#26 - RHP Andre Granillo
Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Command: 40 | Overall: 40
Background: Granillo was selected by the Cardinals in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of UC Riverside. Over three seasons with the Highlanders, he posted a 5.98 ERA across 55 2/3 innings, though he showed swing-and-miss ability, striking out 74 batters. The Cardinals bet on his strikeout stuff translating to pro ball, and so far, that bet has paid off. Across four seasons in the organization, Granillo has struck out 31.2% of batters faced, pitching significant innings at Triple-A in 2024.
Scouting Report: Watching Granillo, it’s easy to see how he has climbed through the Cardinals’ minor league system and positioned himself as a big-league relief option in the immediate future. His slider is a bona fide plus pitch. Though its movement profile might seem mediocre at best—with 5” IVB and 3” of glove-side movement at 83 mph—Granillo’s high three-quarters arm slot makes it an uncomfortable visual for hitters. He also has remarkable feel for the pitch, throwing it nearly 60% of the time against same-handed batters. He can land it for strikes or bury it out of the zone to generate chase. His slider kept right-handed hitters at bay, generating a 48% whiff rate while holding them to a .170/.241/.283 slash line. Given how dominant the pitch is against same-handed batters, it’s no surprise he relies on it as his go-to pitch in those matchups.
Against righties, when he’s not throwing his slider, his fastball takes up nearly all of his remaining usage. The pitch has a cut-ride shape, generating 17” of ride and just 3” of arm-side run at 94 mph from his aforementioned high three-quarters arm slot, coming in at a 6.6” vertical release. His fastball’s release is slightly higher than his other offerings. The pitch has performed fairly well in the zone against righties, but Granillo’s control remains spotty, and he struggles to locate it consistently. Granillo will have to improve his feel for his pitch mix against lefties for him to take the next step in his development. While right-handed hitters got on base at just 21.7% against him, that number skyrocketed to 41.2% against lefties. His slider is clearly the pitch he has the most feel for locating, but against opposite-handed batters, it becomes his third most-used pitch due to the more unfavorable situations. His fastball takes center stage at 45% usage, and while he finds success in the zone, much like against righties, he mightily struggles to locate the pitch. Despite his cut-ride four-seamer, Granillo is actually able to pronate and turn over a changeup with over 16” of arm-side movement, which is quite impressive. His changeup has around 9” of vertical and 13” of horizontal deviation from his fastball, thrown just 7 mph slower.
The key for him will be developing better feel for the pitch and learning to effectively sequence it with his fastball. I think the four-seam and changeup have the potential to be a fun combo for Granillo in opposite-handed batter situations, but he will need to sharpen his command and develop better feel for both offerings for that to come to fruition. I also think working on a cutter with 10” IVB and 0” HB, which sits about 5 mph off his fastball, could help keep lefties off balance. The velocity gap between his 94 mph four-seamer and 83 mph slider is quite large and becomes more apparent in those matchups.
Future: I see a clear pathway for Granillo to carve out a role as a middle-relief option in the major leagues. His slider is already a big-league-ready pitch, and I believe he could find immediate success using it against major-league hitters. The key to his long-term success will be developing consistent feel for locating his fastball and changeup, particularly against opposite-handed batters. I see some similarities between Granillo and former Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos, though it wouldn’t be fair to assume his command will be anywhere near Gio’s level.
