Prospect Watch: Michael Flynn Looking to Bounce Back From Early Injuries
Injuries can torture a young professional baseball player at any point in his career, taking him from promising prospect to retired. It is all about how the player is able to bounce back and if they can ever return the same player that they were before the injury. For Pirates Minor Leaguer Michael Flynn, he is on the comeback trail from two separate injuries that have only let him pitch in 17.2 innings of work since he was drafted back in 2018. Once a promising prospect out of Arizona, Flynn is looking to prove that his success from his college days can translate to professional baseball as he tries to get on the Pirates radar.
Last season, he missed almost the entire year but was able to pitch in some games late in the season. He pitched in 4.1 innings of work last season between rookie ball and Class-A Short Season West Virginia. His ERA sat at 10.38 for the year, but a lot of that damage happened in his first game back at the rookie ball level. He was trying to battle back from a strained UCL and a PRP shot and it was nice to see the 23-year old at least get back on the mound. His fastball was still hitting a nice velocity at 90 miles per hour and he was throwing all four of his pitches with no pain by the end of the year. Now, he is looking to show that he is able to bounce back strong and once again be the pitcher that he once was.
Flynn was born in Los Alamitos, California where he was a two-sport athlete at Servite High School in Anaheim, California. Like many of his peers, Flynn played football in the fall followed by baseball in the spring so he had something to do year-round. While he was a good football player, baseball was his first love and the sport he would end up pursuing professionally. He became the top pitcher at his high school by his senior year and would end up going to the PAC 12 to plate for the Arizona Wildcats. During his first year, he made several appearances out of the Wildcats bullpen, making few spot starts throughout the season.
It was a rough transition for the young right-hander and, in 15.2 innings of work, Flynn pitched to a 5.17 ERA. He proved to be wild during his freshman year, and ended up walking six batters and had a walk rate of 8.9%. However, he showed promise in terms of his strikeout numbers and not allowing opponents to make contact. In his 15.2 innings of work, he struck out a healthy 14 batters and provided that punch the team was looking for out of the bullpen. As the season went on, he got better and better on the mound and was looking like he was going to be a star for the Wildcats.
He would come back an entirely new pitcher by his sophomore year and improved across the board. He dropped his ERA to 3.29 while once again appearing mostly out of the bullpen. His strikeout rate stayed right around his career numbers, with 49 in 50.2 innings of work, and his walk rate went down as he had a walk rate of just 6% that season. He became a reliable option out of the Wildcats bullpen. He helped lead them to the NCAA tournament during that season and appeared on one game throwing two scoreless innings. He held the opposition at bay for most of the season with an opponent batting average of just .216.
By his junior season, Flynn made his way to the starting rotation making 13 starts in his 15 appearances for the Wildcats. With the increased workload, Flynn saw his ERA go up to 4.89 in 73.2 innings of work. He struggled a little bit with control once again with 29 walks, but his strikeout numbers were still there at 72 in 73.2 innings of work. He started getting interest from Major League scouts during his sophomore year and seeing him be able to work deeper into games only upped the MLB interest. He would end up being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and headed to the West Virginia Black Bears to start his professional career.
His introduction to pro ball was not a good one as he lasted just two innings and ended up giving up six earned runs on seven hits while striking out three batters. It was an outing the Flynn would like to forget, and he was able to put it behind him quickly. He gave up three runs or less in each of his remaining five outings, including his first career quality start in his final outing of the year. He finished the year with a 5.94 ERA and had an impressive 17 strikeouts in his 16.2 innings of work. However, he was shut down at the end of July bringing his 2018 season to a close. It was reported that he was dealing with back tightness and that the Pirates wanted to limit his pitch count following a full college season.
Flynn came back for Spring Training last season and was ready to return to the West Virginia Black Bears. However, he experienced pain in his right elbow and was sent to the doctor. It turned out he had a strained UCL and would have to undergo a series of PRP shots that would force him to miss the majority of the season. He would come back at the end of August and was able to make four appearances, all out of the bullpen. He started with the GCL Pirates and threw two scoreless innings giving up one hit and striking out a batter. He made it back to the Black Bears for the end of the season and in two appearances he struggled giving up five earned runs in 2.1 innings of work. He struck out three batters but had trouble with his control walking three batters as well.
As he looks towards the future, one of the keys for Flynn is going to be staying healthy. With only 21 innings pitched in his professional career, Flynn hasn't been given a real opportunity to show what he has. He has an arsenal of four good pitches that, when healthy, he can throw for strikes. His velocity sits right in the low to mid-90s and his breaking ball builds off of it in the mid-80s. Being that he is 23-years old, he will more than likely start the year in full-season baseball and see how he does. Injuries have hampered his professional career so far, but now he is looking to come back stronger than ever.
It is still uncertain as to when the 2020 MLB season is set to begin, but we at Buccos Cove are determined to continue to bring you strong content. Until the 2020 season begins, we will continue looking at the players who make up the 2020 Pirates organization and how they will impact the organization this season.
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