Toronto Blue Jays

Ricky Romero / LHP / starter

Romero, from East L.A., came to the Blue Jays with a full amateur resume. He was one of the best high schools players in Los Angeles, won an NCAA National Championship at Cal State Fullerton, and played internationally with USA Baseball. After all that success, the Jays selected him with the 6th overall pick in 2005.

2011 saw a significant change to Romero’s repertoire. Gone is the slider, replaced by a cut fastball that he’s busting up RHs with. In total, Romero throws three different types of fastballs. He’ll most often use the 2-seamer, a pitch he can throw for strikes and get groundballs with. Ricky also owns a 4-seamer, a pitch he tends to throw inside to either RHs or LHs. The 4-seamer will creep into the mid-90s and be tough to get around on. Romero’s best pitch secondary pitch has become his changeup. He’s throwing it confidently nearly every outing, normally fading it away from hitters. Romero’s fourth pitch, or fifth, I lost count, is a curve. He can locate the big breaker for strike one, or put it on the ground for strike three. 10/19/11

[2-seam fastball(87-92), 4-seam fastball(92-96), cut fastball(90-93), changeup(82-87), curve(74-78), slider]




Brandon Morrow / RHP / starter

Morrow has a free and easy motion that produces a fastball with excellent velocity, touching the upper-90s. He doesn't get much movement with it except for some "rise" from the 4-seamer. His slider has improved over his short career, and it has become his #2 pitch. Brandon also has an excellent curveball that drops off the table. Morrow started throwing a changeup in 2008, but it has taken a backseat to his improved slide piece. Basically, Morrow is a fastball/slider guy, with a good curve and change mixed in occasionally. His natural arm strength and velocity makes his a strikeout machine. 7/26/11

[fastball(90-96), slider(85-89), curve(81-85), changeup(81-87)]

Sergio Santos / RHP / closer

Santos is a former 1st round pick, as a shortstop. He spent seven years toiling in the minor leagues, trying to learn how to hit a 95 mph fastball. In 2009, Sergio quickly converted into an effective late-inning reliever and now he's the one exposing hitters with his upper-90s fastball. Santos has shown a sharp slider as well, giving him an excellent combination of pitches to attack hitters with. Look for Santos to mix in a changeup when facing LHs. 9/22/11

[fastball(96-97), slider(87), changeup]

Kyle Drabek / RHP / starter

Drabek was the major chip acquired by Toronto in the Roy Halladay trade. He was a 1st round draft pick in 2006 and entered his rookie season as one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

Drabek can throw his fastball upwards of 95 mph and appears difficult to square up. He has an excellent curveball that looks like a good kill pitch. Drabek throws plenty of cutters and a straight changeup. He looks like a strong kid with simple mechanics. 4/20/11

[fastball(90-96), cutter(89-94), curve(79-83), changeup(83-86)]

Brett Cecil / LHP / starter

Brett Cecil is a young guy with a good slider. He can make LHs look silly by sweeping it away from them, or he can back-ankle RHs with it. Brett's fastball velocity is good for a left-hander, touching the mid-90s at times. Cecil appears to have improved his changeup in 2010, a big key to his current success. Cecil finishes his four-pitch repertoire with a standard curveball.

Cecil was drafted out of the University of Maryland in 2007 and quickly pitched his way to the major leagues. Brett wears some sweet rec-specs and pitching is the only thing he does left-handed. 6/15/10 CSJ

[fastball(87-94), slider(82-88), changeup(80-85), curve(74-79)]

Jason Frasor / RHP / setup reliever

Frasor throws an explosive low to mid-90s fastball out of his short 5'10" frame. His breaking ball is considered a slider, however at times it gets good 12 to 6 drop. In an attempt to find a reliable off-speed pitch, Frasor started using splitters in 2007. He didn't perfect the split-joint until 2009. Frasor's three-pitch repertoire plays well in a setup role. 9/22/11

[fastball(90-95), slider(82-85), splitter(84-88)]

Francisco Cordero / RHP / setup reliever

Co-Co Cordero has changed the plan in 2011. He seems to have backed off of his fastball a bit, using a sinking low-90s version instead of his 95 mph straight gas. Cordero has also added a curveball to his repertoire and it has quickly become an important weapon. He's throwing his changeup often and still relies heavily on his sharp slider. All of this tinkering may have helped his control as his walk rate has been nearly cut in half.

