60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

Josh Beckett / RHP / starter

In a Josh Beckett start, you’ll see fastballs, curveballs, changeups, and a few cutters. He’ll mix up his fastball some, throwing running 2-seamers to go with his 4-seamer. Beckett’s curve is a hard 12 to 6 pitch, one of the best breaking balls in the game. His changeup can get good sink in the upper-80s. Josh has gone back and forth between using his cutter and not using it. He tends to throw it exclusively inside on LHs, but will go months without breaking it out. Beckett will always remain one of my all-time favorites thanks to his dominance over the Yankees in the 2003 World Series. 5/14/09 CSJ

[fastball(91-95), curve(72-78), changeup(86-89), cutter(91-93)]

Jon Lester / LHP / starter

Lester, the cancer surviving left-hander from Tacoma, already owns a no-hitter. He deals a low to mid-90s fastball and a high 80s cutter. His fastball gets some tail and sink, but it's the velocity from the left side that makes the pitch tough to hit. His second pitch is the cutter, a very tight breaking ball that he deals inside on RHs and sometimes away from LHs. Lester throws a big "Uncle Charlie" curveball that can miss bats. His fourth pitch is a changeup that he still doesn't command very well. Lester prefers to work everything to his glove side of home plate. 9/7/11

[fastball(90-96), cutter(85-91), curve(75-80), changeup(82-85)]

Clay Buchholz / RHP / starter

Buchholz realized his 1st round draft pick potential in 2010, and I believe a subtle change to his repertoire was the reason. He altered his slider by ratcheting up the velocity and turning it into a darting cutter. It also doesn't hurt that his velocity seemed to improve all-around. His fastball routinely hit 95-96 mph and his 12 to 6 curveball became an 80 mph pitch. Clay's changeup gets good deception and sinks hard when he keeps it down. When thrown to his glove side, the changeup will cut on him. Unlike the majority of pitchers, Buchholz appears to use his entire repertoire for all batters. For example, he often sinks changeups to RHs and frontdoors them with his cutter.

Buchholz grew up in Texas and earned a scholarship to McNeese State in Louisiana. After getting busted for stealing laptop computers from his hometown elementary school, he was dismissed from his college team. You live, you learn. Buchholz supposedly realized his mistakes and enrolled at Angelina Community College in Lufkin, Texas, where he became a 1st round draft pick. His major league career already includes a no-hitter, model girlfriends, and an All-Star selection. 5/27/11

[4-seam fastball(90-98), changeup(78-83), cutter(88-95), curve(75-82)]

Andrew Bailey / RHP / closer

Bailey burst onto the scene in 2009 by first winning the closer job in Oakland, and then winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He throws a hard, heavy, 4-seam fastball that can be difficult to hit. Once ahead of hitters, he deals a 12 to 6 curveball that gets plenty of swings and misses. Bailey also owns a good, tight cutter and a rarely thrown changeup. Bailey is a New Jersey kid who pitched four years at Wagner College before being drafted by Oakland in 2006. 8/13/11

[fastball(92-95), curve(74-79), cutter(85-91), changeup(87)]

Mark Melancon / RHP / setup reliever

Melancon has a chance to succeed in the majors. He has limited his walks in his professional career and owns two plus pitches. He starts with his hard fastball that touches the mid-90s regularly. He can follow the fastball with a curve that breaks late, although it often seems to back up on him. Mark has shown an occasional straight changeup and appears to have introduced a cutter in 2011. Melancon is a former University of Arizona Wildcat. 6/24/11

[fastball(90-96), curve(80-84), cutter(91-93), changeup(85)]

Daniel Bard / RHP / setup reliever

Bard's delivery has an uncanny resemblance to Brandon Morrow's, and both pitchers seem to be dealing the same type of stuff. Bard is firing a mid-90s fastball that shot him through the Red Sox system. He has also shown a low-80s, 12 to 6 curveball, that looks like a dominant strikeout pitch.

