Colin Selby

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #30 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/High
  
  Track Record: After three seasons at Division III Randolph-Macon (Va.), Selby was selected by the Pirates in the 16th round of the 2018 draft. The team had plans for him to develop as a starter, but Tommy John surgery during the 2020 shutdown led to his conversion into a reliever. He’s been outstanding over the last two seasons at the upper levels, made his big league debut on Aug. 9 and pitched in 21 games. He struck out 30 in that time, but also walked 15 hitters in 24 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Selby works with a mix of velocity and spin, and his three-pitch mix is fronted by a two-seamer that averaged 97 mph. He backed the pitch with a slider in the high 80s and a curveball in the low 80s. Both breaking balls feature spin rates in the 2,600 rpm range. In the big leagues, Selby favored the slider over the curveball. His curveball is well below-average, however, and he issued far too many walks at both Triple-A and in the big leagues.
  
  The Future: Simply put, Selby needs to throw more strikes. His stuff is excellent, but it will make no difference if he cannot find the zone with much greater frequency. If he does, he fits as a late-inning reliever. If he doesn’t, he will ride the shuttle back and forth to Indianapolis.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 30 | Slider: 60 | Control: 30
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #26 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Selby was a three-year starter at Division III Randolph-Macon (Va.) College and became the seventh draft pick in program history when the Pirates selected him in the 16th round in 2018, signing him to a $125,000 bonus. Pittsburgh initially deployed him as a starter, but Selby had Tommy John during the shutdown in 2020 and returned as a reliever. He spent most of 2022 with Double-A Altoona, where he struck out nearly 30% of batters faced, although he missed two months due to injury.
  
  Scouting Report: From the fastball touching 99 mph to the wipeout slider and even the big, bushy beard, Selby's entire operation screams power reliever. He has steadily added velocity since turning pro and his fastball now sits in the upper 90s. Both his offspeed pitches are nasty. He snaps off an upper-80s slider with considerable depth that rates as one of the best sliders in Pittsburgh's system and batters whiffed on it more than 70% of the time. Selby also mixes in a sweeping low-80s curve. Command isn't a strength. Selby attacks hitters with brute force, falling toward the first base line as he finishes his delivery.
  
  The Future: Selby has the ceiling of a hard-throwing late-inning reliever if he can throw enough strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 60. Control: 40

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Selby was a three-year starter at Division III Randolph-Macon (Va.) College and became the seventh draft pick in program history when the Pirates selected him in the 16th round in 2018, signing him to a $125,000 bonus. Pittsburgh initially deployed him as a starter, but Selby had Tommy John during the shutdown in 2020 and returned as a reliever. He spent most of 2022 with Double-A Altoona, where he struck out nearly 30% of batters faced, although he missed two months due to injury.
  
  Scouting Report: From the fastball touching 99 mph to the wipeout slider and even the big, bushy beard, Selby's entire operation screams power reliever. He has steadily added velocity since turning pro and his fastball now sits in the upper 90s. Both his offspeed pitches are nasty. He snaps off an upper-80s slider with considerable depth that rates as one of the best sliders in Pittsburgh's system and batters whiffed on it more than 70% of the time. Selby also mixes in a sweeping low-80s curve. Command isn't a strength. Selby attacks hitters with brute force, falling toward the first base line as he finishes his delivery.
  
  The Future: Selby has the ceiling of a hard-throwing late-inning reliever if he can throw enough strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 60. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Selby was a three-year starter at Division III Randolph-Macon (Va.) College and became the seventh draft pick in program history when the Pirates selected him in the 16th round in 2018, signing him to a $125,000 bonus. Pittsburgh initially deployed him as a starter, but Selby had Tommy John during the shutdown in 2020 and returned as a reliever. He spent most of 2022 with Double-A Altoona, where he struck out nearly 30% of batters faced, although he missed two months due to injury.
  
  Scouting Report: From the fastball touching 99 mph to the wipeout slider and even the big, bushy beard, Selby's entire operation screams power reliever. He has steadily added velocity since turning pro and his fastball now sits in the upper 90s. Both his offspeed pitches are nasty. He snaps off an upper-80s slider with considerable depth that rates as one of the best sliders in Pittsburgh's system and batters whiffed on it more than 70% of the time. Selby also mixes in a sweeping low-80s curve. Command isn't a strength. Selby attacks hitters with brute force, falling toward the first base line as he finishes his delivery.
  
  The Future: Selby has the ceiling of a hard-throwing late-inning reliever if he can throw enough strikes.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 60. Slider: 60. Control: 40