60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

Dallas Braden / LHP / starter

Dallas Braden owns a fastball that would have trouble breaking a pane of glass. It clocks in around the mid to upper-80s with some movement. When he’s successful, Braden relies on a good, soft changeup to get outs. He’s able to let up 12-15 mph on the pitch, making it difficult for batters to wait for it. Braden also mixes in two breaking balls that he’ll vary the velocities on. He has a curve that usually sits anywhere in the mid-70s and a tighter slider in the low-80s. The two pitches have a tendency to blend together. His minor league statistics look impressive, but his stuff might not be good enough to translate into major league success. 6/9/09 CSJ

[fastball(85-92), changeup(67-80), curve(72-80), slider(81-86)]

Brett Anderson / LHP / starter

Anderson has shown good control at all levels of the minor leagues and continues to throw strikes in the Bigs. He uses a good fastball and has the confidence to spot it on the inner half of the plate. He’ll then attack hitters with an excellent slider he can back-ankle RHs with, or sweep away from LHs. His changeup is fairly standard, but is thrown with plus control. Anderson mixes in a slow 12 to 6 curveball as his fourth pitch, usually in the first pitch of an at-bat. Because Anderson doesn't have dominating velocity, he’s been banged around a bit in the major leagues. However, Anderson seems to know what he’s doing on the mound, which will give him a good chance of succeeding. Unfortunately, any loss of velocity would spell his doom. Anderson also performs the most bizarre water bottle ritual between innings, reminiscent of the great Turk Wendell. 7/31/09 CSJ

[fastball(87-95), slider(79-85), changeup(79-84), curve(73-77)]

Grant Balfour / RHP / setup reliever

Balfour is an intense dude. He throws hard, challenges hitters, and swears at himself on the mound even if things are going well. The Australian owns a tight slider and a curveball, but has been known to go multiple outings without throwing anything but fastballs. 8/13/11

[fastball(90-96), curve(79-83), slider(84-87), changeup]

Brian Fuentes / LHP / setup reliever

Fuentes pitches with a strange low angle delivery that can make his stuff unhittable. He has a 90 mph fastball, and a very slow changeup in the 70s. He will mix in sweeping sliders, usually to LHs. Fuentes has always piled up Ks as a professional, but it wasn't until he became a full-time reliever that this Mexican-American was able to harness enough control to be successful.

Fuentes grew up in Merced, California, attended Merced High School, was drafted out of Merced Junior College in 1995, and currently lives in Merced. 7/4/11

[fastball(88-93), changeup(72-75), slider(75-80)]

Brandon McCarthy / RHP / starter

McCarthy has resurfaced in the major leagues in 2011 as a new pitcher. He's still a strike thrower, but now he's sinking his fastball and throwing a cutter. Brandon still owns a good curveball that can miss bats and a changeup he'll show to LHs. His new repertoire, including the shocking amount of cutters he is throwing, has become formidable in the AL West.

McCarthy began his career as a high profile prospect with the White Sox. He was dealt for John Danks following the 2006 season, but arm injuries and general ineffectiveness ruined his time in Texas. Brandon missed all of 2010 due his shoulder issues before signing a deal with the A's. 9/7/11

[2-seam fastball(88-93), curve(77-84), cutter(88-91), changeup(83-85)]

Bartolo Colon / RHP / starter

Colon is putting together a ridiculous comeback season in 2011. He's still out of shape and a bit injury prone, but his arm has returned excellent results so far.

Colon's fastball is a tick slower than it was in his Cy Young days, but he's getting incredible movement on his 2-seamer and occasionally touches 95 mph with his 4-seam. He appears to be using his fastballs over 75% of the time. He has good control and stays on the corners with everything. Bartolo uses a slider as his #2 pitch. He will often backdoor LHs with it and spin it away from RHs. Colon also brought back his old changeup, but will use it sparingly. When he does go off-speed, he's not afraid to throw it to RHs. Lastly, I've noticed Colon use a cutter a couple times per game. He'll try to bust LHs inside with it in typical cutter fashion, or even go away from a tough right-hander. 7/25/11

[2-seam fastball(90-93), 4-seam fastball(91-95), slider(83-85), changeup(82-85), cutter(88-92)]

Jerry Blevins / LHP / reliever

Blevins has a solid four-pitch repertoire for a reliever. His fastball seems to rise as it approaches home plate and he owns a big breaking curve that he can drop in for strikes. Blevins spins a glove side slider to LHs and pulls the string on a changeup to RHs. Blevins pitched collegiately at Dayton. 4/6/11

[fastball(88-92), curve(70-74), changeup(79-82), slider(83)]

Jarrod Parker / RHP / starter - reliever

Jarrod Parker is a highly touted prospect from Indiana. He was a 1st round pick out of high school and reached the major leagues after 70 minor league starts. Parker skipped AAA and made his first big league appearance in late September of 2011.

Parker whips a low-90s fastball and sinking changeup. He releases the ball over-the-top but his arm comes through really late, which screams arm injury to me. Jarrod has shown me a curveball for his breaking pitch. At this point, Parker doesn't own the fastball velocity or movement to make a big impact as a starter. 10/7/11

[4-seam fastball(90-93), curve(76), changeup(79)]

Michael Wuertz / RHP / reliever

Wuertz is a breaking ball pitcher. With the Cubs, he would go entire innings without throwing anything but tight sliders. He has since developed a second breaking pitch, now spinning a downward breaking curveball. Wuertz does have a changeup he'll throw on occasion, usually to LHs. 7/4/11

[fastball(86-90), slider(82-86), changeup(81-82), curve(77-78)]

Rich Harden / RHP / starter - reliever

Harden's changeup grip 7/23/11

In his short prime, Harden dealt a dominant fastball that sat in the mid-90s and rose as it approached home plate. His second pitch was called, 'The Spluckler'. Stupid name, but it was his splitter thrown with very little spin and mid-80s velocity. The lack of spin made the pitch's movement completely unpredictable. It could dive like a splitter, look like a slider, or even float in like a changeup. Harden also used a straight changeup and spun a slider at different points in his career.

In 2011, Harden appears to be a two-pitch guy. He gasses a 4-seam fastball in the low-90s and throws plenty of changeups that move all over the place, often resembling sliders or splitters. 7/23/11

[4-seam fastball(90-97), changeup(82-87), splitter, slider]

Lenny DiNardo / LHP / starter - reliever

DiNardo throws a strange ball. His fastballs move all over the place, making it look like he's throwing a cutter or slider on every pitch. He's not. When he throws his breaking ball, an obvious 11-5 curveball, you'll know it. His changeup is fairly straight, but can also cut sometimes. 3/6/09 CSJ

[fastball(81-86), changeup(76-78), curve(69-74)]

Joey Devine / RHP / reliever

[2-seam fastball(90-94), slider(80-81), changeup]

Tyson Ross / RHP / starter - reliever

[fastball(92-95), slider(81-89), changeup(86)]

Ryan Cook / RHP / reliever

[fastball(94-97), slider(85), changeup(89-91)]