60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

David Price / LHP / starter

The 2007 #1 overall pick, David Price reached the major leagues in his first season of professional baseball. Just two years later, Price has made himself into a one of the best pitchers in the game and a Cy Young contender.

David throws a plus fastball that can dominate hitters. Price whips his fastball to home plate somewhere in the 92-96 mph range and did not allow a homerun to a left-handed hitter in 2010. Coming out of the minor leagues, Price was known for his sharp, upper-80s slider that missed bats. The pitch became more cutterish in 2011, but it appears to be just as effective. David also flips a curveball, a pitch he has really developed over the last couple seasons. I believe the curve has helped Price by keeping hitters a bit off balance. They are unable to simply sit on the hard stuff anymore. Finally, David has been working on his changeup for years, and appears to have finally grown comfortable with it in 2011. The change has become more of a weapon, and less of a show pitch. 10/19/11

[fastball(91-97), slider(85-92), curve(77-81), changeup(82-86)]

James Shields / RHP / starter

Shields has been a great surprise for the Rays since reaching the big leagues. He threw like one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2007 and 2008 and has since settled into being a #2 or #3 starter. Shields signed with the Devil Rays after high school, turning down a scholarship to LSU.

Big Game mixes his tailing 90+ mph fastball with a disappearing changeup. The changeup is one of the best in the game, getting good sink and deception. At times, it appears that batters are looking for the changeup and still swing over top of it. James also throws two different breaking pitches. He owns a razorblade cutter that can break bats and also throws a big curveball with good command, making him a true four-pitch pitcher. 7/4/11

[fastball(90-94), changeup(80-85), cutter(84-89), curve(73-77)]

Kyle Farnsworth / RHP / closer

Farnsworth is a 13 year veteran that used the first 12 years of his career to figure himself out. Despite having some of the best pure arm strength in the big leagues, he struggled mightily and was known as a pitcher that couldn't handle pressure situations. In 2011, at the age of 35 and with the trust of manager Joe Maddon, Farnsworth has become an effective closer.

He can dial up his 4-seam fastball towards 100 mph, making for what should be an uncomfortable at-bat. Kyle is working in two breaking balls now; a 90 mph cutter and an 85 mph slider. He has also reintroduced his splitter, finally giving him something he can attack LHs with. It looks like his 2-seamer has also stuck around, and he'll mix it in occasionally.

Farnsworth was a 47th round draft pick in 1994 out of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. He has participated in a couple of famous brawls, making quick work of both Paul Wilson and Jeremy Affeldt with his patented tackle move. Around Wrigleyville, Farnsworth will forever be known as one of the great "Scum Bunchers" of all time. 8/14/11

[4-seam fastball(92-98), 2-seam fastball(89-91), cutter(87-91), slider(83-86), splitter(89-91)]

Matt Moore / LHP / starter

Moore was a somewhat unheralded 8th round draft pick out of high school in New Mexico. The Rays have certainly capitalized on his upside however, as he reached the big league club in 2011 as the highest rated prospect in their minor league system.

The left-hander zips a mid to upper-90s fastball that looks dominating. Moore spins a slurvy breaking ball that has good depth and uses a moving circle changeup. He likes to throw inside often, especially to RHs. Moore's delivery is smooth, calm, and appears effortless. He has really racked up Ks in the pros, to the tune of a 12.7 K/9 ratio over his five minor league seasons. 9/30/11

[fastball(93-97), slurve(83-85), changeup(86-88)]

Jeff Niemann / RHP / starter

Niemann is a big man and he throws hard. He has a low-90s 4-seamer that can run either direction. Jeff is now using his 12 to 6 curve as his clear #2 pitch. The curve can put hit away or get a quick 0-1 count. Jeff also spins a low-80s slider and has plenty of trust in his splitter. Niemann seems to improve his control each season and it seems to have turned him into a complete pitcher. 9/20/11

[fastball(86-93), curve(76-81), splitter(81-85), slider(83-85)]

Wade Davis / RHP / starter

Davis, drafted out of high school, made the standard climb through the minor leagues, making at least 13 starts at each level. He pitched well at every stop but never quite dominated the competition. At the big league level, Wade Davis appears to be that same type of pitcher, projecting as a middle of the rotation type guy.

Wade pounds the corners of the plate with a fairly straight low to mid-90s fastball. He twirls a solid curveball as a strikeout pitch, or a "get me over" strike one. Davis also spins a tighter slider and a seldom seen changeup. Stuff wise, he could look like your generic right-hander, but I believe he has a little of that pitcher intangible that could make him successful. Another plus is that Davis has already thrown 767 innings in the minor leagues, and looks like he has a durable arm. 8/14/11

[fastball(87-96), curve(75-82), slider(84-88), changeup(85)]

Jeremy Hellickson / RHP / starter

Drafted out of high school in Iowa, Hellickson dominated at every minor league level. The right-hander entered 2011 as the top prospect in the Rays system.

