Track Record: Coleman was a member of Missouri State’s starting rotation when the Padres drafted him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, but he struggled to hold velocity deep into starts in college. Those issues continued as a professional even after San Diego shifted him to the bullpen. But Coleman returned from the pandemic layoff in a new organization—Kansas City acquired him in 2020 as the player to be named later in the a deal for Trevor Rosenthal—and with renewed velocity. The harder fastball helped spark Coleman’s ascension through the upper levels, culminating in his big league debut.

Scouting Report: Coleman began to rediscover his velocity and the bite on his slider while pitching in a semi-pro league in Missouri before joining the Royals. His fastball, which had dropped to the upper 80s by the end of his Padres tenure, sat at 98 mph in his brief big league showing and touched as high as 101 mph in 2021. The Royals staff worked with Coleman to throw his slider harder, getting it into the 84-88 mph range with nasty late break and enough separation from the fastball to mess with hitters’ timing. His repertoire creates a powerful one-two punch out of the bullpen and the ability to generate swings and misses in bunches.

The Future: After a breakout 2021 season, Coleman looks like a potential bullpen option for Kansas City in 2022 and could work his way into high-leverage opportunities.

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