Dylan Dodd

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #12 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: Dodd signed for an under-slot bonus of $125,000 in the third round of the 2021 draft and made his major league debut just two years after signing. He showed solid command and enough bat-missing traits in the lower minors, but in 2023 he got hit around more frequently in both Triple-A Gwinnett and in seven big league starts with the Braves. In seven big league starts, Dodd posted an 8.59 ERA, 7.76 FIP and allowed nine home runs.
  
  Scouting Report: Dodd is a pitchability lefthander with fringe-average pure stuff, but above-average strike throwing that has pushed him to the big leagues. He throws a fastball that sits in the 90-94 mph range and has been up to 96. He can locate the fastball to both sides of the plate nicely, but its fringy velocity and mediocre life means it gets hit hard. Likewise, Dodd has feel to land a gradual, low-80s slider and soft, low-80s changeup, but neither pitch has ever shown above-average bat-missing traits. Dodd added a mid-80s cutter to his arsenal in 2023 to provide a different look, and it could be effective to avoid barrels and keep the ball on the ground more frequently but its usage was minimal.
  
  The Future: Dodd has 40-man value as a depth starter or middle reliever, especially as a lefthanded pitcher, but he’ll need to add something more--power, sharper secondaries--to establish himself as a regular on a contending team.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 55
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #6 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Dodd to an under-slot bonus of $125,000 in the third round of the 2021 draft, using the savings there to go over slot to sign players such as seventh-rounder AJ Smith-Shawver and 11th-rounder Adam Shoemaker. The organization liked Dodd's talent, and he moved from High-A Rome to Triple-A Gwinnett in 2022, while posting a 5.4% walk rate. That was the third-best in the system among pitchers with at least 50 innings. His 142 innings ranked top 20 in the minors and speaks to his efficiency.
  
  Scouting Report: Dodd is regarded more for his pitchability than pure stuff, but his standout command of four-seam and two-seam fastballs sets up the rest of his arsenal. Dodd throws in the 91-92 mph range with his fastball and touches 95, with modest four-seam carry, but he threw each variant of his fastball for strikes more than 73% of the time in 2022. He uses his fastball to set up a slider and a changeup that are both in the low-to-mid 80s. Both pitches flash solid-average to above-average grades, though scouts think the slider is more of a gradual breaking pitch that will play up thanks to his ability to command it and mix it in with his other offerings. Dodd's changeup could be a tick ahead, though he throws the slider for strikes more often. If he can add more power to his breaking pitch, Dodd could improve his upside. But his stuff was good enough to miss bats even as he progressed to higher levels of the minors where he was more age-appropriate as a prospect.
  
  The Future: Dodd has pitched just 53 innings in the upper levels of the minors, but he's entering his age-25 season and could make his MLB debut in 2023. He has the command and stuff to serve as a swingman or middle reliever. If he develops more power, he could be more than that.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 50 Changeup: 50 Control: 60

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #181 prospect in 2021 draft
  Dodd has been consistently compared to Mets hurler Joey Lucchesi as a fellow southpaw out of Southeast Missouri State who added some velocity in college and was a JUCO transfer, and Lucchesi was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft and made the big leagues two years later. A two-way player through his playing days at Kankakee (Ill.) CC, Dodd has shown impressive athleticism and competitiveness. He’s one of the older players in this year’s draft at 23 years old, and in 15 starts for the Redhawks this season, he posted a 3.17 ERA over 96.2 innings, walking 17 and striking out 120 while holding opponents to a .227 average. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefthander was up to 96 last year, though he sat in the low 90s this season. His metrics are good and his fastball gets a ton of ride, leading to a lot of his success. He flashes a plus changeup to go along with a curveball and slider that are both average pitches, the latter getting a ton of swings and misses. He throws all four pitches for strikes, rarely makes a mistake over the heart of the plate, and he’s a safe bet as a high-likelihood major leaguer.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Dodd to an under-slot bonus of $125,000 in the third round of the 2021 draft, using the savings there to go over slot to sign players such as seventh-rounder AJ Smith-Shawver and 11th-rounder Adam Shoemaker. The organization liked Dodd's talent, and he moved from High-A Rome to Triple-A Gwinnett in 2022, while posting a 5.4% walk rate. That was the third-best in the system among pitchers with at least 50 innings. His 142 innings ranked top 20 in the minors and speaks to his efficiency.
  