Cordero's plan is simple, get ahead with fastballs and curves, then break off multiple sliders or changeups to get Ks. Despite a career WHIP of 1.34, Cordero has been successfully closing games since 2002. 6/11/11

[fastball(91-96), curve(77-81), changeup(84-88), slider(85-89)]

Jesse Litsch / RHP / starter

Litsch shows excellent command, limits his walks and pitches smart within the strike zone. Litsch has also tinkered with his repertoire many times already in his short career. He currently works with a straight 4-seam fastball and a sinking 2-seamer. The movement he gets on his 2-seamer can be considerable. Litsch's bread and butter is his cutter, a pitch he'll throw often. He likes to bury it in on LHs, break it away from RHs, or even front door it to RHs. Litsch also owns a curveball and changeup. The curve gets decent bite, but the changeup is all over the place. 9/25/08 CSJ

[fastball(87-93), cutter(85-89), curve(73-80), changeup(79-82)]

Casey Janssen / RHP / reliever

Janssen is a master of the breaking ball. He has a cutter, slider, and curveball, and uses them well. His cutter is in the high-80s and he'll throw it to LHs and RHs. The slider is standard, sitting in the low-80s. His curveball is in the upper-70s, getting decent 12 to 6 drop. Janssen does have a fastball and changeup to go with all these breaking balls. 7/23/10 CSJ

[fastball(90-93), cutter(90-92), slider(82), curve(75-77), changeup(84)]

Darren Oliver / LHP / reliever

Oliver deals a moving fastball and a curveball. He has had success at different times in his career, and seems to have found a role as a quality long reliever. Oliver has been known to drop in changeups too, and will throw cutters inside to RHs. 6/24/11

[fastball(88-91), curve(76-80), cutter(87-89), changeup]

Luis Perez / LHP / reliever

Perez throws the standard combination of fastball / slider / changeup. The Dominican has good velocity and decent break on his slider. Perez' changeup will get some funky movement at times, getting some cut towards his glove side. 8/18/11

[fastball(91-94), slider(81-84), changeup(81-84)]

Shawn Camp / RHP / reliever

Camp is a classic sinkerballer. His sinker flies in the upper-80s, inducing plenty of groundballs and even missing some bats. Shawn will follow it up with a sweeping slider and can throw it with excellent control. He will often backdoor LHs with it or get RHs to chase it off the plate. Camp throws his changeup a bit too hard for it to be a plus pitch, but survives with his sinker/slider combo. 6/24/11

[sinker(85-89), slider(78-81), changeup(80-84)]

Brian Tallet / LHP / reliever

Tallet is basically a three-pitch pitcher. He owns a fastball around 90 mph and a hard changeup. Tallet seems to get good arm action on the change, but he's a little erratic with it. His third pitch is a good cutter that can get in on the hands of RHs. Tallet isn't afraid to mix his pitches and go against the book by dropping changeups on LHs. His fourth offering is a standard slider. Tallet seemed to have found a niche as a middle reliever, until he was pressed into starting action in 2009. 6/3/09 CSJ

[fastball(88-92), cutter(85-88), changeup(80-83), slider(79-82)]

Carlos Villanueva / RHP / reliever

Villanueva is a strike throwing junkballer, mixing his four-pitch repertoire almost equally. He throws sliders, changeups, curveballs, and fastballs in unpredicable situations and locations. After years of trying his luck as a starting pitcher, Carlos seems to have taken to his full-time bullpen role. 4/5/11 CSJ

[fastball(87-91), changeup(80-84), curve(71-76), slider(81-84)]

Scott Richmond / RHP / starter - reliever

Richmond, a Canadian, wasn't even drafted out of college. He pitched at Oklahoma State, where he posted outstanding numbers as a 25 year old senior. Afterwards, he pitched in the independent Northern League for three years before finally getting his chance in the Toronto organization in 2008. Richmond proved he belonged by throwing a heavy low-90s fastball and two tough breaking pitches. His slider works best when he locates it low and in to LHs, where it gets plenty of swings and misses. Scott's curveball is a big 12 to 6 pitch that he'll try and drop in for strikes. Richmond's fourth pitch is a changeup. 5/28/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-93), slider(83-86), curve(75-78), changeup(83)]