Bard pitched for the University of North Carolina, where he joined Andrew Miller at the top of the rotation, to form one of the best starting pitching duos in the country. 5/27/11

[fastball(96-99), curve(81-86), changeup(90-93)]

Daisuke Matsuzaka / RHP / starter

Matsuzaka has been confirmed as throwing six pitches, however he usually works with just four (fastball, slider, changeup, cutter). He has a cutter that sits about 88 mph that he'll throw to any hitter, to either side of the plate. The slider is a bit slower, and looks like a classic slider around 82 mph. Matsuzaka's curveball is usually thrown with bigger, slower break. Daisuke also throws two offspeed pitches. His changeup is fairly soft and he turns it over well. His splitter is a harder pitch, and often drops strangely as it nears the plate. Matsuzaka's fastball gets amazing movement at times, making it difficult for him to command. 6/16/09 CSJ

[fastball(90-95), slider(80-84), curve(73-80), changeup(82-84), cutter(88-91), splitter(84-86)]

Bobby Jenks / RHP / reliever

Jenks can bring some heat. He has a fastball that seems to naturally cut on him, and he can throw it in the mid-90s. Jenks' slider is a hard pitch in the upper-80s to 90 mph. It can also appear like a cutter at times. His curveball breaks hard with the velocity of most pitchers' sliders. Lastly, Jenks will try a changeup to a LH every now and then. Physically, Jenks has really short legs, and an abnormally long torso. 10/23/08 CSJ

[fastball(94-100), slider(86-91), curve(81-84), change(81-83)]

John Lackey / RHP / starter

Lackey has made himself into one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball, piling up innings by pitching deep into games. He uses a sinking 2-seamer and a rising 4-seamer with good control. His breaking balls are his bread and butter though. He'll throw lots of curveballs in the low-80s; a hard downward breaking pitch that gets swings and misses. John's slider usually sits in the mid-80s, but the two breaking balls tend to blend together at times since he'll vary both of them. Lackey will use a few changeups per game to keep LHs honest. Lackey is also a member of baseball's "All-Ugly" team. 3/6/09 CSJ

[fastball(87-94), slider(82-84), curve(76-83), changeup(82-86)]

Tim Wakefield / RHP / starter - reliever

Wakefield is a knuckleballer, one of the few the major leagues has seen over the last decade. Wakefield has produced tons of quality innings for the Red Sox, but will also mix in plenty of awful appearances to balance them out. Wakefield's secondary pitches are a fastball that sinks and a slow curveball. Tim probably misses having Dougie behind the plate these days, but his stuff remains the same as it's been for years. 8/14/11

[knuckleball(59-67), fastball(71-75), curve(55-58)]

Junichi Tazawa / RHP / starter - reliever

Tazawa owns a solid but unspectacular repertoire. He deals a moving fastball in the low-90s, mixes in plenty of breaking balls, and like most Japanese pitches, uses a splitter for his offspeed pitch. Junichi is still just a kid and has pitched very well in both of his minor league stops. However, he has been hit hard at the major league level. 9/11/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-93), curve(70-82), splitter(78-85)]

Matt Albers / RHP / reliever

Albers has a good arm, showing a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s. He has a big, sharp curve in the upper-70s and shows a changeup. He also throws a hard slider in the upper-80s, but I have only seen a few of them. Albers rehabbed himself back from a torn labrum in 2008. 8/14/11

[fastball(91-95), curve(76-81), slider(88), changeup]

Dennys Reyes / LHP / reliever

Reyes used to bring all kinds of cutters and slop to the mound. Now, strictly as a reliever, he throws a fastball, slider, and changeup. His velocities may vary on these pitches depending on the outing. The changeup often flies in only a few mph slower than the fastball. 5/16/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-91), slider(83-85), changeup(83-87)]

Alfredo Aceves / RHP / starter - reliever

Despite limited Major League experience, Aceves is a Mexican League veteran, and looks like a polished pitcher. He moved through the Yankees' minor league system in just one season, and pitched well through the end of '09. His stuff isn't overpowering, but he definitely knows what he's doing. His fastball in a low-90s pitch that gets a little sink. He'll follow that up with an effective cutter thrown to both LHs and away from RHs. Aceves has a straight changeup that looks hittable and a curveball that gets good bite. 7/31/09 CSJ

