60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

Aroldis Chapman / LHP / reliever

Aroldis Chapman comes to the United States as the best prospect Cuba has ever produced. He defected while in Holland in 2009, and signed a $30M contract in January of 2010. Despite being only 23 years old, Chapman is already a veteran of international baseball and the Cuban National Series.

Chapman has a special arm. He can have outings where his fastball will sit at 100 mph and top out at 105 mph. Enough said. Aroldis will also spin an average looking slider, but after preparing for a triple-digit fastball, the slider is devastating for batters. I’ve seen Chapman try a splitter, which bounced about six feet in front of home plate, and I also think I’ve seen a couple of changeups. His delivery reminds me of Francisco Liriano.

On the negative side, Chapman’s control is a bit suspect right now. He also lacks an offspeed pitch that he can count on, but so did Randy Johnson. I believe he could certainly make his career as a starting pitcher, with or without a third pitch. 1/17/11 CSJ

[fastball(96-105), slider(82-89), splitter, changeup]



Johnny Cueto / RHP / starter

Cueto can bring some heat. He has a moving fastball that is thrown anywhere between 90 to 95 mph. He has excellent control of it as well, showing the ability to hit his target and not issue walks. Johnny throws a slider to either side of the plate to try and get Ks by backdooring LHs or getting RHs to chase. Cueto's changeup gets good sink when thrown well, but he has a tendency to pull it to his glove side, making it float inside to LHs. Johnny added a cutter in 2010 and will use it early in the count to try and get a quick out.

Cueto has shown dominant stuff at the start of his career, and with his command he should be successful. He will also kick you in the head with his spikes if you cross him. 6/11/11

[fastball(88-96), slider(76-85), cutter(88-92), changeup(79-84)]

Mat Latos / RHP / starter

Mat Latos was an 11th round draft pick out of Broward College in 2006, and has dominated professional hitters since then. Latos has a classic pitcher's frame. He's tall, lean, and uses his height to throw the ball downhill, creating a difficult hitting angle. Latos doesn’t use his legs to drive towards home plate, preferring to just fall towards the batter and let gravity do the work. This makes his delivery look a little uncomfortable, since he isn’t using his body to support his tattooed arm.

Latos tries to work the corners with a 4-seam fastball that flies in the low to mid-90s. He has shown the ability to pitch consistently at 92-94 mph, yet save two or three more mph for the David Wright's of the world. When thrown glove side, the fastball often gets some natural cutting action, which can make the pitch sail off the plate. Mat uses plenty of breaking balls as well. He picked up a slider in 2010 and it has quickly become his go-to out pitch. Latos controls the slider well, it has good depth and is basically a harder version of his curve. Speaking of.... his curveball is a strong 12 to 6 breaker. The curve acts like a true drop ball, falling straight down as it approaches home plate, getting very little horizontal movement. Latos rounds out his four-pitch repertoire with a straight changeup. He's not afraid to use the changeup, but he hasn't shown me great command of it yet. He has a tendency to pull it towards his glove side, which can give it some natural cut. 10/25/11

[fastball(90-97), slider(81-84), curve(75-79), changeup(81-86)]

Ryan Madson / RHP / closer

Madson is a fastball/changeup pitcher, but seems to be using his cutter more and more. The cutter can get some huge movement sometimes, sliding across the hitting zone. Madson's changeup is still his best pitch, often diving down just as it reaches home plate. His fastball is very straight and hittable when he's not touching the mid-90s with it. Ryan uses a slow curve as his fourth pitch and has become one of the best late relievers in baseball. 7/21/11

[fastball(92-97), changeup(80-85), cutter(87-92), curve(78)]

Bronson Arroyo / RHP / starter

Arroyo is the kind of pitcher that can look awful one outing, and then dominate opponents in the next. His inconsistency lies in his lack of pure "stuff". Bronson's fastball tops out around 90 mph, while his curveballs often fly in the 60s. However, Arroyo's main weapon is his various arm angles and velocities. He mixes all kinds of junk together and will throw anything, at any time, from any arm angle. Arroyo will drop his arm slot and sweep curveballs across the zone or run fastballs away from LHs. He also has a soft changeup that gets some sinking action that he seems to be using more often these days. Arroyo's fourth pitch is his cutter, an offering he'll throw almost exclusively to his gloveside of home plate. Bronson is not afraid to throw a changeup or curveball on the first pitch of the game, or for the first pitch of every inning. For example, in his last start of 2010, Arroyo began the game with three curveballs and a changeup before he let go of an 87 mph fastball. 8/12/11

[fastball(85-90), curve(68-78), changeup(77-83), cutter(85-88)]

Sean Marshall / LHP / setup reliever

Marshall is a tall left-hander that deals a good fastball/cutter combination. He owns a hard, straight changeup that varies only slightly in velocity from his fastball. Marshall also deals a big curveball that he likes to use against LHs. Sean pitched collegiately at VCU. 6/7/11

[fastball(88-92), cutter(85-91), changeup(83-84), curve(74-77)]

Homer Bailey / RHP / starter

Bailey came to Cincinnati with plenty of accolades. He was named High School Player of the Year in 2004 by USA Today and the Reds' top prospect by Baseball America in 2007. Major League success isn't coming quite as easily. Bailey is hoping his 2011 season, at age 25, will be his breakthrough year.

