Pirate 1998 Scouting Report - Pitchers

Last Updated 11 April 1998

On January 14, 1998, Mark Jareb (lshark@AKULA.COM) posted the following to the Pirate e-mail list. I have edited it and included it here with his permission.

Abbreviations are:
-CAL, Calgary, the Bucs AAA team in the

PCL, Pacific Coast League (Nashville replaces Calgary in '98)
-CAR, Carolina, the Bucs AA team in the

SOU, Southern League
-LYN, Lynchburg, the Bucs A+ team in the

CRL, Carolina League
-AUG, Augusta, the Bucs A team in the

SAL, South Atlantic League
-ERI, Erie, the Bucs A- team in the

NYP, New York-Penn League
-GCL refers to the Bucs rookie team in the Gulf Coast League
-DSL refers to the team the Bucs field in the Dominican Summer League. This team is primarily composed of teenagers from the Dominican signed as non-drafted free agents.
- Various Winter Leagues are also listed (AFL, HWL, DR, PR, VZ, MWL)

Pirates
Francisco Cordova: 26-4/26/72; NDFA 1/18/96; Mexico
P, R-R, 5-11 163

After jumping on the scene as a reliever in '96, Cordova pitched himself into the top spot of the Pirates rotation last season. In addition to an excellent first half, his highlight of '97 was pitching the first 9 innings of a combined 10 inning no-hitter. In the second half, Cordova numbers worsened as he developed a tired arm; he even went on the DL because of this. Overall, like '96, Lefties hit Cordova much better than Righties, but different from '96, lefties didn't hit him nearly as hard or with as much power. I don't believe that he's pitching this offseason so he can rest up for '98. If his stamina can hold up, he has the ability to be one of the top ten starters in the NL. The Pirates think so also as Cordova was signed to a 3-year deal plus a club option in 2001 (Cordova's salaries will be $600K in 1998, $1.2 M in 1999, $2 M in 2000, and the option is for $3.8 M; the 2001 option has a $300K buyout). I imagine that Lamont will handle him gently and give Cordova a relatively quick hook. I also expect that Francisco's '97 earned himself the opening day start of '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 MEX   16   1  28.0  28 --  14  14  5.79
93 MEX   43   4 106.0  96 --  47  71  3.23
94 MEX   41  15 150.1 122 --  43 104  2.33
95 MEX   27  20 125.0 131 --  42  88  3.10
96 PIT   59   6  99.0 103 11  20  95  4.09
97 PIT   29  29 178.2 175 14  49 121  3.63

Jason Schmidt: 25-1/29/73; #8 '91(ATL); Kelso HS (WA)
P, R-R, 6-5 185

Schmidt was the primary player acquired from the Braves in August '96 in the Denny Neagle deal. His fastball is his best pitch, typically clocked in the low-to-mid 90's. His '97 wasn't great, but he lowered his BB rate and at times, toward the end of the season, he pitched dominantly. Also, he's shown a good trend of improving each of his 3 MLB seasons. LHB particularly hit Schmidt hard, especially with regard to XBH. His BB rate vs. LHB is also double that against RHB. In contrast, at AAA in '95 Schmidt was particularly effective vs LHB. Given Schmidt's age, his trend, and his previous success in the minors, he's a good candidate to improve on his '97. The Bucs are trying to sign him to a 2- or 3-year deal, but thus far it appears as if Schmidt will go the route of 1 year deals each season. He'll once again be in the rotation in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     11  11  45.1  32  0  23  44  2.38
92 A      7   7  24.2  31  2  19  33  4.01
   R+    11  11  58.1  55  4  31  56  4.01
93 A+    22  22 116.2 128 12  47 110  4.94
94 AA    24  24 140.2 135  9  54 131  3.65
95 AAA   19  19 116.0  97  2  48  95  2.25
   ATL    9   2  25.0  27  2  18  19  5.76
96 ATL   13  11  58.2  69  8  32  48  6.75
   AAA    7   7  45.2  36  2  19  41  2.56
   AA     1   1   2.0   4  0   0   2  9.00
   PIT    6   6  37.2  39  2  21  26  4.06
97 PIT   32  32 187.2 193 16  76 136  4.60

Esteban Loaiza: 25-12/31/71; NDFA 3/21/91; Imperial Beach, CA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-4 190

Loaiza was signed as a non-drafted free agent after getting no attention coming out of high school in California. My sense is that he was actually discovered while pitching in Mexico (he was born in Tijuana but grew up in Southern California). He has four above average pitches though none of them really stands out. He jumped from AA ball to the majors in '95, and his inexperience showed. His inconsistency (according to Leyland) caused him not make the team out of spring training in '96. In '97, he showed distinct improvement by increasing his K rate and lowering the number of XBH he gave up. He still occasionally loses his concentration and allows games to get out of hand, but for the most part, he has become fairly consistent. Unlike the other Pirate RH starters, Loaiza shows a reverse split being slightly more effective vs. LHB (this has been consistent all 3 MLB seasons). I don't see a great deal of improvement in Loaiza's future, but if healthy, he'll likely put up solid high 3 to low 4 ERAs for the next few seasons. He's signed a 2-year deal this offseason (a $100K bonus, $400K this year and $1.425M in '99). He'll again be in the rotation in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     11  11  51.2  48  0  14  41  2.26
92 A     26  25 143.1 134  7  60 123  3.89
93 A+    17  17 109.0 113  7  30  61  3.39
   AA     7   7  43.0  39  5  12  40  3.77
94 AA    24  24 154.1 169 15  30 115  3.79
95 PIT   32  31 172.2 205 21  55  85  5.16
96 AAA   12  11  69.1  61  5  25  38  4.02
   MEX    5   5  33.1  28  -  14  16  2.43
   PIT   10  10  52.2  65 11  19  32  4.96
97 PIT   33  32 196.1 214 17  56 122  4.13

Jon Lieber: 27-4/2/70; #2(s) '92(KC); U. of South Alabama
P, L-R, 6-3 220

Lieber is a sinkerballer with excellent control; when he keeps the ball low in the strike zone, he's very effective. After an amazing '94, he began '95 out of shape, and it turned into a disaster. He worked his way back into the rotation after pitching well in middle relief in '96 and was the opening day starter in '97. He gave up a higher rate of XBH, and he increased his K rate while his BB rate marginally increased as well. In short, his stuff was a little better last year but his control wasn't as solid, and he ended up throwing too many strikes high in the zone. Of all our starters, he was the most effective down the stretch in '97. He's the Pirate starter I expect to improve the most in '98. His BB and K numbers were the best of any Buc starter and he finished strongly. He signed a two year deal this offseason (100K bonus, $1.4M in '98, $2M in '99). He's another lock in the rotation for '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 A-     5   5  31.0  26  1   2  23  1.16
   A      7   6  31.0  45  2   8  19  4.65
93 A+    17  16 114.2 125  4   9  89  2.67
   AA    10  10  55.0  71  7  16  45  5.07
94 AA     3   3  21.0  13  0   2  21  1.29
   AAA    3   3  21.1  16  1   1  21  1.69
   PIT   17  17 108.2 116 12  25  71  3.73
95 PIT   21  12  72.2 103  7  14  45  6.32
   AAA   14  14  77.0 122  6  19  34  7.01
96 PIT   51  15 142.0 156 19  28  94  3.99
97 PIT   33  32 188.1 193 23  51 160  4.49

Rich Loiselle: 26-1/12/72; #38 '91(SD); Odessa JC (TX)
P, R-R, 6-5 225

Loiselle is a big hard thrower with a pretty decent slider. The Bucs picked him up in July '96 from Houston for Danny Darwin. Loiselle battled for a spot in the starting rotation in '97, but made the '97 club as a bullpen pitcher. After an injury to John Ericks in May '97, Loiselle was moved into the closer role, and he pitched surprisingly well all year. He gives up more baserunners than one would like in a reliever, but doesn't give up many extra base hits. Also, he has a fairly large platoon split getting hit by LH batters pretty hard (hence, particularly effective against RH batters). He's probably overrated simply because he got a lot of saves last season. He's a solid reliever, but likely won't ever be more than that. He will start '98 as the Pirates closer.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     12  12  61.1  72  1  26  47  3.52
92 A     19  19  97.0  93  2  42  64  3.71
93 A     10  10  59.1  55  3  29  47  3.94
   A+    14  14  82.2 109  5  34  53  5.77
94 A+    27  27 156.2 160 12  76 120  3.96
95 AAA    8   7  27.1  36  5   9  16  7.24
96 AA    16  16  98.2 107  6  27  65  3.47
   AAA    5   5  33.1  28  1  11  31  2.43
   AAA    8   8  50.2  64  3  16  41  4.09
   PIT    5   3  20.2  22  3   8   9  3.05
97 PIT   72   0  72.2  76  7  24  66  3.10

Chris Peters: 26-1/28/72; #37 '93; Indiana U.
P, L-L, 6-1 162

Peters probably has the best curveball in the organization, but his biggest nemesis is his control. He's pitched quite well the last two years at AA and AAA, and he was fairly effective late in '97 coming out of the bullpen in Pittsburgh. If you take away 3 horrendous outings versus the Mets, then Peters' ERA drops to 2.74, and he only gives up 2 HRs. When he's getting his curve over for strikes, he's tough against both LHB and RHB. He will vie for the 5th starter's spot, though I think he's more likely to end up in the pen as the 3rd LH (where he's been more effective the last two seasons in the 'Burgh). As he does have one option left it's not out of the question that he'll start the year at AAA again.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 A-    16   0  27.2  33  0  20  25  4.55
94 A+     3   0   3.1   5  2   1   2 13.50
   A     54   0  60.2  51  1  33  83  4.30
95 A+    24  24 144.2 126  5  35 132  2.43
   AA     2   2  14.0   9  0   2   7  1.29
96 AA    14  14  92.0  73  4  34  69  2.64
   AAA    4   4  27.2  18  0   8  16  0.98
   PIT   16  10  64.0  72  9  25  28  5.63
97 AAA   14   9  51.1  52  5  30  55  4.38
   PIT   31   1  37.1  38  6  21  17  4.58
   VZ     4   -  11.2  19  0   4  10  7.71