[fastball(90-93), cutter(87-90), changeup(82-85), curve(77-81)]

Andrew Miller / LHP / starter

Touted as the next Randy Johnson, Miller seems to have lost much of the college velocity that brought him that hype. However, he can still bring his fastball in the low-90s at times, which can be real tough against LHs. Miller isn't afraid to pitch inside, routinely pounding his fastball in on batters' hands, and even following it up with an inside changeup. His breaking ball is a sweeping curve. Miller has struggled in the Majors so far, but will be given plenty of chances to succeed. 4/16/09 CSJ

[fastball(87-93), curve(73-78), changeup(83-85)]

Jesse Carlson / LHP / reliever

Carlson, a left-hander, throws across his body from a 3/4 arm angle. This delivery creates some issues for batters. His fastball can move all over the place, and his slider gets good sweeping action. Carlson has quickly proven to be an effective bullpen option for the Jays. 6/3/09 CSJ

[fastball(88-90), slider(81-85)]

Greg Smith / LHP / starter - reliever

Greg Smith is left-handed and relies on his fastball. He'll move his fastball inside and out. Smith will then use the basic left-hander's strategy of throwing his breaking ball to LHs and changeup to RHs. Smith put up solid numbers in '08, and with his decent fastball he has a chance for success. Strangely, Smith's curveball, his least used offering, looks like a plus pitch to me. 7/21/08 CSJ

[fastball(84-90), changeup(76-80), slider(79-82), curve(74)]

Doug Mathis / RHP / starter - reliever

Mathis has a basic starting pitcher's repertoire. He throws a 4-seam fastball in the low-90s and a 2-seamer a few mph slower. Mathis will mix in two different breaking balls; a slow 12 to 6 type curve, and a sharper slider. Dougie also shows a straight changeup to LHs. 6/16/08 CSJ

[fastball(88-91), slider(83-85), curve(73-78), changeup(81-83)]

Carlos Silva / RHP / starter

Silva lives and dies with his sinking fastball. He'll throw it over 70% of the time, not interested in fooling anyone. His second pitch is a sinking changeup that he'll throw to LHs and RHs. He has two breaking balls; a slider and a curve. Both pitches are standard at best, and not used very often. 5/22/08 CSJ

[fastball(86-91), changeup(79-82), curve(74-76), slider(80-83)]

John Maine / RHP / starter

Maine changed his approach multiple times during 2008. He always uses good 2-seam and 4-seam fastballs to get ahead of hitters, but it's his secondary pitches that he needs to tinker with. He went from being a fastball/slider pitcher, to a fastball/changeup pitcher, and as of July 2008 he is finally using his entire repertoire in the same game. Maine's changeup tails considerably to his arm side, making it effective away from LHs and inside to RHs. The slider is a very tight pitch that has a tendency to lose bite when he's throwing poorly. Maine has also broken out his old curveball but he's still reworking it. Maine's pitches are difficult to hit and all this sounds great, but Maine still walks too many batters and has trouble finishing hitters off. 5/1/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-94), slider(82-87), changeup(82-86), curve(76-77)]

Vicente Padilla / RHP / starter - reliever

Padilla still shows good velocity, mixing his fastballs anywhere between 89-95 mph. He'll throw running 2-seamers and rising 4-seamers. Padilla has a slider that gets some downward movement, but sometimes backs up on him. His changeup has a tendency to cut on him dramatically. Padilla will also throw his curveball at all kinds of velocities. He's not afraid to drop it in around 60 mph, like a classic eephus pitch. The curve will get as fast as 76 mph. Padilla is also one of only eleven MLB players ever born in Nicaragua. 5/27/11

[fastball(89-95), slider(79-84), changeup(82-86), curve(60-76)]

Michael Bowden / RHP / starter - reliever

[fastball(88-93), changeup(81-84)]

Clayton Mortensen / RHP / starter - reliever

[2-seam fastball(85-88), slider(79-82), changeup(78-81)