Dustin McGowan / RHP / starter

McGowan's stuff is sick. He owns a mid-90s fastball that bores in on RHs. Off of his fastball, McGowan will throw a tight slider that hits 90 mph. He also has good break on a 12 to 6 curveball and he'll throw a sinking changeup. He is a young pitcher, finally recovered from multiple injuries, and still learning what he can do on the mound. 9/7/11

[fastball(92-96), slider(86-91), curve(81-84), changeup(85-89)]

Aaron Laffey / LHP / starter - reliever

Laffey is a fringe major leaguer for a reason; he lacks big league velocity. He throws two very distinct fastballs. His 4-seamer is fairly straight, flying between the mid to upper-80s. Then he'll mix in a distinct 2-seamer that gets a ton of sink. At times this pitch will act like a changeup for him because it varies so much from his 4-seam velocity. Laffey will use a slider, backdooring it to RHs and sweeping it away from LHs. Lastly, Laffey does have a changeup, a fairly straight offering that's slower than his 2-seamer. 6/9/11

[4-seam(85-89), 2-seam(82-85), slider(74-81), changeup(78-81)]

Jim Hoey / RHP / reliever

Hoey is a hard thrower. He has an upper-90s fastball and a big slider. I have clearly seen a split-finger grip on some off-speed pitches, which have the velocity of other pitchers' fastballs. 9/20/11

[fastball(94-96), splitter(82-87), slider(84)]

Chad Gaudin / RHP / reliever

Gaudin is known for his slider and sinker. Both pitches get plus movement, but Gaudin still has trouble controling them at times. Chad's third pitch is a sinking changeup that he likes to throw when facing LHs. 8/1/10

[fastball(89-93), slider(79-84), changeup(82-86)]

Kyle Davies / RHP / starter

Kyle Davies throws the standard four pitches. He throws a decent fastball, a good curve, and mixes in his changeup to LHs. Davies works quickly and tries to pound the strike zone. His fourth pitch is a tight slider that became a larger part of his repertoire in 2010.

Davies also hit one of the longest homeruns I've ever seen a pitcher hit, a three-run bomb against the Mets in '07. He also threw eight innings and got a win that day. 10/20/10 CSJ

[fastball(90-94), curve(74-77), changeup(82-83), slider(87)]

Rommie Lewis / LHP / reliever

Lewis is a very hittable left-hander from Washington state. He tries to spot his fastball and bust his cutter inside to RHs. He can sweep a slider away from LHs and also owns a straight changeup. Lewis spent parts of four seasons in the Carolina League and parts of three seasons in the Eastern League. 9/7/11

[fastball(91-94), cutter(85-90), slider(80-83), changeup(83-84)]

Joel Carreno / RHP / starter - reliever

Carreno is a short right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He sinks a good 2-seamer and has shown me a sweeping breaking ball. Carreno is not overpowering, but he has had success at every level of the minor leagues. 9/7/11

[2-seam fastball(91-93), slider(79-81)]

Garrett Mock / RHP / reliever

Rumor has it that Mock is being groomed by the Nationals to be a closer. His stuff doesn't look dominant, but his fastball is heavy and he owns a good curveball. Mock also throws a standard changeup and slider. His delivery reminds me of Brad Lidge. Mock played collegiately at the University of Houston. 4/6/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-93), changeup(79-82), curve(74-78), slider(80-83)]

Nelson Figueroa / RHP / starter - reliever

Figueroa, the former Mexican Leaguer, has average velocity but uses a 3/4 arm angle to get movement on his fastball. He has a slow curveball that seems to get good bite despite its low velocity. His slider is a weak offering, but it can be an effective pitch when he backdoors it to LHs. His offspeed pitch is a sinking changeup. Overall, Figueroa appears very underwhelming, but the Brooklyn native has excellent control. 8/5/09 CSJ

[fastball(85-91), curve(70-75), slider(79-84), changeup(82-84)]

Tim Redding / RHP / starter - reliever

Redding survives by mixing his pitches well. He has an average fastball that he tries to spot on the corners. Then he mixes in tight sliders to both sides of the plate, using it much like a cutter inside on LHs. Redding owns a standard curveball and a straight changeup. I noticed a split-finger pitch from Redding in 2008. He'll try to use it as a strikeout pitch once or twice a game. T-Red is also the nephew of Trixie Norton of The Honeymooners. 8/5/09 CSJ

[fastball(87-93), slider(80-86), curve(74-77), change(79-83), splitter(83-85)]