Blue Jays 2019 Top Prospects: #11 – Adam Kloffenstein

One of the youngest and newest arms in the Blue Jays organization, right-hander Adam Kloffenstein comes in at #11 on Jays Journal’s annual list of top organizational prospects.

Name: Adam Kloffenstein
Position: P        Age: 18
Height: 6’5”       Weight: 243 lb
Throws: Right
Acquired: Selected in the 3rd round of the 2018 draft

It might, in all honesty, be a little bit too early to start evaluating the prospect value of Magnolia High School product Adam Kloffenstein, who, in August 2018, turned 18 years old, making him one of the youngest prospects in the entire organization.

An athletic arm with loads of promise, his development and performance at the Rookie and Low-A levels will be key to maintaining his stock through his minor league career.

It’s almost useless to mention his limited professional experience since he’s only thrown two pro innings in two separate outings with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Blue Jays at the tail end of the 2018 season. Though he did manage to strike out four and allow just one hit through those two frames, the sample size is minuscule, as of right now.

Still, scouting reports look upon Kloffenstein favourably, and for good reason. With a solid mix of pitches and apparent command to match, he’ll likely continue to top these lists for the foreseeable future.

Fastball

A user of both a two-seam and four-seam fastball, Kloffenstein can regularly reach the low 90s with his two-seamer and has, according to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, hit 96 mph with his four-seamer.

Thanks chiefly to what Pipeline describes as a “heavy sink” on his two-seamer, his fastball could evolve over the next year or so given just how young he is.

Regardless, given his command and ability to change speeds, his heater is a weapon, even at his age.

Secondary Pitches

Boasting a curveball, changeup, slider, and a quasi-cutter, Kloffenstein’s array of secondary pitches is something that could use some fine-tuning going forward, especially considering how many secondary pitches he uses.

More from Jays Journal

• Matt Chapman has been exactly what the Blue Jays needed
• Blue Jays: The goalposts are moving in the right direction
• Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays advance to the Championship Series
• Blue Jays: Comparisons for Alek Manoah’s Second Season
• Blue Jays: Adam Cimber, the unlikely decision King

Though his changeup and slider are good when they’re working, they’ve been inconsistent. If he can find a way to harness the movement on his wild slider and succinctly be able to locate in deep into counts, he could find himself with a stellar wipeout pitch.

Command

At this point, it’s a little too early to be able to properly assess his command, seeing as he’s had next to no professional experience. Still, he’s been consistently lauded for his ability to locate and spot his fastball in various counts, making it perfectly plausible that his command will be just as good as expected going forward.

Future Value

Many scouting reports have profiled him as a middle of the rotation starter when he eventually reaches the game’s highest level. His immense height, along with his arm strength and command of his heater, will give hitters an interesting look.

Carrying a competitive and relentless attitude on the mound, Kloffenstein will likely start the season at Rookie-level Bluefield before eventually making his way up to Lansing or Dunedin by the end of the year, if all goes well. Kloffenstein’s high school teammate, shortstop Jordan Groshans, is also one of the organization’s youngest and brightest talents.