Marc Wilkins: 27-10/21/70; #47 '92; U. of Toledo
P, R-R, 5-11 200

Wilkins essentially came from nowhere in '96 and became a solid middle reliever for the Bucs. He continued much in the same fashion in '97. One warning sign is the drop in K rate in '97, but hopefully it's just a one year blip. Wilkins again is expected to be the Bucs #1 Right Handed setup man.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 A-    28   1  42.0  49  2  24  42  7.29
93 A     48   5  77.0  83  4  31  73  4.21
94 A+    28  28 151.0 155 15  45  90  3.70
95 AA    37  12  99.1  91 --  44  80  3.99
96 AA    11   3  24.2  19  1  11  19  4.01
   PIT   47   2  75.0  75  6  36  62  3.84
97 PIT   70   0  75.2  65  7  33  47  3.69

Ricardo Rincon: 28-4/13/70; NDFA '96; Mexico
P, L-L, 6-0 190

Rincon was picked off the Mexico City Red Devils roster after a number of pretty good seasons in the Mexican Pacific League, primarily in relief. Lamont and Bonifay noticed him in the '96-'97 Mexican Winter League and were impressed with his stuff. Thus, he was invited to camp and made the squad. A very effective reliever against both LH and RH batters, his biggest weakness is a lack of stamina. He didn't fare well when pitching on consecutive days and missed some time midseason with a tired arm. He's expected to be the primary LH setup guy in '98 and is the #2 closer should Loiselle falter at all. Although the Bucs Media Guide lists Rincon at 6-feet tall, "Little Ricky" is more compact than that.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 MEX   19   4  47.2  53 --  32  29  3.78
91 MEX   32   9  74.1  99 --  48  66  6.54
92 MEX   49   9  89.2  87 --  46  91  3.91
93 MEX   57   4  82.1  80 --  36  81  3.17
94 MEX   20   9  53.1  57 --  20  38  3.21
95 MEX   27  11  75.0  86 --  41  41  5.16
96 MEX   50   0  78.2  58 --  27  60  2.97
97 PIT   62   0  60.0  51  5  24  71  3.45

Jeff Granger: 25-12/16/71; #1 '93(KC); Texas A&M
P, R-L, 6-4 200

Granger was acquired from KC in the Bell/King trade. After putting together a promising season in '96 (in the KC organization) and switching to relief, Granger came to spring training in '97 and pitched poorly. He was presumed to be out of options, so he made the club, but when the Bucs found he still had one option left, he was sent to Calgary. He didn't pitch horribly considering it was Calgary, but it still was not good. He's been taken off the 40-man roster, and he needs to put together a good year at AAA to get any attention. I expect he'll be in relief at Nashville.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 A-     8   7  36.0  28  2  10  56  3.00
   KC     1   0   1.0   3  0   2   1 27.00
94 AA    25  25 139.2 155  8  61 112  3.87
   KC     2   2   9.1  13  2   6   3  6.75
95 AA    18  18  95.2 122  9  40  81  5.93
96 AAA   45   0  77.0  65 10  29  68  2.34
   KC    15   0  16.1  21  3  10  11  6.61
97 PIT    9   0   5.0  10  3   8   4 18.00
   AAA   30  12  82.2 111  7  33  68  5.55
   PR     9   -  10.1  17  1   5   6  9.58

Jason Christianson: 27-9/21/69; NDFA 7/5/91; Cameron U.(OK)
P, R-L, 6-5 230

Christianson is a big, fastball-throwing lefty who was signed out of a tryout camp in '91. At the start of '97, he wasn't fully recovered from a '96 surgery, so he remained at extended spring training (while on the 60-day DL) and then rehabbed at Carolina midseason. When he got called up, his velocity was back in the low 90's, and he'd developed a slider. After a few initial rocky outings, he was our most effective reliever down the stretch. He's practically a lock for the 2nd LH reliever slot in the pen.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R      6   0   8.0   4  0   1   8  0.00
   A-     8   1  21.1  15  1  12  17  2.53
92 A     10   0  20.0  12  0   8  21  1.80
   A+    38   0  50.0  47  7  22  59  3.24
93 A+    57   0  71.1  48  5  24  70  3.15
   AA     2   0   2.2   3  0   1   2  0.00
94 AA    28   0  38.2  30  2  14  43  2.09
   AAA   33   0  33.2  19  3  16  39  2.41
95 PIT   63   0  56.1  49  5  34  53  4.15
96 PIT   33   0  44.1  56  7  19  38  6.70
   AAA    2   2  11.0   9  1   1  10  3.27
97 AA     8   1  15.0  17  1   5  25  4.20
   PIT   39   0  33.2  37  2  17  37  2.94

Elmer Dessens: 25-1/13/72; NDFA 1/27/93; Carrera Technica HS(Mex)
P, R-R, 6-0 185

Dessens was picked up off the Mexico City Red Devils roster in '95. He's pitched well in the minors, but with a very low K rate (a negative indicator of major league success). In short, Dessens doesn't have much velocity (high 80's is max for him), but he has excellent control and is an extreme groundball pitcher. Few guys do well in the majors with those attributes. However, Dessens has pitched pretty well in the majors when he's been in the bullpen (granted that's all of 15 appearances). I'd say Dessens absolute highest ceiling is a Doug Jones-like career, but Jones was a late bloomer who developed a devastating changeup (at age 28) that allowed him to have a high K rate. Dessens has a shot at a bullpen role this season, but the odds are against him. He may start '98 at AAA Nashville, but I think it's more likely that he's back in Mexico City (as a goodwill gesture to the Red Devils).

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 MEX   14   0  30.2  31  -   5  16  2.35
94 MEX   37  15 127.2 121  -  32  51  2.04
95 AA    27  27 152.0 170 10  21  68  2.49
96 AAA    6   6  34.1  40  5  15  15  3.15
   MEX    7   7  50.0  44  -  10  17  1.26
   PIT   15   3  25.0  40  2   4  13  8.28
   AA     5   1  11.2  15  1   4   7  5.40
97 MEX   26  25 159.1 156  1  51  61  3.56
   PIT    3   0   3.1   2  0   0   2  0.00
   MWL    5   -  23.2  23  1  12  11  5.32

Jeff Wallace: 21-4/12/76; #25 '95(KC), Minerva,OH(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 237

Wallace was acquired from KC in the Bell/King trade. A hard throwing lefty, he made great strides in '97 moving from Lynchburg all the way up to Pittsburgh. There's no denying that Wallace makes batters miss quite often; my only concrn is his high BB rate. If he brings that down, he could be a devastating pitcher. One other concern is Wallace's strained elbow at the end of '97. Reports, though, say that he'll be fine by spring training. He has a good shot at making the bullpen out of spring training, but I think because of the elbow and his relative inexperience they'll start him at AAA, and Peters will get the 3rd lefty spot.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     12   7  44.0  28  0  15  51  1.23
96 A     30  21 122.1 140 10  66  84  5.30
97 A+     9   0  16.1   9  0  10  13  1.65
   AA    38   0  43.1  43  3  36  39  5.40
   PIT   11   0  12.0   8  0   8  14  0.75

1997 Scouting Report

Jose Silva: 24-12/19/73; #6 '91 (TOR), Chula Vista,CA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-5 210

Silva came to the Bucs in the big 9-player deal with Toronto in the '96-'97 offseason. I think he's the steal of that trade. He was considered a top-notch prospect until a rather serious car accident pretty much wiped out his '95 season. '97 was his first season fully recovered from those injuries, and he put up the best numbers of any Pirate pitcher in the high minors. A hard thrower, he's the most likely candidate to win the 5th starter's job. If he doesn't win a starting job in '98, he'll likely be a middle/long reliever as he impressed the Bucs staff in that role at the end of the season.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R     12  12  59.1  42  1  18  78  2.28
93 A     24  24 142.2 103  6  62 161  2.52
94 A+     8   7  43.0  41  4  24  41  3.77
   AA    16  16  91.1  89  9  31  71  4.14
95 AA     3   0   2.0   3  0   6   2  9.00
96 AA    22   6  44.0  45  3  22  26  4.91
   TOR    2   0   2.0   5  1   0   0 13.50
97 AAA   17  11  66.0  74  3  22  54  3.41
   PIT   11   4  36.1  52  4  16  30  5.94
   MWL    7   -  29.0  18  2  21  25  2.48

1997 Scouting Report

Jeff Tabaka: 34-1/17/64; ? '86(MON); Kent College
P, R-L, 6-2 195

Tabaka was signed by the Bucs to a split contract ($300K in the majors; $70K in the minors) this offseason and was added to the 40-man roster. Tabaka has pitched well in AAA, but his numbers in the majors have been fairly spotty. Basically, he's a spot LH reliever who is hanging on the fringes of the majors. He has a shot at making the Bucs team out of spring training, but I think that unless Lamont carries 4 lefties in the pen Tabaka will be back in AAA.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
'86-'88 (MON), '89-'91 (PHI), '91-'93 (MIL)
93 AAA   53   0  58.1  50  3  30  63  3.24
94 AAA    9   0   5.1   3  0   4   4  3.38
 PIT-SD  39   0  41.0  32  1  27  32  5.27
95 AAA   19   0  22.2  16  0  14  27  1.99
 SD-HOU  34   0  30.2  27  2  17  25  3.23
96 HOU   18   0  20.1  28  5  14  18  6.64
   AAA   41   0  43.0  40  2  21  51  2.93
97 CIN    3   0   2.0   1  1   1   1  4.50
   AAA   58   0  57.2  44  5  19  68  2.65

Calgary AAA
Tavo Alvarez: 26-11/25/71; #2 '90 (MON); Tucson, AZ(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 235

