MLB Rookie Report: Dylan Floro, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays promoted right-hander Dylan Floro to the major league roster yesterday. Let's take a look at what he offers.

Floro pitched three seasons of college baseball at Cal State Fullerton, finishing with a 2.83 ERA in 15 junior season starts with a 70/13 K/BB in 114 innings in 2012. Drafted in the 13th round by the Rays, he had very successful 2013 (1.77 ERA, 99/21 K/BB in 137 innings in A-ball) and 2014 (3.48, 112/24 K/BB in 179 innings in Double-A) campaigns. He hit the wall as a starter in Triple-A last year, touched for a 5.02 ERA with Durham and giving up 160 hits in 133 innings, though his K/BB remained attractive at 81/21.

The Rays moved him to the bullpen this year with positive results: 2.81 ERA in 48 innings for Durham with a 38/8 K/BB.

Born December 27, 1990, Floro is listed at 6-2, 175. As you may anticipate from his background, he doesn't have a blazing fastball, working with heat in the 80s. He'll mix in a variety of breaking balls and change-ups and his delivery has some funky deception. He succeeded in college and the lower minors because he is allergic to walks and generally possess pinpoint location. Triple-A hitters exposed his thin margin for error when he started last year, but he's been more successful in shorter stretches coming out of the bullpen.

Floro pounds the strike zone and that gives him a shot at exceeding expectations. Currently he projects as an 11th man on a staff, a middle relief type who can be stretched out a bit as needed into long relief due to his background as a starter.