60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

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 school 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)]

Josh Johnson / RHP / starter

Johnson returned to the mound in '08 with a new, freshly repaired elbow. He also brought back his simple, yet effective repertoire of fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball is still excellent, clocking in the mid-90s, getting some natural cut at times. Johnson deals a tight slider as his breaking pitch, throwing it away from RHs and ducking it under LHs bats. His third pitch is a sinking changeup that has the velocity of the average pitcher's 2-seamer. 4/21/09 CSJ

[fastball(93-97), slider(83-88), changeup(88-90)]

Mark Buehrle / LHP / starter

Buehrle has never been a hard thrower. He deals a mid to upper-80s fastball and a low-80s cutter. He can turn his cutter in on the hands of RHs, or even backdoor them with it. Against LHs, Buehrle will use the cutter almost exclusively on the outer half of the plate. He'll even vary the movement of the cutter to LHs, giving it more sliding action at times. Buehrle's third pitch is a sinking changeup that he can spot extremely well. He'll use the changeup to both LHs and RHs, consistently locating the pitch in the bottom half of the strike zone. Mark's last pitch is a standard curveball that he can drop in for strike one. When going well, the curve can even act as a strikeout pitch.

Buehrle is the fastest working pitcher in baseball, producing some of the shortest games in the majors each season. His accelerated pace frustrates hitters that have a prolonged routine in the batter's box. This, and the fact that Buehrle knows what he is, and isn't capable of, usually gives him the edge over the batters. 9/22/11

[fastball(81-87), cutter(76-83), changeup(76-82), curve(72-73)]

J.A. Happ / LHP / starter - reliever

Happ shows some promise. He is six-feet tall, left-handed, and throws a 90 mph fastball. He has consistently posted good minor league numbers and looks like he might translate it to the major league level. Happ owns a tight slider that he uses often. He likes to try and go inside to RHs with it, burying it at their ankles, or throw it away from LHs. Happ will also show an improving changeup to RHs and mix in a very slow curveball. 9/17/10 CSJ

[fastball(87-93), slider(80-85), changeup(75-82), curve(73-79)]

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 / reliever

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)]

Casey Janssen / RHP / closer

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)]

Esmil Rogers / RHP / reliever

Rogers is a skinny kid with a fluid delivery. He can crank his fastball into the mid-90s and snap off a good curveball. The Dominican native has shown a plus changeup at times, but has trouble consistently locating it. His fourth pitch is a standard slider. I don't see stardom in this kid's future. 5/14/11

[fastball(90-96), curve(76-83), changeup(81-87), slider(83-86)]

Dustin McGowan / RHP / starter - reliever

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)]

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)]

Jeremy Jeffress / RHP / reliever

[fastball(94-99), curve(81), changeup]