  Scouting Report: Dodd is regarded more for his pitchability than pure stuff, but his standout command of four-seam and two-seam fastballs sets up the rest of his arsenal. Dodd throws in the 91-92 mph range with his fastball and touches 95, with modest four-seam carry, but he threw each variant of his fastball for strikes more than 73% of the time in 2022. He uses his fastball to set up a slider and a changeup that are both in the low-to-mid 80s. Both pitches flash solid-average to above-average grades, though scouts think the slider is more of a gradual breaking pitch that will play up thanks to his ability to command it and mix it in with his other offerings. Dodd's changeup could be a tick ahead, though he throws the slider for strikes more often. If he can add more power to his breaking pitch, Dodd could improve his upside. But his stuff was good enough to miss bats even as he progressed to higher levels of the minors where he was more age-appropriate as a prospect.
  
  The Future: Dodd has pitched just 53 innings in the upper levels of the minors, but he's entering his age-25 season and could make his MLB debut in 2023. He has the command and stuff to serve as a swingman or middle reliever. If he develops more power, he could be more than that.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 50 Changeup: 50 Control: 60
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: The Braves signed Dodd to an under-slot bonus of $125,000 in the third round of the 2021 draft, using the savings there to go over slot to sign players such as seventh-rounder AJ Smith-Shawver and 11th-rounder Adam Shoemaker. The organization liked Dodd's talent, and he moved from High-A Rome to Triple-A Gwinnett in 2022, while posting a 5.4% walk rate. That was the third-best in the system among pitchers with at least 50 innings. His 142 innings ranked top 20 in the minors and speaks to his efficiency.
  
  Scouting Report: Dodd is regarded more for his pitchability than pure stuff, but his standout command of four-seam and two-seam fastballs sets up the rest of his arsenal. Dodd throws in the 91-92 mph range with his fastball and touches 95, with modest four-seam carry, but he threw each variant of his fastball for strikes more than 73% of the time in 2022. He uses his fastball to set up a slider and a changeup that are both in the low-to-mid 80s. Both pitches flash solid-average to above-average grades, though scouts think the slider is more of a gradual breaking pitch that will play up thanks to his ability to command it and mix it in with his other offerings. Dodd's changeup could be a tick ahead, though he throws the slider for strikes more often. If he can add more power to his breaking pitch, Dodd could improve his upside. But his stuff was good enough to miss bats even as he progressed to higher levels of the minors where he was more age-appropriate as a prospect.
  
  The Future: Dodd has pitched just 53 innings in the upper levels of the minors, but he's entering his age-25 season and could make his MLB debut in 2023. He has the command and stuff to serve as a swingman or middle reliever. If he develops more power, he could be more than that.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50 Slider: 50 Changeup: 50 Control: 60
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Dodd has been consistently compared to Mets hurler Joey Lucchesi as a fellow southpaw out of Southeast Missouri State who added some velocity in college and was a JUCO transfer, and Lucchesi was selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft and made the big leagues two years later. A two-way player through his playing days at Kankakee (Ill.) CC, Dodd has shown impressive athleticism and competitiveness. He's one of the older players in this year's draft at 23 years old, and in 15 starts for the Redhawks this season, he posted a 3.17 ERA over 96.2 innings, walking 17 and striking out 120 while holding opponents to a .227 average. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound lefthander was up to 96 last year, though he sat in the low 90s this season. His metrics are good and his fastball gets a ton of ride, leading to a lot of his success. He flashes a plus changeup to go along with a curveball and slider that are both average pitches, the latter getting a ton of swings and misses. He throws all four pitches for strikes, rarely makes a mistake over the heart of the plate, and he's a safe bet as a high-likelihood major leaguer.