High profile college righty who struggled in first pro season. Very competitive. Exc. athlete with
very good body control. Medium frame with muscle. Frame should hold another ten pounds.
Needs to become more durable to avoid undersized righty stigma and keep stuff consis. over full
season. Delivery was in constant state of flux over course of season. Moves around too much
over rubber. Arm action long in back with some tension but nothing to worry about. Threw from
two slots in college, low 3/4 and high 3/4. Was moved to a more straight 3/4 this year in effort to
improve command and he found himself making late awkward adjustments to move the arm up or
down and command suffered as a result. Backside slow to release. Upper body rushes out ahead
of arm and there is a hesitation upon landing to allow arm to catch up. Completely opened up
upper and lower body into landing, ending up a foot or more open and putting strain on shoulder.
Delivery began to improve over course of season as he stayed closed better and worked from a
more solid base on rubber. FB is of the sinking variety, 88-91 on a good day. FB didn't show up
most nights, worked in the 86-87 range with at times poor command. Has more FB in him and it
will come back as he becomes comfortable with his new delivery. Constantly missed opp. side of
plate and displayed little feel with FB. At times displayed a power pitchers mentality when he
simply didn't have the stuff to go along with it. SL has a chance to become strong avg. Flashes
sharp two plane bite with avg velo from low 3/4 slot. Marred by inconsis from game to game.
Many nights it will sit in the high 70's with slurvy, flat action to it. Again, as he finds a consis.
slot SL will begin to show some of it's old form. CH shows solid arm side run and sink and
projects as avg down the line. Occ. slows arm spd and elevates CH. Approach to pitching will
also need refinement. Lived off SL in college to a fault. Use of SL was at times limited this year in
an effort to improve secondary pitches and it appears he may have lost some of the feel he had
for his SL. Future is at the back end of a rotation or in short relief. Will try to build on progress
made in 03 in AA next year.