Alvarez was signed as a minor league FA by the Bucs this offseason after having spent his entire career with the Expos. A fairly well-regarded prospect a couple of years ago, his downfall has been his weight problems compounded with injuries. The last couple of seasons at AAA Ottawa, his K rate has been pretty good, but he's given up a few too many hits. He appears to be more suited to relief as he gives up lower BA in that role. He is pitching for Obregon (his birthplace) in the Mexican Winter League this offseason strictly in relief, mostly as the closer. I'd expect that will be his role in Nashville this season. I'd rank him as one of our better offseason pickups because he's a legitimate candidate (though very much a darkhorse) for a bullpen job with the Bucs and good insurance to have at AAA in case of injury.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 R     11  10  52.0  42  0  16  47  2.60
91 A     25  25 152.2 152  6  58 158  3.24
92 A+    19  19 139.0 124  0  24  83  1.49
   AA     7   7  47.1  48  3   9  42  2.85
93 AAA   25  25 140.2 163 10  55  77  4.22
94      Injured -- did not play
95 AA     3   3  16.0  17  0   5  14  2.25
   AAA    3   3  21.2  17  1   5  11  2.49
   MON    8   8  37.1  46  2  14  17  6.75
96 AAA   20  20 113.0 128 12  25  86  4.70
   MON   11   5  21.0  19  0  12   9  3.00
97 AAA   37  13 106.1 123 11  42  86  4.82
  MX-W   23   0  28.0  24  -  15  17  3.86

Jimmy Anderson: 22-1/22/76; #9 '94, Chesapeake,VA (HS)
P, L-L, 6-1 180

Anderson lasted to the 9th round in '94 because he had a scholarship to U. of Miami and was considered unsignable. His main out pitch is a slider that compliments his ~90 MPH fastball. '97 was a trying year for Anderson as he didn't pitch well in Calgary, but even more difficult was the passing of his father. The Bucs decided to let him spend the offseason with his family and not have him pitch in the AFL. The lack of success at AAA is not much of a worry IMO as he's moved up the organization ladder extremely quickly. Also, whenever he's moved up a level, he's struggled a little at first and then dominated the next season. The attribute of his that I particularly like is that he's an extreme groundball pitcher and thereby gives up few XBH. The one slight concern I have is that his BB rate has been a little high at upper levels. Anderson was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and is a long shot for the 5th starter's job out of spring training. The likeliest scenario is that he starts the year at Nashville, and then he'll get some Playing Time in Pittsburgh in midseason or at the least in September.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     10  10  56.1  35  1  27  66  1.60
95 A     24  23 129.0 107  2  52 107  2.58
   A+    10   9  52.1  56  1  21  32  4.13
96 A+    11  11  65.1  51  2  21  56  1.93
   AA    17  16  97.0  92  3  44  79  3.34
97 AA     4   4  24.2  16  1   9  23  1.46
   AAA   21  21 103.0 124  9  64  71  5.68

1997 Scouting Report

Terry Burrows: 29-11/28/68; #7 '90 (TEX); McNeese St. (LA)
P, L-L, 6-1 185

Burrows looked like he had a bright future after the '92 season, but control problems and the gopherball have turned him into the stereotypical AAA reliever who has a job because he's left-handed. He is a non-roster invitee to the Bucs spring training, so technically he's a candidate for a major league job. My guess is that he'll break his 4-year string of getting a cup of coffee in the majors by remaining in Nashville all season (or he'll be released midseason and hook up with some other organization's AAA squad).

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 R     14  11  62.2  56  1  35  64  4.02
91 A     27  26 147.2 107 11  78 151  4.45
92 A+    14  14  80.0  71  2  25  66  2.03
   AA    14  13  76.0  66  3  35  59  2.13
   AAA    1   1   8.0   3  1   5   0  1.13
93 AAA   27  25 138.0 171 19  76  74  6.39
94 AAA   44   5  82.1  75  9  37  57  4.26
   TEX    1   0   1.0   1  1   1   0  9.00
95 AAA    5   0   2.2   5  0   2   4 10.13
   TEX   28   3  44.2  60 11  19  22  6.45
96 MIL    8   0  12.2  12  2  10   5  2.84
   AAA   41   0  51.1  43  2  19  37  4.03
97 SDP   13   0  10.1  12  1   8   8 10.45
   AAA   44   1  60.2  79  5  34  50  6.08

Carlos Crawford: 26-10/4/71; #51 '90(Cle); South Meclenberg HS(NC)
P, R-R, 6-1 190

The Bucs are Crawford's third organization. He was signed in the '96-'97 offseason and is a minor league FA again this year. Simply, he's not much of a prospect considering his low K rate and relative lack of success at upper levels in the minors. I think it's unlikely that the Bucs will resign him.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 R     10   9  53.2  68  0  25  39  4.36
91 R+    13  13  80.1  62  3  14  80  2.46
92 A     28  28 188.1 167  7  85 127  2.92
93 A+    28  28 165.0 158 11  46 124  3.65
94 AA    26  25 175.0 164 15  59  99  3.45
95 AA     8   8  51.2  47  1  15  36  2.61
96 AAA   28  25 158.2 169 15  63  89  4.54
   PHI    1   1   3.2   7  1   2   4  4.91
97 AA    29   3  62.1  62  4  25  39  4.19
   AAA    9   9  50.0  60  8  19  26  5.94
   DR    13  --  52.2  66  0  19  18  4.27

Mike Halperin: 24-9/8/73; #10 '94(TOR); Central Florida College
P, L-L, 5-10 170

After a nice season at AA Knoxville in '96, Halperin was acquired in the 9 player trade with Toronto during the 96-97 offseason. He's not a hard thrower, so he relies on his control and pitch selection. In '97, he started the year at Calgary and had poor control which really caused his numbers to be bad. After going back to AA his numbers were fairly similar to '96. I'd expect that he begins '98 at AAA, possibly in the bullpen but more likely in the rotation.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-     9   1  24.0  11  0   5  19  1.13
   A      6   6  30.0  25  1   7  27  1.20
95 A+    14  12  69.2  70  4  29  63  3.62
96 AA    28  28 155.0 156  6  71 112  3.48
97 AAA   15   4  28.0  44  3  24  18  6.43
   AA    17  17  93.0 102  8  40  66  3.87

Sean Lawrence: 27-9/2/70; #6 '92, St. Francis(IL)
P, L-L, 6-4 215

Lawrence is a control pitcher who strikes out batters at a decent rate. His main downfall is giving up gopherballs. He was fairly effective as a middle reliever in Carolina in '96, but was also quite effective as a starter in Calgary in '97. His future is likely that of a middle reliever who can make the occasional spot start. He was added to the 40-man roster this offseason and will compete for the 5th starter's job or a spot in the pen this spring training. I don't think he has much of a chance at the starter's spot, but if the Bucs carry 12 pitchers as expected, he has a decent chance for the bullpen. If he doesn't make it, I'd expect he's back in the rotation at AAA.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 A-    15  15  74.0  75 10  34  71  5.23
93 A     22  22 121.0 108  9  50  96  3.12
   A+     4   4  15.0  25  1   9  14 10.20
94 A+    12  12  72.0  76  8  18  66  2.63
95 AA    12   3  21.1  27  2   8  19  5.48
   A+    20  19 111.0 115 16  25  82  4.22
96 AA    37   9  82.0  80 11  36  81  3.95
   AFL   11  10  48.2  66  8   8  34  5.36
97 AAA   26  26 143.1 154 17  57 116  4.21

1997 Scouting Report

Jeff McCurry: 28-1/21/70; #14 (D&F) '90; San Jacinto, TX (JC)
P, R-R, 6-6 215

Originally drafted by the Bucs and then gone on t other organizations, he's been resigned by the Bucs as a minor league Free Agent during the off season. The Bucs took him off the 40-man roster after the '95 season, and he was picked up by the Tigers and spent most of '96 at AAA. In '97, he rejuvenated his career somewhat by pitching decently most of the year in Colorado. He's a relatively hard thrower, but he doesn't have much else in his repertoire. Considering he jumped to the majors from AA and his AAA and Colorado numbers have been fairly decent since then suggests he could be a decent MLB reliever. On the other hand, the low K rates in the majors (even though he had decent ones in the minors) are a definite warning sign. He's a decent candidate for the 12th spot in the pen though I'd prefer Alvarez over him (if we're choosing from RH minor league FA). The most likely scenario is that he begins '98 in Nashville.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R      6   1  14.0  19  0   4   8  2.57
   A-     9   0  15.2  11  0  10  18  0.57
92 A     19   0  30.0  36  1  15  34  3.30
   A+    30   0  62.2  49  3  24  52  2.87
93 A+    41   0  44.0  41  3  15  32  3.89
   AA    23   0  29.0  24  1  14  14  2.79
94 AA    48   2  81.1  74  7  30  60  3.21
95 AAA    3   0   5.0   3  0   2   2  1.80
   PIT   55   0  61.0  82  9  30  27  5.02
96 DET    2   0   3.1   9  3   2   0 24.30
   AAA   39   0  58.2  66  2  26  56  4.76
97 AAA   16   0  17.2  17  2   6  13  5.09
   COL   33   0  40.2  43  7  20  19  4.43

Steve Mintz: 29-11/28/68; #17 '90 (LA); Mt. Olive, NC (JC)
P, L-R, 5-11 195

Signed as a minor league free agent from San Diego, Mintz is actually fighting for a AAA job for what would be his 5th different organization. He's coming off of a very poor year in Las Vegas and is not even a non-roster invitee to the Bucs spring training camp. He's been in AAA for 4 years now, yet even taking into account that it was the PCL, only one of those years was any good (though that one was good enough to get him the league MVP, surprisingly enough). Given the number of pitchers we have floating around AAA and AA, I think he's a likely candidate to be cut fairly early in the year or even before the season starts.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 A-    20   0  26.0  21  1  16  38  2.42
91 A+    28  11  92.0  85  2  58 101  4.30
92 A+    43   2  77.2  66  7  30  66  3.13
93 AA    43   1  69.1  52  3  30  51  2.08
94 AAA   24   0  36.0  40  8  13  27  5.50
   AA    30   0  65.1  45  5  22  42  2.20
95 AAA   31   0  49.0  42  4  21  36  2.39
   SFG   14   0  19.1  26  4  12   7  7.45
96 AAA   59   0  57.0  63  6  25  35  5.37
97 AAA   27   0  34.2  50  7  17  28  8.05

