Bryce Elder Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

IP	16.1
ERA	3.31
WHIP	1.16
BB/9	2.76
SO/9	9.92

Full name Bryce Cason Elder
Born 05/19/1999 in Decatur, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas
Debut 04/12/2022
Drafted in the 5th round (156th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2020 (signed for $847,500).

View Draft Report

A polished college righthander with a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, Elder doesn’t have the sexiest package of stuff, but he does have a solid three-pitch mix, an advanced feel for pitching and a solid track record of starting. After an iffy freshman season out of the bullpen (5.55 ERA in 35.2 innings), Elder shined in a starting role as a sophomore, posting a 2.93 ERA in 13 starts and 83 innings, with 86 strikeouts and 33 walks. He was having the same success through four starts in an abbreviated 2020 season, posting a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings with 32 strikeouts and seven walks. Elder throws a sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range that induces plenty of groundouts, a slider that is his current out pitch and potentially an above-average offering, and a changeup that improved last fall. The sinker/slider combination is his bread and butter at the moment, but Elder is smart on the mound and has a good idea of what to go to in different situations. Elder is the type of player whose track record is heavily beneficial for his draft stock, so another strong season as a starter would have helped his cause, but teams should still feel relatively safe with his package of strike-throwing and a quality three-pitch mix.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: Elder emerged as Texas’ ace as a sophomore and was off to a strong start as a junior in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the college season. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an over-slot $847,500 bonus. Elder made his pro debut in 2021 and rocketed up the system, jumping from High-A and Triple-A to leading the minors with 137.2 innings pitched on his way to being named the Braves’ minor league pitcher of the year.

Scouting Report: While the Braves have no shortage of pitchers with elite fastballs, Elder is a different type of pitcher with a five-pitch mix and arguably the best pitchability in the organization. He is a cerebral pitcher who has an advanced level of preparation, understands what he does well and knows how best to attack opposing hitters. Elder primarily uses a 90-94 mph sinker, a mid-80s slider with standout depth and an above-average changeup he is comfortable throwing in any situation. He also throws a four-seam fastball and an average curveball. Elder induces plenty of ground balls (56.9% ground ball rate) and has the secondary stuff to miss bats as well. He has the potential for above-average control but still adjusting his game to the professional strike zone, which doesn’t allow him to work side-to-side as much as he did in college. Elder is very durable and has demonstrated his ability to work efficiently deep into games.

The Future: Elder is the safe bet to be a back-of-the-rotation starter with enough quality offspeed stuff to miss bats. He’s in position to make his major league debut in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Elder spent his freshman year as a reliever at Texas before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He quickly became one of the Longhorns' top starters and was off to a dominant start in 2020 before the season shut down. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an above-slot $847,500 bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Elder has a solid three-pitch mix and throws lots of strikes. He throws his sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range and his above-average slider is his out pitch. He also mixes in a solid changeup. While other pitchers have more stuff, Elder is a safer bet to remain a starter. He has an advanced feel for pitching and the Braves love his ability to manipulate the baseball. They think he can successfully add a four-seam fastball and curveball to his arsenal to develop a vertical pitch profile in addition to his current horizontal sinker/slider profile. Elder avoids damage by inducing lots of groundouts and is a smart pitcher who knows what to throw in what situations.

THE FUTURE: Elder has a chance to be back-of-the-rotation starter. His pro debut awaits in 2021.

Draft Prospects

A polished college righthander with a 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame, Elder doesn’t have the sexiest package of stuff, but he does have a solid three-pitch mix, an advanced feel for pitching and a solid track record of starting. After an iffy freshman season out of the bullpen (5.55 ERA in 35.2 innings), Elder shined in a starting role as a sophomore, posting a 2.93 ERA in 13 starts and 83 innings, with 86 strikeouts and 33 walks. He was having the same success through four starts in an abbreviated 2020 season, posting a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings with 32 strikeouts and seven walks. Elder throws a sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range that induces plenty of groundouts, a slider that is his current out pitch and potentially an above-average offering, and a changeup that improved last fall. The sinker/slider combination is his bread and butter at the moment, but Elder is smart on the mound and has a good idea of what to go to in different situations. Elder is the type of player whose track record is heavily beneficial for his draft stock, so another strong season as a starter would have helped his cause, but teams should still feel relatively safe with his package of strike-throwing and a quality three-pitch mix.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade: 45/Medium

Track Record: The Braves drafted Elder in the fifth round of the 2020 draft, signing him for an over slot $847,500 bonus after he posted a 2.08 ERA in four starts and 26 innings during the covid shortened season. In his first full pro season, Elder led all minor league pitchers with 137.2 innings, went from High-A to Triple-A and was named Atlanta&#39s minor league pitcher of the year.

