60ft6in – Pitcher Scouting Reports

Stephen Strasburg / RHP / starter

The new “Big Train” has a dominating fastball that touches 100 mph. His 4-seamer flies with some run to his arm side, while his 2-seamer adds significant sink. Strasburg commands and controls his curveball very well, allowing him to use it both as a strikeout pitch and a get-ahead pitch. To complete his repertoire, Stephen deals a changeup that dives onto home plate. Strasburg has a freshly repaired arm with minimal lifetime innings attached to it. With his plus stuff and plus control, Stephen makes pitching look easy.

Strasburg began his collegiate career at San Diego State as a lazy, overweight kid with a good arm. Under Head Coach Tony Gwynn, Strasburg turned his baseball path around, dominated the college game his sophomore and junior seasons, and became the #1 overall draft pick by the Washington Nationals in 2009. With an eerie resemblance to Mark Prior, the only thing that will slow Strasburg down is another injury. 4/26/12 CSJ

[4-seam fastball(94-100), 2-seam fastball(92-95), curve(79-82), changeup(88-90)]



Drew Storen / RHP / closer

Storen, the 10th pick of the 2009 draft, reached the big leagues after just 53.2 minor league relief innings. Storen was drafted as a closer after spending two years finishing games for Stanford University.

Storen appears to have the classic closer repertoire of 95 mph fastball and slicing breaking ball. He delivers his pitches with some slinging action that appears to make his fastball run in to RHs. Storen has yet to work in much of a changeup, but he doesn't seem to need it. 5/18/11

[fastball(93-97), slider(83-85), changeup]

Jordan Zimmermann / RHP / starter

Zimmermann is a hard throwing right-hander from Wisconsin. He can zip his fastball into the mid-90s and twist a razorblade slider. Jordan owns a sharp curve and straight changeup. He has the stuff of an ace and the potential to be Stephen Strasburg's partner at the top of a lethal rotation.

Zimmermann pitched collegiately for Wisconsin-Stephens Point, a D-III baseball program. However, when you throw 95 mph, someone will find you. Jordan was a 2nd round pick in 2007. 5/18/11

[fastball(90-96), slider(84-89), curve(76-81), changeup(85-89)]

Gio Gonzalez / LHP / starter

Gio's repertoire consists of a low-90s fastball, big breaking curve, and straight changeup, with the curveball being his best weapon. The curve is a swing-and-miss pitch that batters will chase. His fastball flies straight but has improved with the A's as he's getting more velocity out of the pitch. Lastly, the changeup is still just a show pitch.

Gonzalez consistently racked up Ks in the minor leagues and was a highly ranked prospect for years. Unfortunately, he also posts high walk totals and bounced around between three organizations before getting his first shot in the big leagues. He still looks like an Oliver Perez type to me, but it is possible that he's finally pitching to his potential. 5/18/11

[fastball(88-95), curve(78-83), changeup(82-85)]

Tyler Clippard / RHP / setup reliever

"The Yankee Clippard" quickly established himself as an important member of the Nationals bullpen in 2010. His dramatic over-the-top arm angle produces a powerful 4-seam fastball that gets plenty of swings and misses up in the strikezone. Clippard will follow the fastball with a 12 to 6 curveball that will drop onto home plate. Tyler also owns an excellent changeup that he'll use as a strikeout pitch, and a slider that he'll show to RHs.

Clippard was drafted by the Yankees and showed promise as a starting pitcher. However, after a couple of so-so seasons in AAA, the Nationals converted Clippard to a reliever, where he enjoyed immediate success. 6/24/11

[fastball(92-95), curve(77-79), changeup(80-83), slider(86-87)]

John Lannan / LHP / starter

Lannan appears to be your run of the mill soft-tossing lefty. However, with an awkward delivery that seems to make batters uncomfortable, he can be hard to hit at times. He starts hitters with a fastball that sits around 87-89 mph with little movement. Then Lannan will mix in breaking balls and changeups to try and get outs. The former Siena Saint has a slow curve that he'll often try to backdoor LHs with. He'll do the same with his slider, a pitch he improved in 2008. Lastly, Lannan's changeup is straight and varies by only a few mph from his fastball, but gets good deception. 6/24/11

[fastball(87-92), slider(78-83), curve(74-78), changeup(82-86)]

Edwin Jackson / RHP / starter

Jackson is 28 years old and still considered something of a prospect. Edwin was drafted out of high school and was dominating AA at the age of 19. He was called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers later that season, make his big league debut on his 20th birthday, and beat Randy Johnson to get the victory. After that, Jackson's superstar potential was never quite reached. He pitched his way out of LA, and struggled for three seasons in Tampa Bay. At this point, Jackson has been traded six times, including by the Blue Jays, a team he never actually pitched for.