Jose Pett: 22-1/8/76; NDFA '92 (Toronto), Brazil (HS)
P, R-R, 6-6 190

Pett was acquired in late-'96 along with Silva, Nunez, and a few others in a 9-player deal with the Blue Jays. Pett hit the upper levels of the minors at a very young age, but as he's aged, if anything, his numbers have gotten a little worse. One potentially temporary problem is that as his body has filled out, he's had difficulty maintaining his mechanics. On the other hand, it doesn't appear that he's increased his velocity as projected, and his low K rate (which bodes poorly for his future), which is not likely to be very affected by poor mechanics, is the result. All in all, Pett seems fairly overhyped; this is probably due more to the fact that he was signed out of Brazil for a then-record $700K for a non-drafted Free Agent. I really don't even see a decent MLB career in his future. Regardless, he'll only be 22 and is still worth taking a chance on. He's slated to be in the rotation at AAA in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      4   4  10.0  10  0   3   7  3.60
94 A+    15  15  90.2 103  1  20  49  3.77
95 AA    26  25 141.2 132 16  48  89  4.26
96 AA     7   7  44.0  37  4  10  38  4.09
   AAA   20  18 109.2 134 10  42  50  5.83
   AFL   11   8  42.2  55  8  12  34  6.75
97 AA    14  14  74.1  76  5  25  39  3.51
   AAA    3   3  14.0  25  4   8   8  9.64

1997 Scouting Report

Scott Wiegandt: 30-12/9/67; #45 '89 (PHI); Bellarmine College
P, L-L, 5-11 180

He was signed as a minor league free agent from the Cardinals this offseason. He spent from '89-'96 in the Phillies organization, and I must say, I think it's rather cheap of the Phillies not to have given him a shot in the majors in '95 or '96. He must be a soft-tossing lefty who walks a few too many guys, but doesn't give up a high rate of hits, or, more importantly, extra base hits. Regardless, it's odd that any lefty that puts up sub-3 ERAs for consecutive seasons at AAA didn't get a cup of coffee. Also, consider that of those 60 walks issued in '95-'96, 15 were intentional. At this point though, he may be a little past his prime as he wasn't extended a non-roster invite by the Bucs, plus this organization has a plethora of LH relievers at the MLB/AAA level. He should've signed with someone else as I expect he'll be in Nashville all year even if he puts up great numbers.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
89 R+     9   9  45.2  44  4  15  47  2.56
90 A     10   0  18.1  12  0   2  17  0.98
   A+    33   4  75.2  70  4  37  52  2.62
91 A+    11   0  10.1  14  0   3  11  3.48
   AA    48   0  81.0  66  4  40  50  2.67
92 AAA    1   0   1.0   0  0   1   2  0.00
   AA    56   0  81.2  66  3  48  65  2.98
93 AA    56   0  73.1  75  3  44  60  3.56
94 AAA    6   0   4.2  11  0   3   3 13.50
   AA    52   0  52.1  49  4  19  35  3.10
95 AAA   47   0  54.1  55  0  27  41  2.98
96 AAA   46   0  63.0  63  3  33  46  2.71
97 AAA   40   3  64.2  57  5  36  55  4.45

Mike Williams: 29-7/29/68; #14 '90 (PHI); Virginia Tech
P, R-R, 6-2 200

Williams was signed as a minor league free agent this offseason out of the Royals organization. Prior to '97, he'd spent his entire career with the Phillies. In short, he's a serviceable guy to eat innings at AAA since he can start or relieve, but he's fairly weak insurance for the MLB level. He doesn't have great stuff, and he's prone to give up the long ball. Other than a very successful '95 season as a long reliever with the Phillies, he's been a below average pitcher since mid-'93. He's been invited to spring training, but I'd say he rates behind Alvarez and McCurry of the RH candidates for the last spot in the pen. Like Burrows, I'm guessing this year breaks his string of consecutive years appearing in the majors. I expect he'll be in Nashville all season long.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
90 A-    27   0  47.0  39  -  13  42  2.30
91 A+    14  14  93.1  65  -  14  76  1.74
   AA    16  15 102.1  93  -  36  51  3.69
92 AA     3   3  15.2  17  -   7  12  5.17
   AAA   16  16  92.2  84  -  30  59  2.43
   PHI    5   5  28.2  29  3   7   5  5.34
93 AAA   14  13  97.1  93  -  16  53  2.87
   PHI   17   4  51.0  50  5  22  33  5.29
94 AAA   14  14  84.0  91  -  36  53  5.79
   PHI   12   8  50.1  61  7  20  29  5.01
95 AAA    3   3   9.2   8  0   2   8  4.66
   PHI   33   8  87.2  78 10  29  57  3.29
96 PHI   32  29 167.0 188 25  67 103  5.44
97 KCR   10   0  14.0  20  1   8  10  6.43
   AAA   20  11  79.0  71 10  38  68  4.22

Gary Wilson: 28-1/1/70; #18 '92; Sacramento St. U.
P, R-R, 6-3 190

Wilson blossomed in '94 and garnered the organization's pitcher of the year award. He appeared in the majors in '95 and pitched decently, but his career has gone downhill since then. Calgary is somewhat to blame, but as well, Wilson has never really had a good K rate at any point in the upper minors. He may be in the bullpen at AAA in '98, but there's probably a higher chance that he'll be in some other team's organization.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 A-    13   4  42.1  27  0  13  40  1.06
   A      7   7  41.2  43  2   7  27  3.67
93 A+    15  15  78.1 102 15  25  54  5.74
   A     20   6  51.0  66  4  11  42  5.47
94 A+     6   6  35.0  41  2   4  26  2.31
   AA    22  22 161.2 144 11  37  97  2.56
95 PIT   10   0  14.1  13  2   5   8  5.02
   AAA    7   5  21.0  19  1  12  17  4.29
   AA     1   1   4.2   0  0   3   5  0.00
96 AAA   27  27 161.1 209 18  44  88  5.08
97 AA     7   4  28.2  34  1   5  19  5.65
   AAA   21  11  84.1 115 10  22  54  5.87

Carolina AA
Kris Benson: 23-11/7/74; #1 '96, Clemson
P, R-R, 6-4 190

He was the consensus #1 pick overall in the '96 draft; in '97, Benson began his pro career in Lynchburg and dominated in Class A+. After being promoted to AA, he struggled, partially due to injury problems (strained hamstrings); the injuries IMO were somewhat positive though as it limited the use on his arm and having to face some struggles now, I think, will be beneficial to Benson down the road. One problem area highlighted during his AA stint is the gopherball. Regardless, in AA he also put up an excellent K rate which I think is the most telling of all his numbers. When Benson is on, he can dominate at any level. In addition, he's already had a positive effect on other pitchers in the Bucs system. Jason Johnson (lost in the expansion draft) credits part of his meteoric rise in '97 to Benson teaching him a different grip on the curveball. Benson is a darkhorse competing for a spot in the rotation this year. Even if he looks great in spring training, I think the Bucs will still keep him in the minors to start '98. Probably, he'll start at AA with a quick promotion to AAA, though it's also a distinct possibility that he'll just start the year in Nashville. I think it's almost a definite that he'll see some action in Pittsburgh at least in September.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  17  na  85.0  84 na  29  73  4.24
95 NCAA  14  na  79.0  75 na  23  79  3.20
96 NCAA  19  19 156.0 109 na  27 204  2.02
96 USA    9   9  55.0  55 na  12  53  4.12
97 A+    10  10  59.1  49  1  13  72  2.58
   AA    14  14  68.2  81 11  32  66  4.98

1997 Scouting Report

Todd Bussa: 25-12/13/72; #16 '91(Det); Palm Beach Gardens, FL(HS)
P, R-R, 5-11 170

Bussa was signed as a minor league Free Agent this offseason. The Bucs are his 5th organization. Bussa has primarily been used as a closer throughout his career, and in several seasons (particularly the last two), he has put up excellent K/IP rates. On the other hand, his BB rates can be a little high and thus far when he's first been promoted to a higher level his ERA has skyrocketed. The lack of upward progress early in his career and the difficulties he's had when moving up suggest to me that he probably has one good pitch and that's it. However, he may have learned something new over the last two years. We'll most likely find out the answer in Carolina this season.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R+    12   1  29.2  28  0  17  26  2.73
92 A     44   0  67.1  65  3  30  52  3.88
93 A     39   0  79.0  70  2  36  92  3.65
94 A      5   0  15.0  10  0   4  13  0.00
   A+    28   1  53.0  67  4  25  27  4.75
95 A     36   0  42.0  20  1  15  38  0.86
96 A+    16   0  16.2  27  3  16  19  9.72
   A     32   0  34.2  22  0   7  50  1.30
97 A+    30   0  46.1  34  2  16  61  1.75
   AA    19   0  21.1  20  2  12  27  4.22

Kane Davis: 23-6/25/75; #13 '93, Reedy,WV(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 180

Davis' '97 season was off to a good start, but then was abruptly cut short by an elbow injury. As far as I can tell, he's expected to be ready for spring training, but we'll see. Overall, Davis has been a fairly, consistent performer, putting up good, though never spectacular numbers. His numbers thus far and pitching attributes (3 good pitches, though none outstanding) remind me of Esteban Loaiza. If Davis is healthy, I imagine he'll start again at AA. If not, extended spring training and rehab at Bradenton is where he'll be before coming back to Carolina.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R     11   4  28.0  34  0  19  24  7.07
94 A-    15  15  98.1  90  4  32  74  2.65
95 A     26  25 139.1 136  4  43  78  3.75
96 A+    26  26 157.1 160 12  56 116  4.29
97 AA     6   6  28.2  22  2  16  23  3.77

