Ray Kerr

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #15 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: Kerr pitched Lassen (Calif.) JC to the verge of a conference title in 2017 and followed with a star turn in the Alaska Baseball League. The Mariners signed him for $5,000 as an undrafted free agent and dabbled with him as a starter before making him a full-time reliever. The Padres acquired Kerr in the deal that sent Adam Frazier to the Mariners and have called up him several times over the last two years. He had his best season in 2023, when his strikeout rate jumped from 14.3% to 30.7% and his walk rate shriveled from 19.1% to 7.9%. Kerr was dealt again during the 2023/2024 offseson, joining the Braves in a deal that saw Atlanta effectively pay for Kerr’s acquisition by being willing to also acquire Matt Carpenter, who the Braves immediately released.
  
  Scouting Report: Moving to relief made Kerr one of the hardest-throwing lefthanders in the minors. His fastball averages 97 mph and can touch triple-digits out a low arm slot. His fastball gets on batters quicker than they expect out of his low-effort delivery, resulting in late swings and misses. Kerr backs up his fastball with an above-average, bendy curveball in the low-80s that has emerged as his best swing-and-miss pitch. He also has a fringy, firm, seldom-used changeup in the low-90s. Kerr has fringy control and struggles to throw strikes at times, but his stuff is good enough to get outs even when he misses his spots.
  
  The Future: Kerr will get every opportunity to seize a middle relief job in 2024. He has the stuff to pitch in high-leverage situations.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #20 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Kerr pitched Lassen (Calif.) JC to the verge of a conference title in 2017 and followed with a star turn in the Alaska Baseball League. He led the summer league with a 1.13 ERA and finished third with 48 strikeouts while touching 93 mph from the left side, leading the Mariners to sign him as an undrafted free agent for $5,000. Kerr initially worked as a starter, but he moved to the bullpen full-time in 2021 and vaulted to Triple-A. The Padres acquired him after the season as one of two prospects for Adam Frazier.
  
  Scouting Report: Kerr’s stuff ticked up in relief to make him one of the minors’ hardest-throwing lefthanders. His fastball averages 97 mph and touches 101 mph out a low arm slot that makes for a tough angle on hitters. The ball gets on batters quicker than they expect out of his low-effort delivery, resulting in late swings and misses. Kerr’s sweeping 80-84 mph slider flashes average with late downward bite and is effective against lefties, while his changeup is a well below-average pitch he rarely uses. Kerr is an excellent athlete who throws down vicious dunks on a basketball court, but his control is just fringy.
  
  The Future: Kerr is on track to be a hard-throwing, lefthanded middle reliever. He should make his major league debut in 2022.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: Kerr pitched Lassen (Calif.) JC to the verge of a conference title in 2017 and followed with a star turn in the Alaska Baseball League. He led the summer league with a 1.13 ERA and finished third with 48 strikeouts while touching 93 mph from the left side, leading the Mariners to sign him as an undrafted free agent for $5,000. Kerr initially worked as a starter, but he moved to the bullpen full-time in 2021 and vaulted to Triple-A. The Padres acquired him after the season as one of two prospects for Adam Frazier.
  
  Scouting Report: Kerr&#39s stuff ticked up in relief to make him one of the minors&#39 hardest-throwing lefthanders. His fastball averages 97 mph and touches 101 mph out a low arm slot that makes for a tough angle on hitters. The ball gets on batters quicker than they expect out of his low-effort delivery, resulting in late swings and misses. Kerr&#39s sweeping 80-84 mph slider flashes average with late downward bite and is effective against lefties, while his changeup is a well below-average pitch he rarely uses. Kerr is an excellent athlete who throws down vicious dunks on a basketball court, but his control is just fringy.
  
  The Future: Kerr is on track to be a hard-throwing, lefthanded middle reliever. He should make his major league debut in 2022.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Kerr pitched Lassen (Calif.) JC to the verge of a conference title in 2017 and followed with a star turn in the Alaska Baseball League. He led the summer league with a 1.13 ERA and finished third with 48 strikeouts while touching 93 mph from the left side, leading the Mariners to sign him as an undrafted free agent for $5,000. Kerr initially worked as a starter, but he moved to the bullpen full-time in 2021 and vaulted to Triple-A. The Padres acquired him after the season as one of two prospects for Adam Frazier.
  
  Scouting Report: Kerr’s stuff ticked up in relief to make him one of the minors’ hardest-throwing lefthanders. His fastball averages 97 mph and touches 101 mph out a low arm slot that makes for a tough angle on hitters. The ball gets on batters quicker than they expect out of his low-effort delivery, resulting in late swings and misses. Kerr’s sweeping 80-84 mph slider flashes average with late downward bite and is effective against lefties, while his changeup is a well below-average pitch he rarely uses. Kerr is an excellent athlete who throws down vicious dunks on a basketball court, but his control is just fringy.
  
  The Future: Kerr is on track to be a hard-throwing, lefthanded middle reliever. He should make his major league debut in 2022.