Jackson's arm strength has never been in question. He throws a straight fastball in the low to mid-90s but can struggle with his control. The Germany-born right-hander throws a tight slider as his clear #2 pitch. The slider can touch 90 mph and look devastating when kept down. Jackson owns a standard issue curve and a straight changeup to fill out his repertoire. On the plus side, Jackson seems to be continually improving and has added a no-hitter to his resume. 10/12/11

[fastball(92-96), slider(86-90), curve(80-82), changeup(84-87)]

Sean Burnett / LHP / setup reliever

Burnett has an awkward, jerking delivery and throws across his body. This makes him unusually tough against LH hitters. He deals a 90 mph fastball and a sweeping slider. When forced to face RHs, Burnett will show a changeup. 5/18/11

[fastball(88-93), slider(77-81), changeup(81-85)]

Tom Gorzelanny / LHP / starter - reliever

Gorzelanny has decent fastball velocity for a left-hander, around 90 mph. He uses his changeup often, to both RHs and LHs. The changeup is hard, usually in the low-80s, and fairly straight. Tom seems to have ditched his curveball in favor of his sweeping slider. Gorzo is in desperate need of a bounce back season in 2011 and he's off to a good start. 5/18/11

[fastball(86-92), changeup(80-85), slider(77-82), curve(74)]

Henry Rodriguez / RHP / closer

Rodriguez has been on the radar for years, thanks to his explosive right arm. Oakland eventually gave up on his prospect status because of Henry's career 6.5 BB/9 in the minor leagues. A 100 mph fastball is nice, but not if it's always ball four. Still, dumping him for Josh Willingham didn't make much sense.

I have seen Henry's fastball get as high as 101 and his curve looks filthy. He is listed at 6' 0", but looks much smaller. He comes over-the-top and has shown a changeup that flies over 90 mph. 8/14/11

[4-seam fastball(97-101), curve(81-85), changeup(91-92)]

Brad Lidge / RHP / closer

Lidge has returned from injury yet again. This time, his velocity is gone and he's having trouble touching 90 mph. His "fastball" is getting some natural cutting action, but it doesn't look very formidable. Surprisingly, Lidge's slider still looks decent. The velocity is also down, but it still gets some good, late break. Lidge uses these two pitches, and that's basically it. Lidge has experimented with a changeup and cutter in the past. Neither pitch has stuck, but he still pre-grips a changeup when he toes the rubber. 8/13/11

[fastball(88-90), slider(79-81), changeup]

Todd Coffey / RHP / reliever

Coffey is a big man who throws a hard, heavy, sinking fastball. It's a pitch he relies on most of the time. His second pitch is an average slider that doesn't prove very effective. Coffey's thick 6' 5" frame will also mix in the occasional split-finger pitch. 5/18/11

[fastball(91-95), slider(81-86), splitter(87)]

Ryan Perry / RHP / reliever

Perry is a hard throwing right-hander from the University of Arizona, and 2008 1st round pick. He can touch the upper-90s with his fastball and mix in mid-80s sliders. Unfortunately, Perry doesn't exactly know where these pitches are headed, and he's walked too many batters in his short major league career. 8/14/11

[fastball(90-97), slider(84-88), changeup(83-86)]

Ross Detwiler / LHP / starter

Detwiler is one of Washington's highly touted young arms. He's tall, thin, left-handed, and can bring 94 mph heat. He throws across his body, making for an uncomfortable at-bat for LH hitters. Detwiler owns a decent 11 to 5 curveball and a straight changeup. Like most young pitchers, if he can keep his velocity up and improve his overall control, he could be a success. 9/7/11

[fastball(88-95), curve(78-80), changeup(84-86)]

Jeff Fulchino / RHP / reliever

Fulchino is a big dude who can bring some heat. He pumps in a dropping splitter to go with his heavy fastball. The former UConn Huskie also shows a tight slider. He has the potential to be a valuable late-inning reliever. 5/15/11

[fastball(91-96), splitter(82-88), slider(81-87)]

Craig Stammen / RHP / starter

Stammen has never been a big prospect. However, he pitched relatively well throughout the minor leagues, and ended up getting a call with the Nats. With a sinking fastball, good control, and a surprising breaking pitch, he's been getting outs at the big league level as well. 8/1/09 CSJ

[fastball(87-91), curve(77-81), changeup(81-84)]

Chien-Ming Wang / RHP / starter

Wang is a sinkerballer. He throws tons of 2-seamers that bore in on RHs and sink away from LHs. His slider is standard, getting good break when thrown well. When thrown poorly the slider stays up, floating out of the strikezone. When facing LHs, Wang likes to use his changeup away. After two years away from the major leagues, Wang has returned with a 12 to 6 curve. When Wang won 19 games in back-to-back seasons for the Yankees, he would use a splitter as a strikeout pitch. The splitter had more velocity than the changeup and got unpredictable movement. It remains to be seen whether or not CMW will be using the split-joint in 2011. 7/29/11

[2-seam fastball(89-93), slider(83-86), changeup(82-85), curve(77), splitter]

Ryan Mattheus / RHP / reliever

[fastball(94-96), slider(79-85), splitter(85)]

Cole Kimball / RHP / reliever

[fastball(93-96), curve(78-82), splitter(81-83)]