John Dillinger: 24-8/28/73; #20 '92, Manatee,FL(JC)
P, R-R, 6-6 230

Injuries and control problems derailed Dillinger's '97 season, and he was dropped from the 40-man roster this offseason. His excellent second half of '96, which put him on the prospect map, looks somewhat like a fluke, though I think it's more simply that if Dillinger finds a way to have decent control, he can be effective. The big problem is that more often than not, that control has been elusive. Probably, Dillinger will be back at AA in '98, this time exclusively in the bullpen.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R     13  10  52.0  43 na  42  45  3.44
93 R*    15  15  80.0  65 na  60  94  3.92
94 A     23  22 119.2 107  5  54 118  4.29
95 A+    27  22 123.0 111 10  67  97  4.02
96 A+    33  15 132.1 101 11  58 113  3.74
97 AA    23  11  81.0  88  8  52  64  6.00
* --> played for Lethbridge, a co-op team, in the Pioneer League

Ken Giard: 25-4/2/73; #11 '91 (Atl); Warwick, RI(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 210

After having spent his entire career in the Braves organization, Giard was signed as a minor league free agent this offseason. There are several reasons why this looks like a good signing to me. Giard put up very good K/IP numbers the past two seasons and actually improved when he was promoted to AA. Also, it appears that part of the reason why Giard has progressed so slowly up the ladder was an injury in '94 from which he seemingly has entirely recovered. Depending on spring training, he may find himself in Nashville or Carolina in '98. H is another reliever that falls in the category of good insurance.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
91 R     11  10  38.0  42  3  13  24  3.79
92 R+    11  10  51.0  49  1  35  36  3.88
93 A     41   1  68.0  59  2  27  58  3.84
94 A+    20   0  30.1  31  4  27  39  6.82
95 A-    25   0  34.0  31  3   5  44  2.38
   A      5   0  13.1   7  0   5  19  0.68
96 A      5   0   5.2   3  0   1   9  1.59
   A+    42   0  68.0  69  9  43  93  5.16
97 A+    30   0  38.2  28  2  35  47  2.33
   AA    25   0  36.2  30  1  11  39  1.96
   DR     5   0  12.1   7  -   5  12  0.00

Elvin Hernandez: 20-8/20/77; NDFA '94, Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-1 165

Hernandez was the youngest pitcher at AA this season, and his youth showed. Still, after his first 4 starts, he pitched decently, and his K/BB and K/IP were pretty good given his circumstances. He was sent to Lynchburg at the end of the season for the Hillcats playoff run and pitched well in long relief. He was still the third youngest pitcher to appear in the Carolina League in '97. He was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, though he has no chance of making the major league team. He's likely to be back at AA in the Mudcat rotation for '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 DSL   11  11  70.0  62 na  13  68  2.70
95 A-    14  14  90.1  82  8  22  54  2.89
96 A     27  27 157.2 140 13  16 171  3.14
   DR     6   0  18.1   7  -   8  10  1.47
97 AA    17  17  92.2 104 11  26  66  5.73
   A+     3   0   5.0   4  0   1   5  1.80
   DR     5   0  17.1  18  0   3   8  4.15

1997 Scouting Report

Jeff Kelly: 23-1/11/75; #15 '94, Staten Island,NY(HS)
P, L-L, 6-6 215

Kelly had fairly good numbers from '95 and '96 and it landed him on the 40-man roster, but control problems in '97 got him taken off the roster. Overall, Kelly is on the fringe of being a prospect, and the 25 batters he hit in '96 suggested that he might have the problems he showed in '97. A big lefty, he'll definitely have at least a couple of more chances to get back to prospect status. I expect he'll be back at AA in '98, though it'll probably be in the bullpen.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     11   7  46.1  54  4  12  24  4.08
95 A     26  26 142.2 134  6  51 114  3.47
96 A     14  14  84.0  76  4  27  68  3.32
   A+    13  13  75.0  77  7  24  57  3.60
97 AA    31  19 127.2 134  7  85  83  4.65
   HAW   10   9  42.0  49  5  26  23  5.36

Joe Maskivish: 26-8/14/71; #37 '94, West Liberty St. (PA)
P, R-R, 6-4 180

Maskivish has been fairly effective as a closer thus far, but each time he's gone up a level, he's gotten a little worse. He's a true submariner, who barely hits the mid 80's, so location and changing speeds are critical to his success. One positive note is that after spending some time at a given minor league level, he has made the appropriate adjustments. I think '98 will be a make or break year for Maskivish. He'll likely be again at AA, and considering his age, he needs to excel this season to ever get a chance at making a major league roster.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-    28   0  28.0  19  0  10  27  1.93
95 A     26   0  29.2  23  0   9  33  2.12
96 A+    12   0  10.2  17  1   5  10  6.75
   A     50   0  50.0  46  0  14  58  2.16
97 A+    32   0  33.1  31  1  13  24  2.97
   AA    15   0  16.0  20  2   4   7  6.19

Del Mathews: 23-10/31/74; #5 '93(Atl); Fernandina Beach HS(FL)
P, L-L, 6-4 215

Mathews apparently was let go by the Braves; the Bucs signed him in the 96-97 offseason. Mathews turned in a nice performance, pitching effectively at both A+ and AA mostly as a middle reliever. Mathews' '97 was good enough to get him sent to the Hawaii Winter League, but something was clearly wrong when he was there (he may have injured himself). Mathews is a minor league free agent, and I haven't heard anything about him resigning with the Bucs. If he's back, I'd expect that he'd in Carolina in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R     14  12  62.0  65  4  26  59  4.50
94 A     26  18 117.2 133  9  50  92  4.51
95 A+    33  16 112.0 117  6  38  77  3.54
96 A+    42   2  65.0  74  9  26  46  4.43
97 A+    18   5  48.2  48  3  13  48  3.51
   AA    21   1  50.1  53  5  20  51  3.04
   HAW    3   0   2.2  10  1   6   2 40.50

Rick Paugh: 26-2/6/72; #45 '94, Marshall U.(WV)
P, L-L, 6-1 190

Paugh's '97 season pretty much wiped out the little chance he had of becoming a prospect. A left-handed, set up reliever throughout his career, his K/IP and K/BB were still decent in '97 at Carolina and Lynchburg, but he gave up way too many Home Runs. He might find himself back at Carolina or Lynchburg in '98, but chances are just as likely that he's not in the Bucs organization.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-    25   1  35.1  24  0  12  34  1.27
95 A     52   0  59.0  60  3  17  61  2.59
96 A+    45   0  52.0  48  1  20  41  3.81
97 AA     5   0   8.0   8  2   1   3  5.63
   A+    24   0  18.1  18  6  11  18  7.85
   A     24   0  29.2  24  3   7  40  2.43

Jason Phillips: 24-3/2/74; #14 '92, Muncy,PA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-6 215

Phillips arguably made the biggest strides of any minor leaguer in the Bucs system in '97 (Paul Ah Yat is another candidate). After a relatively poor start at Lynchburg (6.64 ERA in first 9 starts), Phillips put it all together with a 2.51 ERA in his last 14 starts in Lynchburg; he then turned in 4 quality starts at AA. Even during his first 9 starts at Lynchburg, his K/IP was around 1, but his BB rate dropped considerably when he started dominating. Though a big guy, Phillips only hits in the high 80's with his fastball. When he has command of his fastball, curve, and changeup though, he's particularly effective. One interesting tidbit is that he was particularly effective against LHB in '97 as they only hit .176 against him. He'll likely begin '98 in the Carolina rotation. Often times, the jump to AA makes or breaks a pitcher, but I think he'll do fine at AA this season (his K/IP rates have been good throughout his career, and those numbers haven't been due to simply blowing away hitters). He's a pitcher who could even potentially contribute to the Bucs staff this season. In off season leagues, Phillips set an AFL record with 10 wild pitches.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
92 R      4   4  17.0  21  0  13  10  8.47
93 A-    14  14  71.1  60  2  36  66  3.53
94 A     23  23 108.1 118  4  88 108  6.73
95 A     30   6  80.0  76  2  53  65  3.60
96 A     14  14  89.2  79  3  29  75  2.41
   A+    13  13  73.2  82  3  35  63  4.52
97 A+    23  23 138.2 129 10  35 140  3.76
   AA     4   4  31.0  21  1   9  22  2.32
97 AFL   12   2  29    32  -   7  38  4.91

1997 Scouting Report

Kevin Pickford: 23-3/12/75; #2 '93, Clovis,CA(HS)
P, L-L, 6-3 200

A 2nd round pick as compensation for Doug Drabek's signing with Houston, Pickford just doesn't seem to pitch well his first time at any level. He has excellent control, but his K/IP is low. His future looks to be in the bullpen as the Bucs have too many guys ahead of him on the depth chart that should be in the rotation. Pencil him in the pen at AA in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      9   7  34.1  24  1  20  28  3.41
94 A      2   2   8.2   9  1   5   7  4.15
   A-    15  15  84.2  86  7  36  52  4.89
95 A+     4   4  27.1  31  5   0  15  4.94
   A     16  16  85.2  85  5  16  59  2.00
96 A+    28  28 172.1 195 15  25 100  4.07
97 AA    21   1  29.1  48  3  15  24  7.36
   A+    14  10  73.1  72  3  11  49  3.56

Matt Ryan: 26-3/20/72; #25 '93; Ole Miss
P, R-R, 6-5 190

After a fairly poor '96, Ryan rebounded and pitched well for a second time at the AA level. More importantly, compared to his previous stint at AA, he increased his K rate while giving up fewer hits. Ryan has a great sinkerball (apparently due to the way a couple of broken fingers healed!), but his velocity is lacking (on a good day he can hit the upper 80's). Though he gave up a couple of HRs and his ERA was a little higher than his '95 AA season, it appears that he's adjusted his pitching style so that he might be more effective at higher levels. Expect Ryan to be one of the closers at Nashville in '98. He's someone who could surprise and put himself in the mix of AAA insurance relievers to be called upon in case of injury.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R      9   0  19.1  17  0   9  20  2.33
   A-    16   0  17.1  11  0  12  25  1.56
94 A     34   0  41.0  33  0   7  49  1.32
   A+    25   0  28.1  27  0   8  13  1.91
95 AAA    5   0   4.2   5  0   1   2  1.93
   AA    49   0  50.2  38  0  20  25  1.60
96 AAA   51   0  52.2  70  4  28  35  5.30
97 AA    48   0  52.2  32  2  21  43  2.22
   DR    18   0  17.1  20  0   4  10  2.60

