- Full name Joseph Tyson Floyd
- Born 08/28/2001 in Rome, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 194 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Louisiana State
-
Drafted in the CB-A round (38th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 (signed for $2,097,500).
View Draft Report
School: Louisiana State Source: 4YR
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.9
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Fastball: 65. Slider: 45. Curveball: 45. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
Floyd ranked as the No. 282 prospect in the 2022 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, but went unselected and returned to a loaded LSU team for his third collegiate season. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthander, Floyd has a quick arm, with an athletic and loose delivery and three-quarter slot. After pitching in the bullpen as a freshman, Floyd started half the time in 2022 and then transitioned to a full-time starter role in 2023, where he posted a 4.35 ERA over 91 innings, with a 31% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate. He entered legendary LSU status after he struck out 17 batters in eight innings against Florida in the College World Series finals. Floyd developed a reputation as a one-pitch arm thanks to the 81% usage rate of his fastball in 2022. He went to the pitch often for good reason. It averaged 94-95 mph this spring and touched 98, with excellent riding life and 19 inches of induced vertical break that generates tons of whiffs at the top of the zone. He did dial that usage rate down to just 70% in 2023 thanks to improved breaking stuff. Floyd throws a low-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball, and while they are both still fringy at times, he’s improved them enough to at least glimpse a potential average breaking ball in the future. Floyd also throws a low-80s changeup that’s mostly a change-of-pace look against lefties, but did generate a 44% whiff rate this spring.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
BA Grade: 50/High
Track Record: Floyd was a draft-eligible sophomore in 2022, but he returned to Louisiana State both to try to win a national title and to show he could be a dominat starter after spending much of his first two years in the bullpen. Mission accomplished. Floyd showed continual improvement throughout the course of the season, culminating with a standout performance in the College World Series. After tying a career high with 10 strikeouts in his first start in Omaha, Floyd fanned 17 Florida batters in eight innings to help LSU win Game One of the CWS championship series in his final college outing.
Scouting Report: Floyd still offers some reminders that he was a reliever until relatively recently. Floyd’s best pitch is his nearly double-plus four-seam fastball, and he relies on it heavily. When he’s on, it’s a nearly unhittable pitch at the top of the zone thanks to the combination of 93-98 mph velocity, a flat plane and well above-average carry. He did a solid job of developing his fringe-average slider and curve in 2023, and he’s shown some feel for an average changeup that is largely a pitch he uses to neutralize lefthanded hitters.
The Future: Like fellow College World Series attendee Rhett Lowder, the Reds did not have Floyd throw in games after signing. He’ll be making his pro debut in 2024. Floyd’s excellent fastball gives him a clear path to at least a relief role, but the Reds will work hard to develop him into a potential mid-rotation starter. Floyd should dominate the Class A levels with his fastball, but he’ll need to refine his breaking balls to succeed at the upper levels.
Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50
Draft Prospects
-
School: Louisiana State Source: 4YR
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.9
BA Grade:50/High
Tools:Fastball: 65. Slider: 45. Curveball: 45. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
Floyd ranked as the No. 282 prospect in the 2022 class as a draft-eligible sophomore, but went unselected and returned to a loaded LSU team for his third collegiate season. A 6-foot-2, 200-pound righthander, Floyd has a quick arm, with an athletic and loose delivery and three-quarter slot. After pitching in the bullpen as a freshman, Floyd started half the time in 2022 and then transitioned to a full-time starter role in 2023, where he posted a 4.35 ERA over 91 innings, with a 31% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate. He entered legendary LSU status after he struck out 17 batters in eight innings against Florida in the College World Series finals. Floyd developed a reputation as a one-pitch arm thanks to the 81% usage rate of his fastball in 2022. He went to the pitch often for good reason. It averaged 94-95 mph this spring and touched 98, with excellent riding life and 19 inches of induced vertical break that generates tons of whiffs at the top of the zone. He did dial that usage rate down to just 70% in 2023 thanks to improved breaking stuff. Floyd throws a low-80s slider and an upper-70s curveball, and while they are both still fringy at times, he’s improved them enough to at least glimpse a potential average breaking ball in the future. Floyd also throws a low-80s changeup that’s mostly a change-of-pace look against lefties, but did generate a 44% whiff rate this spring. -
School: Louisiana State Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 20.9
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound righthanded hurler opened eyes early this spring with a live fastball and improved offspeeds. With an athletic, loose delivery, Floyd’s arm is quick, producing life on his 92-94 mph fastball that can touch 95-96 on occasion. Effective at the knees, his speedball flattens a bit around the thighs, making him susceptible to getting hit. He can elevate effectively, and can be tough to handle when working down in the zone and in and out. A big part of Floyd’s success is how well he lands his curveball. The pitch sits in the 75-79 mph range and he battles his release point with it at times. When it’s timed up, it serves as an effective pitch. It’s not exactly a swing-and-miss offering, but it does get the hitter out on his front foot enough to present a problem. Floyd has a changeup in his mix he’ll show to lefthanded hitters. It induces good down and away fade when timed up and it’s certainly a pitch that he’ll need as he advances. At 21, he has projection to go with a strong arm and an athletic build. -
An athletic, projectable righthander out of Georgia, Floyd was a two-way player for most of his life and thought of himself as more of a hitter than pitcher until recently. Also a talented basketball player, Floyd doesn’t have a ton of innings under his belt. Because of all those factors, there are more question marks with Floyd but also reasons to think he could take big steps forward by focusing exclusively on baseball. Committed to Louisiana State, Floyd has an explosive fastball out of a quick arm, running the pitch up into the mid-90s with an impressive riding life that gets plenty of whiffs up in the zone. At East Coast Pro last summer, Floyd got 12 whiffs on the pitch in just two innings. He typically sits in the 90-93 mph range, but scouts have noted that his velocity is inconsistent from outing to outing. Similarly, his secondary offerings are inconsistent and don’t project as anything more than fringe-average, 45-grade offerings now. He has thrown a slurvy curveball in the 70-75 mph range that he doesn’t get on top of consistently but has decent spin, and has also thrown an upper-70s changeup, though his release point drops when he throws it. With a lean, 6-foot-2, 180-pound frame, it’s easy to dream of what Floyd could be with a few years of development and training under his belt but teams that want more of a finished product might be more inclined to let him get to campus.