Hellickson isn't a hard thrower, but he has great control and good mound presence. Jeremy works with a fastball that flies around 90 mph, but it's his secondary pitches that make him successful. He'll throw plenty of changeups to both LHs and RHs. The pitch can cut towards his glove side, but it's the deception that makes it a plus pitch. Hellickson also throws a curveball that he'll vary the velocity on. The curve can be a weapon when it's breaking away from RHs. His fourth pitch is a cutter that he'll show a few times a game. 4/8/11

[fastball(87-92), changeup(77-80), curve(70-78), cutter(87-89)]

Fernando Rodney / RHP / setup reliever

Fernando Rodney can bring some cheddar. He's a physical specimen that can throw an upper-90s fastball. He becomes dominant when he can control his deceptive changeup and start missing bats with it. Rodney will use a slider, but it seems like he only goes to it when he can't find his good change. 8/27/11

[fastball(92-97), changeup(80-85), slider(87-88)]

Brandon Gomes / RHP / reliever

Gomes zips a sinking fastball and slurvy breaking ball to get outs. He shows a splitter as his third pitch. Gomes releases his pitches from a 3/4 arm angle and isn't overpowering.

Gomes pitched parts of five springs of college ball at Tulane thanks to the medical redshirt he received after undergoing T.J. surgery as a sophomore. He also showcased his talents in the Cape Cod League before being drafted by San Diego in 2007. 9/30/11

[2-seam fastball(89-93), slurve(78-83), splitter(83-85)]

Joel Peralta / RHP / setup reliever

Peralta is very deliberate on the mound, putting everything into each pitch. He deals a straight fastball to go with some good secondary pitches. He has a split-finger pitch that can dive under bats and he is unafraid to throw it to both LHs and RHs. Jo-el will also throw a hard upper-70s curve that can miss bats and has used a slider at different points in his career. Peralta has also been willing to vary his arm angles, especially when throwing his slider. 8/5/11

[fastball(89-92), curve(76-78), splitter(80-84), slider(84)]

Jake McGee / LHP / reliever

McGee is a hard throwing left-hander from Nevada. His delivery looks stiff an awkward, but the baseball flies out of his hand with alarming velocity. McGee routinely hits the upper-90s with his 4-seam fastball. He follows the speedball with an average slider and straight changeup. It looks like McGee has a future in late inning relief if he can harness some control of the strikezone. 8/12/11

[4-seam fastball(94-98), slider(78-80), changeup(83)]

Alex Cobb / RHP / starter

Cobb is a strong right-hander drafted out of high school in Vero Beach, Florida. Cobb made stops at each of the Rays minor league levels, and reached the majors at age 23.

Cobb cranks a moving fastball in the low-90s and drops a 12 to 6 curveball. Alex uses a split-finger pitch when he goes off-speed. He has posted low walk totals throughout his minor league career and looks like he might produce the results that were expected of Wade Davis. 8/5/11

[fastball(88-94), curve(74-79), splitter(83-87)]

Burke Badenhop / RHP / reliever

Badenhop is your old fashioned sinker / slider / changeup pitcher. You know, the kind of guy that announcers love because they can start using all their favorite "groundball pitcher" cliches. Badenhop's stuff is underwhelming, but he does actually appear to get enough groundballs and weak contact to be somewhat effective. Burke is from Bowling Green, Ohio and pitched at Bowling Green State University. 8/5/11

[sinker(87-91), changeup(82-85), slider(79-81)]

J.P. Howell / LHP / reliever

Howell gets a lot of movement on all his pitches. His fastball sinks, tails, and/or cuts on its way to the plate. It only reaches about 88 mph but somehow looks much faster these days. He mixes in a changeup that he tends to overthrow, as it often ends up only about 5 mph slower than the fastball. Howell's breaking ball is in the upper-70s and may touch the low-80s. It has become a real weapon against all hitters, especially LHs.

Howell's stuff improved dramatically after 2007 and he posted two consecutive quality seasons for the Rays. His 2010 season was lost to labrum surgery and it doesn't look like he has completely recovered yet. 8/5/11

[fastball(84-88), curve(77-82), changeup(76-81)]

Lance Cormier / RHP / reliever

Cormier is a fastball/cutter pitcher. He throws a 90 mph fastball and an 89 mph cutter off of it. The cutter can induce weak groundballs from both LHs and RHs. Cormier deals a 12 to 6 curveball and has shown a sinking changeup at times. 6/26/09 CSJ

[fastball(88-92), cutter(86-89), curve(76-79), changeup]

Romulo Sanchez / RHP / reliever

Sanchez is a hard thrower, bringing a straight, mid-90s heater to the mound. He'll mix in lots of changeups, a soft pitch that he'll ease his motion to throw. Batters may be able to pick up on this. Romulo also throws a slider that he obviously doesn't have much confidence in. 8/30/08 CSJ

[fastball(92-94), changeup(84-87), slider(82-84)]

Cesar Ramos / LHP / reliever

[fastball(91-96), curve(75-76), changeup(85)]

Jay Buente / RHP / reliever

[fastball(90-93), splitter(80-84), curve(78)]

Josh Lueke / RHP / reliever

[fastball(93-96), splitter(85-88), slider, curve]