Kevin Tolar: 27-1/28/71; #9 '89 (CWS); Panama City, FL(HS)
P, R-L, 6-3 225

Tolar is now on his 2nd go around with the Bucs having pitched in the organization in '95. He's also pitched in the White Sox, the Yankees, and Mets' systems. At this point he looks strictly like a situational lefty out of the pen. Considering his age and that he's never pitched above AA, he doesn't look like he has much of a future particularly in this organization that is rife with good LH reliever candidates. Probably, he will start the year at AA, though Lynchburg is a possibility.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
89 R     13  12  60.0  29  0  54  58  1.65
90 A-    15  15  90.1  80  2  61  69  3.29
91 A     30  19 114.2  87  3  85  87  2.75
92 A+    14   8  53.1  55  4  46  24  6.08
   A     18  10  81.1  59  5  41  81  2.88
93 A+    23  11  77.1  75  1  51  60  5.35
94 ????
95 A+    18   0  19.1  13  1   6  19  2.79
   AA    12   0  12.1  16  0   7   9  3.65
96 AA    50   0  44.2  42  1  26  39  2.62
97 AA    22   0  31.2  38  3  22  26  5.12
   A+     9   0  13.1   9  0   6   8  2.03

Lynchburg A (full season, high)
Paul Ah Yat: 24-10/13/73; #21 '96, U. of Hawaii
P, R-L, 6-1 196

His full name is Paul Anthony Papalekaimana Ah Yat and he was the biggest surprise of the '97 season in the Bucs minor league system. He pitched so effectively in relief at Augusta in '97 that they moved him into the rotation and then promoted him to Lynchburg where he continued to pitch even better. He pitched decently in the Hawaii Winter League primarily in relief, and led the league in appearances. He has good command of three pitches with decent velocity (high 80's/low 90's), a good knowledge of how to pitch, and obviously excellent control. He'll likely start the year in Lynchburg, though he has nearly an equal chance at starting in Carolina (if Kane Davis is not fully recovered from his injury, then it's more likely that Ah Yat goes to Carolina). Even if he starts in Lynchburg, I expect he'll be called up to Carolina fairly quickly. I expect that AA will be a big test for Ah Yat -- if he pitches well there, then his chances at a MLB job in '99 will be quite good.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  21   5  59.2  61 na  42  38  4.53
95 NCAA  16   6  60.1  71 na  22  45  4.92
96 NCAA  19  na 112.0 122 na  37  87  4.66
96 A-    26   0  27.2  24  1   6  34  3.25
97 A     29   9  90.0  82  7  16 119  2.90
   A+     6   6  48.0  37  2   4  38  1.31
   HAW   24   -  43.1  37  -  16  42  3.74

1997 Scouting Report

Bronson Arroyo: 21-2/24/77; #3 '95, Brooksville,FL(HS)
P, R-R, 6-5 175

Arroyo has gotten better each season, and he's done so while jumping levels on the minor league ladder. He was the second youngest pitcher at the start of the '97 Carolina League season. His '97 season, IMO, was particularly good as he seemed to improve as the season wore on. His K rate stayed the same as in '96 in Augusta, while his BB rate decreased. The only concern I have is the number of HRs he gave up. His fastball is in the upper '80s and is quite effective considering his excellent command. Invited to major league spring training camp as a non-roster invitee this spring, Arroyo doesn't have a chance of making the team. He'll start '98 in Carolina, and I expect he'll be there all season. However, in the offseason in '98, he'll get added to the 40-man roster and compete for a MLB job in '99 (likely, he won't get a major league spot to start '99, but he'll probably pitch for the Bucs sometime in the '99 campaign).

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 HS    14   -  80.0  40  -  24 131  0.44
   R     13   9  61.1  72  4   9  48  4.26
96 A     26  26 135.2 123 11  36 107  3.52
97 A+    24  24 160.1 154 17  33 121  3.31

1997 Scouting Report

Mike Ayers: 24-12/23/73; NDFA '96, Cincinnati,OH(?)
P, L-L, 5-10 190

Ayers was the primary setup lefty for Lynchburg in '97 and was not that effective. His K rate is good, but his BB rate is much too high, and he gave up too many HRs. Given his age, the level at which he's played, and his numbers in '97, he'll either be back in Lynchburg or he'll be out of the organization.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A     27   0  30.1  33  1   8  31  4.15
97 A+    39   0  63.0  54  8  44  62  5.00

Derek Bullock: 25-2/24/73; #20 '95, Briar Cliff (IA)
P, R-R, 6-2 186

Bullock took a step backwards in '97, and considering his age, he may not get a chance to again move forward. Bullock pitched decently in Lynchburg, but control problems and gopherballs got him sent back to Augusta. Back in Augusta he found his control, but the HR ball still plagued him. He may find himself back in Lynchburg in '98 or he may be out of the organization.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 A-    11  11  65.0  65  0  15  27  2.35
96 A     14   8  60.2  55  1  16  52  2.08
97 A+    15   2  33.2  27  5  21  34  4.81
   A      8   6  33.2  32  6   8  30  4.54

Chris Corn: 26-10/4/71; #21 '94 (NYY), U. of Kansas
P, R-R, 6-2 170

Acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Charlie Hayes, Corn came to us somewhat as damaged goods. He started '97 on the DL with a strained labrum seemingly from the heavy workload he had in '96. Once he started pitching in '97 though, he looked fine. His curve was working fine, and his K/IP rate climbed above 1 again. Corn is relatively old to be hitting AA for the first time, but he still has a chance to become a solid reliever in the majors at some point. He'll start '98 in Carolina, and he needs to have a solid season to have a MLB future -- I think he will.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 NCAA  16  na 108.0 108 na  49  76  4.42
94 A-    21   2  50.2  49  4  19  51  3.73
95 A     49   0  82.0  54  3  22 101  1.76
   A+     4   0   5.2   3  0   3   9  3.18
96 A+    26  25 170.1 145 10  38 109  2.91
97 A+    28   1  64.2  54  8  23  66  3.20

1997 Scouting Report

David Daniels: 24-7/25/73; NDFA '95; Nashville, TN
P, R-R, 6-2 185

Daniels has pitched solidly in relief the past two seasons, primarily as a closer. His best attribute is his command as he's only walked 15 batters unintentionally in 113.2 IP in his career. Also, his K/IP ratio is over 1. He'll likely start '98 in Lynchburg and a midseason promotion to Carolina would not be surprising at all.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A     11   0  12.1  21  0   3  14  5.11
   A-    31   0  36.1  33  3   5  45  2.72
97 A     44   0  55.0  51  0  13  51  2.62
   A+    10   0  10.0   6  1   1   6  1.80

Jason Haynie: 23-3/29/74; #11 '96, U. of South Carolina
P, L-L, 6-0 190

Haynie throws 3 pitches pretty well, including a fastball in the upper 80's. He's put up good, albeit not spectacular, numbers thus far without missing a step as he moved up the minor league ladder to Class A+. He'll likely start '98 in Lynchburg. If he continues putting up numbers like he has thus far, he'll see Carolina sometime in midseason.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  17  na 108.0 108 na  39  86  3.43
96 A-    16  12  80.1  86  2  22  74  3.25
97 A     14  14  86.2  77  5  24  81  3.43
   A+    13  13  83.0  68  8  23  69  3.25

1997 Scouting Report

Jeff Martin: 21-??/??/77; #8 '95(KC), Las Vegas,NV(HS)
P, R-R, 6-1 200

Martin was acquired in the King/Bell trade with Kansas City. Even though Jeff Wallace has made the biggest splash thus far, I still think that Martin will be the gem of that trade. John Stuart made some inquiries with the Lynchburg front office, and Martin was definitely born in 1977, not 1/25/74 as he's listed in most publications. Martin's '97 performance wasn't very good, but it may have been due to some rustiness coming off of a strained ligament in his elbow from '96. Regardless, he still had a good K/IP ratio, and he didn't give up too many HRs. His downfall was giving up too many hits. He throws four different pitches with decent velocity; his best pitch at this time is his changeup. His command is also a plus attribute. I expect they'll start him again at Lynchburg in '98, and he's another candidate for a midseason promotion to Carolina once the starting pitching situation in the upper minors settles itself out.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     11  10  55.0  35  1  11  53  1.47
96 A+     5   5  20.1  24  3   5  12  4.87
   HAW   10   -  40.0  25  -  13  43  1.77
97 A+    24  21 115.1 139  8  48 101  5.77

1997 Scouting Report

Javier Martinez

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA


97
   PR    21  -   48.1  32  2  22  50  2.42

Neal McDade: 22-6/16/76; #29 '95 (D&F), Florida CC
P, R-R, 6-3 165

A draft and follow from '95, McDade pitched well enough in long relief in Augusta to break back into the starting rotation there and remain a starter at Lynchburg after a late promotion. He's put up good K/IP and K/BB rates wherever he's pitched thus far. I'd expect him to be in the rotation in Lynchburg for '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-    13  13  76.2  76  3  21  67  3.40
   A+     1   1   5.0   6  1   1   2  9.00
97 A     36  12 112.1 105  4  24 104  2.80
   A+     3   3  18.2  16  3   6  15  2.89

1997 Scouting Report

Brian O'Connor: 21-1/4/77; #11 '95, Redding,OH(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 175

