60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

Justin Verlander / RHP / starter

Verlander can be successful simply by using his dominant 4-seam fastball and sharp 12 to 6 curveball, two pitches that rank among the best in baseball. Beyond that, Verlander is still improving and has built a decent repertoire of tertiary pitches. Justin can get some movement on a 2-seamer, a pitch that he tries to get quick groundouts with. Verlander also seems to be more and more confident in his changeup as his career progresses. Verlander added a sharp slider in 2009, completing his repertoire.

Verlander is known as one of the hardest throwers in the world, often touching the upper-90s with his fastball late in ballgames, even reaching 100 mph. Justin was drafted with the 2nd overall pick in 2004, just behind the Padres Matt Bush (oops). As a collegiate starting pitcher for Old Dominion, Verlander put together three eerily similar season lines in his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons. 10/18/11

[4-seam fastball(93-102), 2-seam fastball(91-97)curve(77-84), change(84-86), slider(89-91)]



Max Scherzer / RHP / starter

Max deals on people. He throws a heavy, moving fastball in the low to mid-90s and his awkward, low release point even gives his pitches some deception. Scherzer mixes in a slider and changeup to keep hitters off balance. His slider is a plus pitch, while his changeup gets good sink.

Scherzer pitched for the University of Missouri, and had summers in both the Northwoods League and the Cape Cod League. Scherzer also has two different colored eyes. 8/4/11

[fastball(90-98), slider(82-87), changeup(81-86)]

Jose Valverde / RHP / closer

Valverde is a fastball/splitter pitcher. He shows television viewers his split grip at the bottom of his arm circle. Sometimes his splitter will dive, and sometimes it will just float in like a changeup. He experimented with a cutter in 2007 and used to throw some sliders. Valverde's fastball will often sail out of control towards home plate, making for many nervous nights closing games. On nights when he's successful, and the job is done, that's when the real antics begin. 6/10/11

[fastball(92-98), splitter(84-90)]

Doug Fister / RHP / starter

With a fastball that sits around 89-90 mph, Fister lacks dominant velocity. However, at 6' 8" with an over-the-top delivery, Fister throws downhill, giving batters an uncomfortable hitting angle. He helps himself by posting low walk totals and spotting his secondary pitches. Fister works with a big, slow 12 to 6 curve and a straight changeup. Against RHs, Fister twists an average slider. Against LHs, Fister likes to force a cutter on the inside corner.

Fister pitched collegiately at Merced Community College and Fresno State. 10/1/11

[fastball(87-92), curve(72-75), changeup(81-84), slider(83-86), cutter(86-90)]

Rick Porcello / RHP / starter

After being drafted out of high school in New Jersey, Porcello only threw one season of professional baseball before winning a starting job with the Tigers. Porcello made the majors with a low-90s, tailing fastball and excellent control. His 1 to 7 curveball isn't bad either, and he's even showing a good changeup. Porcello also has a slider that he started throwing often in the beginning of 2010. However, that pitch has been all but scrapped after his early season struggles. He'll obviously have some tough outings in his first few years in the big leagues, but he may be able to add a few mph as he progresses. 9/6/10 CSJ

[fastball(88-96), curve(72-76), changeup(81-84), slider(82-87)]

Octavio Dotel / RHP / reliever

Despite being a veteran, Dotel still has control issues. Since elbow surgery, he's also had trouble returning the dominant repertoire he had with the Astros. On the plus side, Octo's fastball gets amazing natural cut, which makes him difficult to hit. He mixes in two different breaking balls; a slider and a curveball that has become rarer and rarer. 4/20/11 CSJ

[fastball(90-94), slider(78-83), curve]

Joaquin Benoit / RHP / setup reliever

Benoit's career took a dramatic turn for the better in 2010, when he finally learned how to pound the strike zone while playing for the Rays. Joaquin also pared down his repertoire to a fastball / slider / splitter trio. Benoit always showed promise and good velocity, but threw too many balls to be successful. Now, he's gassing a 4-seam fastball in the mid-90s and his slicing breaking ball has become devastating. Even so, his best pitch may be his sinking split-finger that can befuddle LHs. 9/16/11

[fastball(93-96), splitter(81-85), slider(82-87)]

David Pauley / RHP / reliever

Pauley works with a full repertoire. He has a sinking fastball, a slider, a parachute changeup, and a big breaking curve. His stuff doesn't light up a radar gun or appear to drop off the table, but he has shown decent control throughout his professional career. 8/4/11

[fastball(87-91), curve(76-77), changeup(83-85), slider(86)]

Phil Coke / LHP / reliever

Phil Coke has shown very good velocity at times, and physically looks like a young Ron Villone. Coke deals a low to mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider. As a left-hander, this has proven to be very effective major league stuff. He battled through what looked like a tired arm early in 2009, and has since put up some excellent numbers as a setup reliever. Coke was drafted out of San Joaquin Delta College in California. 8/4/11

[fastball(92-97), slider(82-86), changeup(83-85)]

Al Alburquerque / RHP / reliever

Alburquerque is a hard throwing Dominican kid. His fastball can climb towards 100 mph and his slider is filthy. However, Al has trouble throwing strikes. His minor league walk rate was over four per nine innings and his major league walk rate is up over six. Yikes. His strikeout numbers are equally gaudy that has propelled him into the major leagues. 8/14/11

[fastball(92-99), slider(85-90)]

Duane Below / LHP / starter - reliever

Below is a young left-hander with plus control. He uses a solid fastball/changeup combination and releases everything from an extreme over-the-top angle. I have noticed Below spin a cutter and drop random curveballs out of the sky. Below rose steadily through the Tigers' minor league system since being drafted out of Lake Michigan College. 9/5/11

[fastball(89-92), changeup(82-85), cutter(84-90), curve(77-78)]

Daniel Schlereth / LHP / reliever

Schlereth has been a relief pitcher since college, when he closed for the University of Arizona. The son of a NFL lineman made himself into a 1st round draft pick but has yet to produce much at the major league level.

Schlereth uses a standard fastball / curve combination, but has a little more "stuff" than the average left-hander. His fastball sits in the low-90s, but it's his curveball that gives him a chance to be an asset in the bullpen. The curve is a swing-and-miss pitch and when he's throwing it near the strike zone, he can be effective. Schlereth has shown me a changeup in the past, but rarely breaks it out. 9/16/11

[fastball(90-94), curve(78-82), changeup]

Collin Balester / RHP / reliever

Balester throws an over-the-top fastball to go with a 12 to 6 curveball and straight changeup. As a reliever, Balester rarely works in his change, simply relying on fastball/breaking ball to get outs. 9/7/11

[fastball(90-94), curve(79-81), changeup(81-86)]

Brad Penny / RHP / starter

Despite shoulder problems at different times in his career, Penny can still throw hard, dealing a low to mid-90s fastball that he moves inside and out. His breaking ball is a hard 12 to 6 curve, and these two pitches are really all he needs. Penny used a splitter as his off-speed pitch in the past, showing it to both to LHs and RHs. However, in 2009, Penny scrapped the pitch, and is now throwing a changeup exclusively. Also, he's added a sharp slider into the mix.

Brad is a big, ugly dude, and known for being a smack-talking oxen. He seems to have calmed his antics down in recent years, but it hasn't been able to keep him healthy, or effective. 8/14/11

[fastball(89-97), curve(74-81), changeup(82-87), slider(86-89), splitter(88-89)]

Brad Thomas / LHP / starter - reliever

[fastball(89-92), slider(82-83), changeup]

Luis Marte / RHP / reliever

[fastball(88-92), slider(80-85), changeup(82-84)]