Scouted: August 17, 2008 at Under Armour All-America game (in attendance); August 9, 2008 at Aflac All-American Game (film)
Frame: Krol has a firm, athletic build, flashing good flexibility and body control in his motion. He has a fairly broad upper-body, leaving some room to add some strength. Eyeballing, I wouldn't be surprised to see him add another inch or two and 10 - 15 more pounds when all is said and done. He moves well around the mound.
Mechanics: Motion Krol begins an easy motion with a minimal side step. He maintains good balance throughout and is clean in is actions. Utilizing a high leg kick, he centers himself well over the rubber before moving to a drop-and-drive stride to the plate (getting excellent extension). He could quiet his hands a bit as he moves into his kick, but this is not a huge issue, nor would it be difficult to tweak. He's generally clean on the front side, though he'll cut his follow-through short from time to time. There some jerk in his head and shoulder, but it's mild and hasn't adversely affected him thus far.
Tempo Krol keeps a good tempo, showing a clean flow from kick throw release. His timing is pure, getting his arm into position at the appropriate point in his motion (foot plant), and he gets enough hip/shoulder separation to aid his velocity and the spin on his big-breaking curve.
Arm Action Krol has a short and smooth arm action, helping his upper-80s velocity to play-up. He throws with solid arm speed out of a high 3/4 slot that plays well for his fastball, curveball and change-up, alike. His follow-through is easy and loose with minimal recoil.
Mechanics Summary There's little not to like about Krol's motion. Aside from his slight head jerk, he's close to effortless throughout, and he doesn't lose much, if any, momentum with wasted movements. He gets excellent extension towards home with a quick and loose arm action. He shows good body control and repeats his arm slots with each of his offerings, helping a good repertoire play-up even more. Occasionally he can over-stride, failing to get out in front of his pitches and forcing them up in the zone. This is the exception, rather than the rule, and should be an easy fix, regardless.
Stuff: Fastball An upper-80s offering (touching the 90/92 range) with some life, Krol's fastball explodes on the batter as a result of the above-referenced stride and arm action. He commands the pitch reasonably well to both sides, using it to set-up his big-breaking curve (which is his primary out pitch).
Curveball Krol's curveball has plus depth and bite and could project as high as a plus-plus offering down the line if he can refine his command. It's effective both as a strike pitch and when he buries it as a chase pitch. Though he shows an excellent feel for it, it's still more of a "throw for a strike" pitch than it is a "hit the quadrants" pitch. It's among the best breaking balls in the draft class and sits in the mid-70s.
Change-up Krol's change is a second effective off-speed, coming out of the same slot as his fastball and curve and sitting in the upper-70s to low-80s. He already shows a good feel for the pitch and throws it with good arm speed. He could stand to up the velo differential a bit, but it's effective as is and projects to an average to above-average offering.
Grading Out (as of date written):
Motion
Fastball
Curveball
Change-up
Command
50
45
50/55
45
45/50
Nicks Notes: Krol missed the 2009 season due to suspension stemming from off-field issues. As a result, he's seen his stock slip since his impressive showings last summer, and it remains unclear how strong his commitment remains to the University of Arizona (word is that he has explained the suspension to the satisfaction of Arizona head coach Andy Lopez). On pure talent, Krol lands comfortably within our top 75-125, though it's unlikely we'll target him prior to the Fourth Round or so. His solid feel for his secondary stuff and relatively clean mechanics make him an attractive proposition, but the uncertainty of not seeing him in action this spring makes us wary of spending too high a pick. He's an excellent candidate to be nabbed in the 5th to 8th Round and offered Top 100 money.
Current Draft Board Status: Projected Positions: SP Suggested Slot: 5th to 8th Round (2nd to 3rd Round Money)
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