His best pitch is a biting curveball that he compliments with a good fastball (low 90's). He also throws a slider and change. He's consistently put up excellent K/IP numbers, though control problems have occasionally hurt him. Thus far, he seems to have put up better numbers in relief and likely will continue in that role next season. Regardless, he possesses the skills to be a starter and may move into that role sometime in the future. He'll likely be in Lynchburg as the primary LH reliever and a midseason promotion to Carolina is a possibility.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     14   5  43.0  33  1  13  43  1.88
96 A     19   0  35.1  33  2   8  37  3.06
   A-    15  15  67.2  76  4  47  60  5.85
97 A     25  14  85.2  90  6  39  91  4.41
   A+    11   0  13.0  11  0   6  14  3.46
   HAW   23   0  29.0  29  -  14  21  5.28

1997 Scouting Report

Jason Temple: 23-11/8/74; #5 '93; Woodhaven HS (MI)
P, R-R, 6-1 185

Temple came back from a knee injury in '96, and after starting the '97 season slowly, he finished up fairly well. His control problems still concern me, but he pitched fairly well in his stint in the Hawaii Winter League this offseason. He has a decent shot at being in the pen in Carolina in '98, though starting the year in Lynchburg is not out of the question.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 R     11   7  39.0  35 --  22  36  5.08
94 R     12  11  58.0  54  6  35  44  4.50
95 A     51   0  71.0  50  6  19  71  2.26
   HAW   14   0  21.0  16  -  17  24  3.74
96 A+    21   0  22.2  24  0  19  18  4.76
97 A     11   5  37.1  46  2  22  38  5.54
   A+    28   0  37.0  39  4  24  34  4.14
   HAW   16   0  23.1  11  -  12  14  1.54

Augusta A (full season, low)
Carlos (Gean) Alvarado: 20-1/24/78; NDFA '95; Arecibo,PR(HS)
P, R-R, 6-4 195

Alvarado has pitched well wherever he's been, and typically, he's been young for his level. His K/IP in particular have been good. Early in the season, he had a streak of 31 consecutive IP without giving up an earned run (3rd longest streak in the minors in '97). The first 15 IP were in relief, and then he was switched to the rotation. I expect that he'll be in the rotation at Lynchburg in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R      2   0   3.0   1  0   5   2  6.00
96 R     11   1  27.1  32  1  10  31  4.94
97 A     29  20 113.0 114  4  45 109  3.27
   PR    15   0  27.1  15  -  13  17  0.66

Tony Bacci: 22-8/16/75; NDFA '97; McHenry County College (IL)
P, L-L, 6-2 180

Bacci was signed as a nondrafted free agent in the 96-97 offseason. He was a second team All-America in NJCAA Division II in '96. He also pitched a no-hitter in his second pro start ever (a 7 inning version). In short, he pitched well in his first pro season, though his K/IP and K/BB rates are a little low. He'll either find himself in the rotation at Augusta or Lynchburg in '97.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 A      6   6  28.1  31  3  14  24  4.76
   A-    15  14  84.1  68  5  36  50  2.56

Franklin Bravo: 19-12/24/78; NDFA '96; Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-2 170

Bravo hurt himself early in '97 after starting the year at Augusta. He came back at the end of the season by making 4 rehab starts at Bradenton and a relief appearance at Augusta. Prior to the injury, he'd pitched quite well in Augusta. As he's quite young, the injury probably didn't set back his development any extent. He'll likely start '98 back in Augusta either in long relief or the rotation.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R     11  11  62.0  62  1  10  36  2.32
97 A      7   3  15.1  12  1   5  14  2.35
   R      4   4   9.0  16  1   5   5  8.00

Wyatt Brooks: 24-12/13/73; #30 '96; U. of North Florida
P, R-L, 6-1 165

Brooks is an older left-hander (like Ah Yat) who pitched well at Augusta and even cracked the rotation there at the end of the season. Clearly, he didn't have a year like Ah Yat's, but thus far, he's been a steady LH set-up man with a good K/IP ratio. I expect he'll continue in that role at Lynchurg in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-    15   0  23.1  20  1   7  24  1.54
97 A     17   4  51.2  49  3  18  49  3.14

Michael Chaney: 23-10/3/74; #16 '96; Bowling Green(KY)
P, L-L, 6-3 200

Chaney threw a good amount of innings in Augusta in '97 with pretty good results. However, although he had a nice K/BB ratio, his K/IP was below average for the SAL. His prospects long term don't look good, but it's still worth seeing what he'll do as he moves up a level. He's likely to be in the pen at Lynchburg in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  15  11  59.0  56  5  21  48  2.75
96 A-    10   5  29.0  27  1  14  21  5.28
97 A     31  14 125.1 129  8  28  95  3.52

Matt Duff: 23-10/6/74; NDFA '97; U. of Mississipi
P, R-R, 6-1 205

Duff went undrafted after a fairly unspectacular year at Ole Miss, and he eventually signed with the Springfield Capitals of the Independent Frontier League. He was one of the best pitchers in the Frontier League, and the Bucs signed him near the end of the season. Overall, his numbers suggest he's worth taking a chance on. He'll likely find himself in Augusta in '98, probably in a long relief/spot starter role.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  27   -  68.0  65  -  32  45  5.45
   IND   14   -  80.0  70  -  20  76  2.71
   A      2   1   6.0   6  0   2   6  1.50

Ricardo Finol: 24-5/10/74; #46 '96; Navarro,TX(JC)
P, B-R, 6-0 170

A native of Venezuela, Finol is too old to be pitching in rookie ball for consecutive seasons. Perhaps the Bucs are keeping him around because he's a good influence on some of our Spanish-speaking prospects. I think it's most likely that he's out of the organization for '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R      6   0  10.0  19  1   5   9  9.00
   VEN    2   0   3.2   2  0   1   0  2.45
97 R      5   1  19.0  19  0   4  10  3.32
   A     11   0  21.2  21  2  13  16  6.65

Aaron France: 24-4/17/74; #3 '94; Cypress,FL(JC)
P, L-R, 6-3 175

France is beginning to run out of time to move up in the Bucs system. He looks like he's mastered the SAL at this point - he has pitched well there for 3 consecutive seasons. He needs to move up to Lynchburg and pitch well if he's to have a future in the organization.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 A-     7   5  24.0  22  -   6  16  2.25
95 A     18  15  94.2  80  -  26  77  2.47
96 A+    13  13  60.1  79  6  32  40  6.41
   A      5   5  25.0  23  2   7  24  2.52
97 A     26  17 107.1  98  5  44  89  3.52

Michael Gonzalez: 20-5/23/78; #30 '97; San Jacinto JC
P, R-L, 6-2 210

Gonzalez was originally drafted by the Bucs in the 17th round in '96, but chose not to sign that year and instead attended the local junior college (which happens to be a powerhouse that made it the semi-finals in the NJCAA World Series). The Bucs saw something in him and drafted him again in '97, this time in the 30th round. The last player that the Bucs multiply drafted in high school and junior college was Brandon Larson who turned into a 1st round pick for the Reds. Well, Gonzalez did not disappoint in the least, pitching well in rookie ball and then stepping it up a notch when promoted to the SAL. Gonzalez, perhaps has the highest upside of any pitcher we drafted in '97. He'll likely be in the rotation in Augusta for '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      7   3  29.0  21  0   8  33  2.48
   A      4   3  19.1  11  1   8  22  1.86

Michael Gresko: 21-10/27/76; #25 '96, Mercer County,NJ(CC)
P, L-L, 6-8 200

Though Gresko is a little old to spend a second season in rookie ball, on the whole, it benefitted his career. Gresko appears to be a long-term project with high upside, but he needs to get his control together (and his second stint at Bradenton, it appears he did). A very tall left-hander, he'll definitely get multiple chances to succeed. He may begin '98 at Augusta in the pen, regardless, it's likely that he'll spend the second half of the year in Erie.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R      5   0   6.0   3  1   5   7  3.00
97 A-     7   5  24.2  29  0  17  14  7.66
   R      6   2  19.1  22  2   3  21  5.12
   A      1   1   5.0   7  0   3   3  3.60

Ryan Halla: 24-10/3/73; NDFA 12/21/96; Auburn U.
P, S-R, 6-4 250

Halla was named first-team All-America by the American Baseball Coaches' Association and second-team All-America by Baseball America in '95. He also tied an NCAA record for single season starts (24) that year. However, he went undrafted after '95 -- though he had excellent numbers, his velocity tops out in the mid to high 80's. Then in '96, he battled a strained elbow ligament all season (the overwork in '95 and potential injury problems probably also played a role in Halla not being drafted after '95). With the injury problems of '96, he again went undrafted and then signed with the Bucs in the '96-'97 offseason. He may not have good velocity, but his numbers in '97 (and in college) show that he can surely pitch. He'll likely be one of the main relievers in Lynchburg in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
93 NCAA  19  13  90.1  83  -  40  73  3.59
94 NCAA  33   8  98.0  94  -  39 108  4.22
95 NCAA  24  24 146.2 122  -  47 148  3.07
96 NCAA
97 A     32   0  46.1  26  2  10  51  1.75

George Hlodan: 22-6/25/76; #28 '95 (D&F), Elizabeth,PA(JC?)
P, R-R, 6-0 170

The Bucs thought highly enough of Hlodan to start him in the rotation at Augusta in '97, but nagging injuries didn't cooperate with a successful year. The 3 starts in rookie ball were essentially a rehab stint in the middle of his time at Erie. The high number of HR given up in Augusta and the relatively low K/IP are concerns, but the injuries are definitely potential mitigating factors. He'll likely begin '98 at Augusta.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R      7   6  27.0  29  0   7  15  2.67
97 A     12   6  40.1  40  7  15  33  5.58
   R      3   3  18.1  12  0   4  12  0.49
   A-    15   1  33.2  39  3  11  21  6.15

