each of which I developed this offseason. The cutter is simply an offset four-seam that I attempt to throw laborious. It will get a bit of little bit of arm-side run, however in comparison with the fastball… it in all probability has perceived minimize, however not precise minimize on the Trackman numbers. I’m getting extra comfy with that and have been utilizing it an increasing number of every outing.

“My slider is also getting better as the season goes on. It’s got that nine o’clock sideways spin. The command is getting a lot better, so I believe I can use it in a lot of counts right now.”

Laurila: How many inches of separation do you get in your fastball and changeup?

Coffey: “The changeup will run out a couple more inches than the fastball. It’s not a lot, maybe three or four more inches.”

Laurila: What about vertical?

Coffey: “The 60-foot numbers on TrackMan… I’m not exactly sure that I know. We use 40-foot numbers, and on 40-foot numbers my average fastball ride is 5.4 or 5.5 [inches]. I think that translates to around low teens on 60-foot numbers. My changeup is like zero to negative one, negative two, vertical.”

Laurila: What is the story behind your arm slot?

Coffey: “I was always a three-quarters guy, never straight over the top, and in my freshman year I had 14 starts while also playing some third base. Then, in my junior year [Coffey’s sophomore year coincided with the pandemic], I was fielding ground balls at third base and kind of throwing it over to first sidearm. Doing that felt natural. Our pitching coach saw that and was like, ‘Hey, let’s get you on the mound and play with some different arm slots.’ We did that, dropping way down to going higher up, and settled on the where I’m at right now. It felt comfortable, and my velo and movement both ticked up from where they had been.”

Laurila: Are there any low-slot guys you’d comp your supply to?

Coffey: “I don’t know if there are. I think I’m kind of unique in that I’m kind of drop-and-drive and not staying tall and slinging from the side. I get down in my legs. But 2:15 is basically… like, my thumb is straight out, and 2:15 is where my fingers are at, or 2:30, maybe three o’clock. I’m basically sidearm.”

Laurila: I’ve learn that your arm motion is shorter than most guys who throw from a low slot.

Coffey: “I can see that. A lot of guys will sling it from out here, and what I’m doing is… maybe it’s more like traditional, but throwing from the side? I don’t know.”

Laurila: Given your distinctive sidearm slot, lots of people are going to have a look at you and assume future reliever. That mentioned, you throw 4 pitches and have been having success as a starter.

Coffey: “Obviously, with whatever they want me to do, I’ll dive into that role as best as I can. Right now it’s being a starter. It’s what I’ve always done. I came out of the ‘pen once in high school and not at all in college. I threw two innings in the [Florida Complex League] after I got drafted, but that’s it as far as relieving. But again, whatever they want in the future, I’ll dive right into it.”

Laurila: Any closing ideas in your improvement as a pitcher?

Coffey: “I went to Driveline over the offseason. The Red Sox called and said, ‘Hey, we want to send you to Driveline; do you have an interest?’ I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’ So I went out there for a month in January. That’s basically where I learned my slider. I also did a velo program and some Plyo Ball and arm-care stuff. I worked a lot with Juan Rodriguez. I think he’s in Arizona now, but I went up to Seattle. It was a good experience.”