There was a small bump in the road for Chandler Champlain after the Royals acquired him from the Yankees in 2022. He had a 9.84 that season after being traded. 2023 got him back on track, however. Champlain was one of the system’s best pitchers. He struck out 125 hitters over 135.1 innings between High-A and Double-A. His strikeout totals might not be elite, but he’s a very well-rounded and reliable arm.

Season Stats:

2022 (Low-A): 15 GS, 73.1 IP, 4.30 ErA, 3.68 FIP, 30.5% K%, 6.2% BB%

2022 (High-A): 7 GS, 32.0 IP, 9.84 ERA, 4.55 FIP, 14.1% K%, 7.1% BB%

2023 (High-A): 11 GS, 62.1 IP, 2.74 ErA, 3.65 FIP, 24.7% K%, 7.3% BB%

2023 (AA): 14 GS, 73.0 IP, 3.82 ERA, 5.09 FIP, 21.2% K%, 8.3% BB%

Chandler Champlain upped his prospect status in 2023 with a strong showing. Among Royals farmhands with at least 50 IP, he ranked sixth in strikeouts, eighth in ERA, first in innings pitched, and sixth in WHIP. It was a great season all around, but there were still areas that Champlain was lacking. He ranked 22nd in the farm system with a 14.9% K-BB%. The walks weren’t extremely high, but Champlain isn’t a dominant strikeout pitcher.

There were certainly outings in which he punched out his share of hitters. On July 27 he pitched six no-hit innings and struck out six Travelers. A few other starts saw him punch out eight and nine hitters, respectively. The root of the lack of strikeout totals revolves mostly around Champlain’s stuff. He commands it pretty well but doesn’t generate many swinging strikes. His swinging strike rate in 2023 was all the way down to 9.5%. That ranked among the very worst in the Royals farm system.

Scouting Grades:

Fastball: 50/55

Curveball: 60/60

Slider: 45/60

Splitter: 40/50

Circle Changeup: 40/50

Command: 45/55

Best Case Scenario:

Chandler Champlain could develop into an average mid-rotation arm or a good back-end starter in the major leagues. He reminds me a bit of Jesse Hahn from Hahn’s early career but with more velocity on the fastball. Champlain added a splitter after moving up to Northwest Arkansas last season. Refining that pitch could raise his ceiling as he continues through the upper minor leagues.

Worst Case Scenario:

There’s an ample amount of reliever risk with Champlain, but he should fit that role well if he can’t stick as a starter long-term. His fastball already sits 94-96 and could probably get a tick higher in single-inning outings. That one-two punch of a pretty good fastball and dominant curveball should do well to keep hitters off balance regardless of which role Champlain ends up with.