Tekoah Roby

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked St. Louis Cardinals #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Roby was a summer pop-up and spring riser heading into the 2020 draft, showing high-spin stuff and projectable power. The Rangers drafted him in the third round and signed him for an above-slot $775,000. His 2021 debut was cut short by an elbow strain, but he returned in 2022 to make 21 starts with High-A Hickory. Roby was assigned to Double-A Frisco in 2023 but went down in early June with a shoulder injury. He was traded to the Cardinals with Thomas Saggese for Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton. Roby debuted with Double-A Springfield on Aug. 26 and headed to the Arizona Fall League following the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby has a prototype pitcher’s build with broad shoulders, a lean and muscular body and strong lower half. He mixes four pitches, led by a fastball sitting 94-95 mph touching 97 at peak. His fastball has average ride and armside run but moves toward the plate on an efficient plane, allowing the pitch to play when elevated. His primary secondary is a hammer curveball in the 79-81 mph range with big depth and enough tilt to generate glove-side break. Roby’s curveball generates above-average whiff rates in and out of the zone. His slider is his third pitch and is used primarily to righthanded hitters. It’s a mid-80s pitch with tight gyro shape and is most effective when thrown out of the zone. His changeup is a low-80s offering with tumble and fade, but he struggled to command it consistently throughout the season. Roby throws a high rate of strikes with a high pitching IQ. He’s still learning to command his changeup and slider, but each pitch projects to reach average.
  
  The Future: Health permitting, Roby has the ability to develop into a midrotation starter with above-average stuff, pitchability and a competitive fire.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #28 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Roby was the Rangers' third-round pick in the shortened draft during the pandemic year of 2020. He was lauded for his ability to post high spin rates as well as his fiery demeanor on the mound. His 2021 season was cut short by an elbow strain, but he made every turn during a full season at High-A Hickory.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby works with a four-pitch mix led by a low-90s fastball that peaked at 96. He needs command the pitch better, especially in the lower part of the zone. Roby backs the fastball up with a high-80s curveball with spin rates around 2,800 rpm as well as a changeup in the low 80s. He changed the grip on the pitch during the season to help it play better. The Rangers added a slider to Roby's repertoire near the end of the season to give him something with a velocity in between his four-seamer and his curveball-changeup duo and holds the same line as his fastball for longer on its way to the plate. Command was Roby's biggest issue this year, and it led to 19 home runs allowed. Scouts were a little surprised by Roby's command issues because his arm action and delivery are fairly clean.
  
  The Future: Roby will head to Double-A in 2023 and will be severely challenged to improve his command in the hitter-friendly Texas League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 40. Changeup: 50. Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Texas Rangers #14 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Roby’s stock was rising before his high school season was shut down. The Rangers’ area scouts and crosscheckers believed enough in him to draft him with their third-round pick. He was excellent in his pro debut, when he jumped to Low-A Down East and whiffed 35 in 22 innings before an elbow strain ended his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby’s pitch mix starts with one of the organization’s most electric fastballs. The pitch sits in the low 90s and has touched as high as 97 mph, but its most alluring characteristics show up under the hood. The fastball also showed a double-plus spin rate of 2,540 rpms and similarly elite vertical break. Roby paired the fastball with a high-70s, downer curveball that averaged nearly 2,900 rpms of spin and scored well in plenty of other analytical categories. He finished his mix with an excellent low-80s changeup with nearly 10 mph of separation from his fastball. All told, Roby finished the year with a swinging-strike rate of 17.5%. The Rangers may add a slider or a cutter to Roby’s mix in the future, but for now they’re very happy with his combination of stuff, strikes and poise.
  
  The Future: Roby finished the year at instructional league and should move up to High-A Hickory to begin 2022. He’s one of the organization’s higher upside pitching prospects and could fit in the middle of a rotation.
  

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #155 prospect in 2020 draft
  Roby was a prep arm trending up this spring before the 2020 season was shut down. Area scouts and southeast crosscheckers alike were impressed with what they saw out of the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Troy commit and could see him going in the third or fourth round of the draft. Over the summer Roby showed an 89-93 mph fastball that got plenty of whiffs up in the zone, with spin rates in the 2300-2500 rpm range. He also showed some potential with a 76-78 mph curveball. This spring, the reports on his curveball were better, with scouts calling it a potential plus offering. His fastball velocity was in the same range as last summer, getting up to 94 at its peak, and Roby also showed a solid 80-81 mph changeup. With three quality pitches and good strike-throwing ability, Roby has some starter vibes that teams might want to take a chance on before letting him get to Troy, where he could blow up.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Roby was the Rangers' third-round pick in the shortened draft during the pandemic year of 2020. He was lauded for his ability to post high spin rates as well as his fiery demeanor on the mound. His 2021 season was cut short by an elbow strain, but he made every turn during a full season at High-A Hickory.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby works with a four-pitch mix led by a low-90s fastball that peaked at 96. He needs command the pitch better, especially in the lower part of the zone. Roby backs the fastball up with a high-80s curveball with spin rates around 2,800 rpm as well as a changeup in the low 80s. He changed the grip on the pitch during the season to help it play better. The Rangers added a slider to Roby's repertoire near the end of the season to give him something with a velocity in between his four-seamer and his curveball-changeup duo and holds the same line as his fastball for longer on its way to the plate. Command was Roby's biggest issue this year, and it led to 19 home runs allowed. Scouts were a little surprised by Roby's command issues because his arm action and delivery are fairly clean.
  
