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Scouting Report
Updated May 20, 2026
Aaron Watson is a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher and 2025 2nd round draft pick for the Cincinnati Reds making his professional debut. In his first outing on May 12, 2026, Watson pitched 4.0 scoreless innings with 3 hits, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts on 61 pitches (37 strikes) for the Reds rookie-level team. He displayed a four-pitch mix including 2-seam fastball (92.9 avg velo), 4-seam fastball (93.7 avg velo), changeup (89.0 avg velo), and slider, with solid spin rates across all pitches.
Strengths
- + Strong professional debut with 0 runs allowed over 4 innings
- + Impressive strikeout rate with 5 K's in debut
- + Good pitch mix with four distinct offerings
- + Solid fastball velocity at 93-94 mph range
- + High strike percentage (61%) in first outing
- + Pitching at full-stadium venue (Goodyear Ballpark) with Hawkeye data available
- + Young age (19) with significant development runway
Weaknesses
- - Did not pitch in 2025 after being drafted, creating uncertainty about readiness
- - Elevated walk rate with 2 walks in 4 innings (4.5 BB/9 pace)
- - Limited sample size - only one professional appearance
- - Changeup velocity relatively low at 89.0 mph with inconsistent spin
About
Nolan Watson is a sp for the Chicago Cubs.
Player Overview
Position
SP
Team
Chicago Cubs