Bailey is known for his good fastball. He can comfortably whip his fastball at 94 mph, and loves to try and elevate the pitch for a swing and miss. Homer will also throw plenty of breaking balls. He owns a decent slider that he'll work away to most hitters, backdooring LHs. He'll also flip some big curveballs that he can't seem to locate. Bailey's off-speed pitch is a splitter. He seems to be more confident in the splitter in 2011, mixing it in more often and with better control. Bailey used to throw a changeup that he gripped with just his ring and little finger. 6/12/11

[fastball(87-95), slider(82-88), curve(73-79), splitter(83-86)]

Mike Leake / RHP / starter

Leake became the first starting pitcher to skip the minor leagues since Jim Abbott. Or was he? Leake played in the 2009 Arizona Fall League, so technically that was his first taste of professional baseball. As an amateur, Mikey dominated college baseball during his three years at Arizona State, compiling a 40-5 record on the mound.

Leake is a little guy, with an assortment of pitches. He'll mix his five pitches together in an attempt to dizzy hitters into confusion. To try and get a quick out, Leake will throw a 2-seamer around 90 mph and a cutter at similar velocity. If he finds himself ahead in the count, Mike likes to break his slider on the glove side of home plate to get a swing and miss. Leake also has a changeup and curveball. The curve will blend with the slider velocity at times. Leake has had good command and control his entire pitching life, and could eventually make himself into a successful junkballer. 1/18/11 CSJ

[2-seam fastball(87-93), cutter(87-91), slider(82-85), curve(78-81), changeup(82-83)]

Nick Masset / RHP / reliever

Nick Masset has made himself into a quality late-inning reliever for the Reds. He has very good velocity on his fastball and mixes in two different breaking pitches. Masset's curve is his favorite offering and it's constantly improving. He'll throw a split-finger pitch that he'll use like most pitchers use their changeup. The slider is a short and tight breaker in the mid to upper-80s. 8/14/11

[fastball(90-95), curve(76-83), slider(84-88), splitter(86-88)]

Bill Bray / LHP / reliever

Bray is 1st round draft pick turned lefty specialist. He throws a hard fastball around 90 mph out of a funky motion. His second pitch is a very tight slider that doesn't have much depth. I have still never seen a changeup from Bray, although I'm sure he has one. 6/12/11

[fastball(89-92), slider(80-86), changeup]

Logan Ondrusek / RHP / reliever

Ondrusek has quickly become a valuable member of the Reds bullpen. He is not overpowering, but can bust up hitters with cutters and diving splitters. Logan has a full repertoire that also includes his fastball and curve. Ondrusek is listed at 6' 8" and uses his height to his advantage, throwing over-the-top, and making his fastball appear to be going straight down. 8/12/11

[fastball(91-94), curve(75-80), cutter(88-91), splitter(81-85)]

Jose Arredondo / RHP / reliever

Arredondo burst onto the scene in 2008, winning 10 games in relief and pitching to a 1.62 ERA. Jose fell to Earth hard in '09 however, as he was bombed early and demoted to the minors.

Despite his small stature, Arredondo can sometimes bring 95 mph heat to go with his diving splitter. He'll also break off a rare tight slider. 4/7/09 CSJ

[fastball(91-97), splitter(80-85), slider(84-86)]

Clay Zavada / LHP / reliever

Zavada has already created quite a buzz around himself, even while pitching middle innings out of the Arizona bullpen. Zavada sat out the 2007 baseball season after the death of his father. He was talked into returning to professional baseball in 2008, and dominated his way from the independent leagues to AA, before reaching the major leagues in 2009. He's also created fanfare due to the Rollie Fingers type moustache he was sporting in the beginning of the season.

On the mound, Zavada deals a four-pitch repertoire, but seems to rely on his fastball/curveball combination. Clay shows good control and confidence. 9/16/09 CSJ

[fastball(89-91), curve(74), slider, changeup]

Sean Gallagher / RHP / starter - reliever

Gallagher is an old school pitcher. He beats the strike zone with tons of fastballs and breaks off big curveballs to get Ks. He'll operate with these two pitches most of the time. His third and fourth pitches are a slider and a basic changeup. 8/8/08 CSJ

[fastball(89-95), curve(73-76), slider(83-87), changeup(80)]

Ron Mahay / LHP / reliever

Mahay appears to be your standard left-handed reliever. He throws a straight 90 mph fastball that he works to both sides of the plate. Then he'll spin sliders to LHs and drop splitters to RHs. He has become a fairly successful pitcher, and even got some big cash from the Royals. 8/1/09 CSJ

[fastball(88-92), slider(77-84), splitter(81-84)]

Jeff Francis / LHP / starter

Francis is doing more "pitching" nowadays. He doesn't bring 90 mph with every pitch anymore, but he can on occasion. He usually throws around 85 mph, while trying to get his fastball to sink. His changeup has become his best pitch and he seems to spot it well. His breaking ball is a sweeping curve in the low-70s. He does not throw a slider, but when he pulls his changeup to his glove side, it can resemble one to an unscrupulous viewer. Francis had a meteoric rise through the minor leagues after being drafted in the 1st round of 2002, but hasn't been able to dominate the major leagues in the same fashion. I believe he has lost much of his old Canadian velocity. 10/23/08 CSJ

[fastball(83-91), changeup(78-80), curve(69-73)]

Carlos Fisher / RHP / reliever

[fastball(90-92), curve(78-82)]