While the Nats were on National TV against the Braves, one of their top pitching prospects was putting on a show of his own. In his third outing since coming back from injury, Landon Harmon threw 3.1 scoreless innings with one hit, 0 walks and three strikeouts. He reminded Nats fans why he was such a prized pickup in last year’s draft.
When the Nats drafted Harmon in the third round, it felt like a real bargain. While Harmon may not have gotten taken in the first two rounds, he sure got paid like it, receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus. Harmon was known for his projectable frame and electric fastball.
Since entering pro ball though, his profile has changed a little bit. While he throws in the mid-90’s, he has not been some strikeout monster like Miguel Sime. Harmon has been succeeding due to his command and the sharpness of his breaking balls. On the season, Harmon has just 17 strikeouts in 21.1 innings. However, the 19 year old has only walked six hitters and batters are hitting .169 against him.
At this point in his career, Harmon is a guy who relies on being very tough to square up. The fastball is a big part of that, having heavy cutting action. He can generate a ton of soft contact and breaks plenty of bats. It is not a true cutter, but Harmon’s 95 MPH heater is somewhere between a fastball and a cutter.
A lot of organizations really value pitchers who cut the baseball like that. The cutter-like shape on the fastball is only one reason for that though. Pitchers with natural cut tend to be able to spin a variety of different breaking ball shapes. Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli are two pretty good examples of this. Both have some cut to their heaters and as a result they are able to throw three different breaking ball shapes with cutters, curveballs and sweepers.
Right now, Harmon has a harder, shorter slider as well as a sweeper. He has the ability to locate both at a solid level, which is rare for a teenager. Being able to spin the ball this well at a young age is rare. A good example of a guy who can really spin it is former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.
If Harmon hits his ceiling, hopefully he reaches those levels. However, he has a long ways to go. Harmon is still just in Low-A, and has not thrown a ton of innings this year. He missed about two months with an oblique injury, but is back now.
As we head down the stretch of the season, one thing I want to see from Harmon is a little bit more swing and miss. It is not a total necessity, but it is a good indicator that you are dominating the level. A guy with Harmon’s stuff should be getting at least one strikeout per inning.
However, he is still having plenty of success even without being a whiff monster. Harmon has all the raw tools to be a top 100 pitching prospect for me. All he needs to do is stay healthy and get a bit more whiff.
The combination of stuff, command and feel for spin is very impressive for a 19 year old. While he is having a good year this season, I think next year will be when Harmon truly bursts on to the scene. This time next year, people around the world will know Landon Harmon’s name, but you heard it here first.