Scouting Report: While Atlanta has no shortage of elite fastball arms, Elder is a different sort of pitcher, with a five-pitch mix and perhaps the best pitchability in the organization. Braves officials think Elder is at another level in terms of preparation, an understanding of what he does well and how best to attack opposing hitters. He primarily uses a 90-94 mph sinker, mid-80s slider that features standout depth and an above-average changeup that he is comfortable using in any count and in any situation. He also throws a four-seam fastball and curveball. Elder induces plenty of ground balls (56.9% ground ball rate) but has the secondary stuff to miss bats as well. He walked 10.2% of batters and is still adjusting his game to the pro strike zone, which doesn&#39t allow him to work as much side-to-side like he did in college.

The Future: There are higher-upside arms with better stuff in Atlanta&#39s system, but Elder is the safest bet to start, with quality off-speed that should keep him off enough bats at the next level. He showed an ability to work deep and efficiently in games, throwing seven innings six times and never threw more than 99 pitches in a game.

Tool Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.
Track Record: Elder emerged as Texas’ ace as a sophomore and was off to a strong start as a junior in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the college season. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an over-slot $847,500 bonus. Elder made his pro debut in 2021 and rocketed up the system, jumping from High-A and Triple-A to leading the minors with 137.2 innings pitched on his way to being named the Braves’ minor league pitcher of the year.

Scouting Report: While the Braves have no shortage of pitchers with elite fastballs, Elder is a different type of pitcher with a five-pitch mix and arguably the best pitchability in the organization. He is a cerebral pitcher who has an advanced level of preparation, understands what he does well and knows how best to attack opposing hitters. Elder primarily uses a 90-94 mph sinker, a mid-80s slider with standout depth and an above-average changeup he is comfortable throwing in any situation. He also throws a four-seam fastball and an average curveball. Elder induces plenty of ground balls (56.9% ground ball rate) and has the secondary stuff to miss bats as well. He has the potential for above-average control but still adjusting his game to the professional strike zone, which doesn’t allow him to work side-to-side as much as he did in college. Elder is very durable and has demonstrated his ability to work efficiently deep into games.

The Future: Elder is the safe bet to be a back-of-the-rotation starter with enough quality offspeed stuff to miss bats. He’s in position to make his major league debut in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Elder spent his freshman year as a reliever at Texas before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He quickly became one of the Longhorns' top starters and was off to a dominant start in 2020 before the season shut down. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an above-slot $847,500 bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Elder has a solid three-pitch mix and throws lots of strikes. He throws his sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range and his above-average slider is his out pitch. He also mixes in a solid changeup. While other pitchers have more stuff, Elder is a safer bet to remain a starter. He has an advanced feel for pitching and the Braves love his ability to manipulate the baseball. They think he can successfully add a four-seam fastball and curveball to his arsenal to develop a vertical pitch profile in addition to his current horizontal sinker/slider profile. Elder avoids damage by inducing lots of groundouts and is a smart pitcher who knows what to throw in what situations.

THE FUTURE: Elder has a chance to be back-of-the-rotation starter. His pro debut awaits in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Elder spent his freshman year as a reliever at Texas before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He quickly became one of the Longhorns' top starters and was off to a dominant start in 2020 before the season shut down. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an above-slot $847,500 bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Elder has a solid three-pitch mix and throws lots of strikes. He throws his sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range and his above-average slider is his out pitch. He also mixes in a solid changeup. While other pitchers have more stuff, Elder is a safer bet to remain a starter. He has an advanced feel for pitching and the Braves love his ability to manipulate the baseball. They think he can successfully add a four-seam fastball and curveball to his arsenal to develop a vertical pitch profile in addition to his current horizontal sinker/slider profile. Elder avoids damage by inducing lots of groundouts and is a smart pitcher who knows what to throw in what situations.

THE FUTURE: Elder has a chance to be back-of-the-rotation starter. His pro debut awaits in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Elder spent his freshman year as a reliever at Texas before moving into the rotation as a sophomore. He quickly became one of the Longhorns' top starters and was off to a dominant start in 2020 before the season shut down. The Braves drafted him in the fifth round and signed him for an above-slot $847,500 bonus.

SCOUTING REPORT: Elder has a solid three-pitch mix and throws lots of strikes. He throws his sinking fastball in the 88-93 mph range and his above-average slider is his out pitch. He also mixes in a solid changeup. While other pitchers have more stuff, Elder is a safer bet to remain a starter. He has an advanced feel for pitching and the Braves love his ability to manipulate the baseball. They think he can successfully add a four-seam fastball and curveball to his arsenal to develop a vertical pitch profile in addition to his current horizontal sinker/slider profile. Elder avoids damage by inducing lots of groundouts and is a smart pitcher who knows what to throw in what situations.

THE FUTURE: Elder has a chance to be back-of-the-rotation starter. His pro debut awaits in 2021.