2011 Indians Top 50 Prospects: #40 Tony Dischler

Tony Dischler – Right-handed Pitcher
Born: 03/06/1989 – Height: 6’3” – Weight: 198 – Bats: Right – Throws: Right

(Photo: Lianna Holub)

History: Dischler was selected by the Indians in the 23rd round of the 2010 Draft out of Louisiana State University-Eunice Junior College. As a draft eligible sophomore he had a commitment to attend Louisiana-Lafayette next year, but chose to sign with the Indians for $255,000. He transferred to LSU-Eunice from Louisiana-Monroe University after a poor freshman campaign in 2009.

Strengths: Dischler is a big, strong, physical pitcher with a nice frame and easy delivery who has a lot of upside. His fastball ranges from 90-97 MPH, though this wide range is because as a reliever it has topped out as high as 96-97 MPH while as a starter he more consistently sits at 90-94 MPH. He also throws a slider that sits in the low 80s and a developing changeup. His slider is considered his best secondary offering and a potential plus pitch for him.

After Dischler's poor freshman season at Louisiana-Monroe his career really seemed to take off when he went out to the New York Collegiate League in the summer of 2009. He pitched well there and got the attention of Indians scout Les Pajari as well as scouts for other teams, and then he went to LSU-Eunice and had a solid season there in 2010. Going into the 2010 Draft many felt he was a guy who could go as high as the second or third round but he slipped due to signability reasons.

Opportunities: Fastball command is something Dischler will need to improve, especially since he is a groundball pitcher who does not get a lot of strikeouts and relies on batters putting the ball in play. He also needs a better feel for both his slider and changeup. When he is throwing his slider well it has good depth, but it is still an inconsistent pitch which has a tendency to flatten out. His changeup is still a work in progress and also needs more consistency. His velocity will be something worth monitoring going forward as it saw a slight drop in 2010.

Outlook: It remains to be seen if Dischler will be a starter or reliever, but at the outset of his pro career the Indians are going to develop him as a starter and see what happens. If he can refine his slider and changeup then he certainly has potential as a middle of the rotation starter down the road. If he ends up in the bullpen later in his career he has the makings of a solid middle reliever, maybe more. He should open the 2011 season in the starting rotation at Low-A Lake County - likely in a piggyback role - and if he pitches well should move to High-A
Kinston by the end of July.

Year	Age	Team	Lvl	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	AVG	BB/9	K/9	WHIP
2009	20	Louisiana-Monroe	C	2	1	9.64	7	3	18.2	29	20	2	15	7	UNK	7.2	3.4	2.36
2010	21	Louisiana-Eunice	C	11	3	3.56	20	17	91.0	84	36	3	33	68	.239	3.3	6.7	1.29
2010	21	Mahoning Valley	A-	0	0	0.00	2	2	5.0	3	0	0	1	5	.176	1.8	9.0	0.80
		MiLB Totals		0	0	0.00	2	2	5.0	3	0	0	1	5	.176	1.8	9.0	0.80

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