Josh
Garner

10.13.17 - Verbally committed to Illinois out of Parkland JC (IL). 

7.6.17 - Transferred to Parkland JC.

5.26.16 - Saint Louis commit. Athletic right-handed pitcher, 6-foot-2, 180-pounds. Easy repeatable delivery, simple and balanced. Showed command of the strike zone. Arm works from a high ¾ slot. Fastball sat 85-87 mph, touched 88 mph, easy life, keeps some in the tank when late in the count, mostly straight four seam action. Curveball had good shape and feel, 69-71 mph. Changeup showed good feel, fastball arm speed, fading action, 73-74 mph. Mixes arsenal well, pitchability guy projects as a starter at the next level.

3.15.15 - Committed to St. Louis.

8/1/14 - The 6-foot-2, 180-pound lanky and projectable right-hander was a late addition to the Future Games Select Squad and impressed over his two outings.  His fastball sat 86-87 mph touching 88, and he paired it with a sharp breaking 66-68 mph curveball that notched two strikouts.  He also flashed a 77 mph pitch with cutter/slider action, though we have not seen him throw it in the past, and he quite possibly could have just been on the side of a changeup.  Garner comes at hitters with uphill shoulders, which helps his breaking ball achieve vertical, two-plane, 12/6 action.

5.22.14 - Currently unranked in Illinois’ 2016 class, but that may change.  Impressive 6-foot-2, projectable skinny frame.  Both Garner and Butler have ideal pitcher’s frames with room for growth.  See Garner’s 4/9/14 scouting report for mechanical analysis.  Impressed in relief on that day, striking out the side in one inning of work.  Mechanics looked the same today, with high elevated front side, and slight stab with arm action.  Both help create good angle on explosive fastball, and two-plane breaking curve.  Today in four innings of work fastball sat 84-85 touching 86 throughout when working out of the windup.  Garner’s mechanics are up tempo, especially out of the stretch.  Cuts leg kick down and fails to get same use of lower half, effecting velocity and command.  Fastball dropped between 80-83 and failed to locate down in the zone as well.  Delivery times were consistently between 1.0 and 1.14, with men on base.  Could slow down delivery/lift leg higher, especially when runners are not threatening to steal (men on second and third), to give arm time to catch up.  Curveball showed knuckle-curve type action, and flashes plus 12-6 break at times.  Both strikeouts came on curveballs down in the dirt.  Potential plus pitch down the road with added power and consistency.  Thrown at 65-66 mph in early innings, and 62 later on.  Garner only used two pitches in the earlier outing when closing, but today flashed a 70 mph change that he threw consistently for strikes.  Slowed down arm a bit, but threw consistently for strikes, and induced a fly out on it.  Four inning outing with three pitches thrown for strikes shows ability to start in the future.  He’ll be a high follow guy on our list and should attract early Division 1 recruiting interest.

4/9/14 - Closed out the game striking out the side.  Fastball sat 81-84 touching 85 and located well to his glove hand side.  Generally straight, but good finish down in the zone.  Gradually threw harder as the inning progressed, and later in counts.  Projectable, 6-foot-2 frame, skinny waist, definitely room to add weight.  Garner works from an over the top arm slot.  His front-side glove hand reaches up creating an angle that gives breaking ball good shape.  Arm swing shows length and plunges downward as front side reaches up, but above average arm speed for his class allows arm to catch up.  Curveball was used sparingly at 64—65 mph.  Showed 12-6 shape in warm ups, with knuckle curve-type action.  Shows the ability to spin it, and could become a plus pitch as he adds power to it.  Between innings showed consistency with locating the curveball, left it up for balls a few times in the game, but also tallied a strikeout burying one down with late break.  High ceiling 2016 prospect to follow.