  The Future: Roby will head to Double-A in 2023 and will be severely challenged to improve his command in the hitter-friendly Texas League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 40. Changeup: 50. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Roby was the Rangers' third-round pick in the shortened draft during the pandemic year of 2020. He was lauded for his ability to post high spin rates as well as his fiery demeanor on the mound. His 2021 season was cut short by an elbow strain, but he made every turn during a full season at High-A Hickory.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby works with a four-pitch mix led by a low-90s fastball that peaked at 96. He needs command the pitch better, especially in the lower part of the zone. Roby backs the fastball up with a high-80s curveball with spin rates around 2,800 rpm as well as a changeup in the low 80s. He changed the grip on the pitch during the season to help it play better. The Rangers added a slider to Roby's repertoire near the end of the season to give him something with a velocity in between his four-seamer and his curveball-changeup duo and holds the same line as his fastball for longer on its way to the plate. Command was Roby's biggest issue this year, and it led to 19 home runs allowed. Scouts were a little surprised by Roby's command issues because his arm action and delivery are fairly clean.
  
  The Future: Roby will head to Double-A in 2023 and will be severely challenged to improve his command in the hitter-friendly Texas League.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 40. Changeup: 50. Control: 40
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Roby&#39s stock was rising before his high school season was shut down. The Rangers&#39 area scouts and crosscheckers believed enough in him to draft him with their third-round pick. He was excellent in his pro debut, when he jumped to Low-A Down East and whiffed 35 in 22 innings before an elbow strain ended his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby&#39s pitch mix starts with one of the organization&#39s most electric fastballs. The pitch sits in the low 90s and has touched as high as 97 mph, but its most alluring characteristics show up under the hood. The fastball also showed a double-plus spin rate of 2,540 rpms and similarly elite vertical break. Roby paired the fastball with a high-70s, downer curveball that averaged nearly 2,900 rpms of spin and scored well in plenty of other analytical categories. He finished his mix with an excellent low-80s changeup with nearly 10 mph of separation from his fastball. All told, Roby finished the year with a swinging-strike rate of 17.5%. The Rangers may add a slider or a cutter to Roby&#39s mix in the future, but for now they&#39re very happy with his combination of stuff, strikes and poise.
  
  The Future: Roby finished the year at instructional league and should move up to High-A Hickory to begin 2022. He&#39s one of the organization&#39s higher upside pitching prospects and could fit in the middle of a rotation.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Roby’s stock was rising before his high school season was shut down. The Rangers’ area scouts and crosscheckers believed enough in him to draft him with their third-round pick. He was excellent in his pro debut, when he jumped to Low-A Down East and whiffed 35 in 22 innings before an elbow strain ended his season.
  
  Scouting Report: Roby’s pitch mix starts with one of the organization’s most electric fastballs. The pitch sits in the low 90s and has touched as high as 97 mph, but its most alluring characteristics show up under the hood. The fastball also showed a double-plus spin rate of 2,540 rpms and similarly elite vertical break. Roby paired the fastball with a high-70s, downer curveball that averaged nearly 2,900 rpms of spin and scored well in plenty of other analytical categories. He finished his mix with an excellent low-80s changeup with nearly 10 mph of separation from his fastball. All told, Roby finished the year with a swinging-strike rate of 17.5%. The Rangers may add a slider or a cutter to Roby’s mix in the future, but for now they’re very happy with his combination of stuff, strikes and poise.
  
  The Future: Roby finished the year at instructional league and should move up to High-A Hickory to begin 2022. He’s one of the organization’s higher upside pitching prospects and could fit in the middle of a rotation.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Roby was the Rangers' third-round pick, chosen out of a Florida high school. His signature is a high-spin, big-breaking curveball, which he pairs with a fastball that features plus velocity but plays a tick lower because of a lack of deception in his delivery. His changeup has further to go but the team believes it could get to plus thanks to Roby's commitment to improvement and understanding of analytics. He's an extremely confident pitcher but is currently on the injured list with a right elbow sprain.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  Roby was a prep arm trending up this spring before the 2020 season was shut down. Area scouts and southeast crosscheckers alike were impressed with what they saw out of the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Troy commit and could see him going in the third or fourth round of the draft. Over the summer Roby showed an 89-93 mph fastball that got plenty of whiffs up in the zone, with spin rates in the 2300-2500 rpm range. He also showed some potential with a 76-78 mph curveball. This spring, the reports on his curveball were better, with scouts calling it a potential plus offering. His fastball velocity was in the same range as last summer, getting up to 94 at its peak, and Roby also showed a solid 80-81 mph changeup. With three quality pitches and good strike-throwing ability, Roby has some starter vibes that teams might want to take a chance on before letting him get to Troy, where he could blow up.