Erick Ojeda: 22-10/15/75; NFDA '93(NYM); Venezuela (HS)
P, L-L, 5-10 177

Ojeda was acquired from the Mets in April '97 in a deal involving Wes Chamberlain. Though his ERA was little on the high side in '97, he continued putting up good K/IP and K/BB rates. He also pitched solidly in the Venezuela Winter League this offseason. I expect he'll be one of the main lefties in the pen in Lynchburg in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
94 R     13  13  65.1  66  5  21  59  3.58
95 R+    14   5  60.0  47  3  12  60  2.40
96 A     35   0  58.2  55  8  14  51  3.99
97 A     44   0  75.0  77  4  20  66  4.80
   VEN   14   0  32.0  26  -   4  22  2.53

Andy Prater: 20-9/27/77; #2 '96, Florrisant,MO(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 175

Prater struggled early in '97, by his own admission, because he tried to do too much to justify his jump to Class A. He still didn't pitch too well when he went to Erie. Of particular concern was his low K rate. On the other hand, he may simply have never got on track from his poor start. He'll start '98 in the rotation at Augusta.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 HS    10  na  56.0  36 na  16  85  1.76
96 R     12  12  68.0  63  3  11  53  3.18
97 A      6   3  12.1  21  3   6   9 10.95
   A-    15  14  73.2  82  6  26  40  4.40

1997 Scouting Report

Jess Siciliano: 21-8/31/76; #9 '96, Rockland(NY) CC
P, R-R, 6-2 190

Siciliano pitched well enough in '97 to move up from Erie to Augusta midseason. The low K rate at August is a concern though. As he's strictly been used as a reliever thus far, he likely has a limited repertoire of pitches (probably good velocity on his fastball is his main asset). He'll start the year in the pen at Augusta.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 A-     4   0   5.1   7  0   4   4   6.75
   R      3   0   5.0   4  0   2   1   3.60
97 A-    16   0  23.1  22  2  10  20   4.24
   A     11   0  19.1  22  2   5   9   4.66

Erie A (short season)
Andy Bausher: 21-8/17/76; #6 '97; Kutztown Univ.
P, R-L, 6-3 192

Bausher is a a native of Bethelsville, PA and attended Boyertown HS. He was named named to the 1997 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II South Baseball All-Star Team and holds the majority of the Kutztown's pitching records. In '97, he pitched decently at Erie, though his K rate was a little on the low side. He likely will be in the rotation at Augusta in '98.

          G  GS   IP    H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA   -   -  83.2   -  -  41 104  3.12
   A-    15  10  65.0  62  3  19  44  3.88

Chris Combs: 23-5/19/75; #5 '97; North Carolina St.
P, L-R, 6-8 230

Going into '97, NC State had high hopes for Combs... as their top power hitter. Combs was their top power hitter with 17 HR and a .337 BA, primarily splitting time between OF and 1B. Of course, he also tried his hand in the bullpen for the Wolfpack, and his pitching raised his draft stock. He continued as a reliever with the Seawolves in a rather impressive fashion. Batters managed only a .185 OBP against him. In addition, both runs he gave up in '97 were in his 1st appearance, so he has a 22.2 consecutive IP streak without giving up a run going into '98. Combs' clearly hasn't been pitching for very long in his career, so his upside is very high (particularly given the numbers he put up in Erie). Given his inexperience and his large size, his control (and apparently consistent mechanics) are impressive. Given his age, I think the Bucs will try and push him by placing him in Lynchburg, though he may begin the year at Augusta.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  14   -  16.0  17  -   6  22  3.45
   A-    21   0  24.2  13  0   3  36  0.73

O.J. Cook: 21-12/13/76; #6 '95, Bethlehem,PA(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 195

Yes, his first name stands for Orenthal James. Cook was primarily the closer at Erie in '97 and pitched pretty well. He's primarily a flamethrower (low to mid 90's) who the Bucs are moving along slowly. The nice thing is that he actually has been making progress as he's been moving up. He's likely to be one of the closers at Augusta in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R     12   7  34.2  33  1  22  25  3.63
96 R     11   6  50.2  43  4  19  36  3.55
97 AA     1   0   1.1   5  1   1   2 20.25
   A-    34   0  39.0  37  2  20  43  2.08

Brad Guy: 22-10/25/75; #27 '97; Cal State- LA
P, R-R, 6-2 180

Guy was primarily a starter at Div. II Cal State-LA, but made the switch to the bullpen quite nicely. His K/IP ratio was very good while his K/BB ratio was superb. He'll likely have a long relief role in Augusta in '98, though if he keeps pitching as effectively, he may move into the rotation.

           G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 A-    25   0  52.2  37  3   7  53  1.88

Wilson Guzman: 20-7/14/77; NDFA '95; Dominican (HS)
P, L-L, 5-11 160

Guzman was our best pitcher in rookie ball in '97, and when he was promoted to Erie, he still put up decent numbers. His big problem at Erie was getting the ball up in the zone leading to a few too many HR. However, he still put up good K/IP and K/BB rates. He may begin the year at Augusta, though he's young enough that he could just begin his year at short-season Erie.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 DSL   16   -  55.0  52  -  17  48  1.47
96 DSL    ?
97 R      9   8  40.1  43  1   8  48  2.90
   A-     5   5  26.2  26  4   6  25  5.06

Kris Lambert: 24-11/23/73; #13 '97; Baylor Univ.
P, L-L, 5-10 175

Lambert was an 11th round pick of Reds in '96, but chose to stay in school for his senior year. This worked out nicely for the Bucs as Lambert was our top starter in Erie in '97. Lambert doesn't possess an outstanding pitch -- he was simply very effective at not giving up hits or walks while K'ing batters at a high rate. The only concern is the number of innings he threw in '97 between Baylor and Erie (191 IP and 198 K), though given the lack of BB and H he perhaps didn't face that many batters. Like Combs, given his age I think the Bucs will push him and promote him to Lynchburg.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 NCAA  17   -  81.0  87  -  41  65  5.02
96 NCAA  21   - 108.0 101  -  41  81  3.60
97 NCAA  19   - 110.0 111  -  36 104  4.35
   A-    15  14  81.0  59  5  21  94  2.33

Chris Luttig: 22-2/19/76; #17 '97; U. of Evansville
P, L-L, 6-0 210

Luttig was drafted as a junior from the Evansville Purple Aces. He appears to be a relatively, inexperienced hard thrower who at times has control problems. He pitched decently at both Bradenton and Erie. He'll likely be in the pen at Augusta in '98.

           G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 NCAA  29   0  39.0  41  -  31  46  4.62
   R     12   0  21.2  23  0   9  21  2.49
   A-    11   0  19.0  18  0   8  16  3.32

Sam McConnell: 22-12/31/75; #11 '97; Ball State U.
P, L-L, 6-5 204

McConnell also goes by the name of John (John Samuel). His '97 was not particulary good. His K rate was about league average, and he gave up a few too many HRs. As a tall left hander, he'll likely get another chance in '98. This time he'll be in Augusta in the bullpen.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 NCAA  15   -  66.0  69  -  28  57  3.95
97 NCAA  22  13  72.2  88  -  36  52  5.57
   A-    17  10  58.2  56  7  24  45  5.06

Paul Stabile: 22-1/16/76; #8 '97; Brookdale JC (NJ)
P, L-L, 6-0 203

Stabile was a 1st team All-American in NJCAA Division II in '97. He was very effective in long relief with the Seawolves. His K/IP rate was impressively above 1. He's likely to begin '98 in the bullpen at Augusta and, similar to Brad Guy, could potentially move into the rotation if he keeps pitching effectively.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 A-    22   0  43.0  32  1  16  50  2.72

Bobby Vogt: 19-10/19/78; #8 '96; Tampa,FL(HS)
P, L-L, 6-6 200

Vogt's a big lefthander with a live arm and some control problems. When he's on, he's very effective, but his one start at Erie is indicative of what can happen when he isn't. The Bucs will likely move him up slowly, though there's a chance he may pitch a little in Augusta prior to the start of Erie's season. When Erie starts I think it's almost definite he'll be there.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
96 R     13   5  42.2  36  2  19  46  2.95
97 A-     1   1   3.1   3  0   4   0 10.80
   R     12   4  34.0  23  1  19  40  3.97

Gulf Coast (Rookie League)
David Alvarado: 20-4/29/78; NDFA '95, Venezuela(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 170

Alvarado now has appeared in Bradenton 3 consecutive seasons, though he'll only be 20 going into '98. His '97 numbers were a little disappointing in that his K rate was down from the previous years (albeit in only 19 IP) while his BB rate was up. Also, his HR rate is high for rookie ball. I still think he'll get another year to show his stuff, probably in Erie though a jump to Augusta is not out of the question.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
95 R      9   2  15.0  15  1   4  15  4.80
96 R      1   0   4.0   0  0   1   8  0.00
97 R     12   6  47.1  51  4  23  34  3.80
   VEN    3   0   3.1   3  0   3   0  2.70

Travis Gaerte: 21-10/21/76; #14 '95, Fremont,IN(HS)
P, R-R, 6-3 180

I was very surprised to see Gaerte back in Bradenton in '97 for a 3rd year. His '96 was quite good though the BB rate was a little high, and his K rate was lower than I'd like. His '97 was fairly similar though he did give up a ton of unearned runs (10 unearned compared to 9 earned). Given that they've worked with him 3 years in Rookie ball, I think he'll get another shot in '98. With his age I think he needs to be in Augusta. If he's not in Augusta then I think his fate will be determined by the quality of the pitchers we draft -- if enough are ready for Erie, then he's probably gone. G GS IP H HR BB K ERA 95 R 6 0 12.0 14 2 2 5 6.00 96 R 14 0 30.0 17 0 18 24 2.40 97 R 18 0 29.2 26 1 10 22 2.73

Ricardo Gomes: 20-6/14/78; NDFA '95; Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-2 165

The Bucs must have thought he had some upside as they gave him 4 starts. Obviously, he had control problems. I doubt he's back in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      5   4  19.0  20  0  17  11  6.16

John Grabow: 19-11/4/78; #3 '97; San Gabriel, CA(HS)
P, L-L, 6-2 185

Grabow was our 3rd round pick in '97 and didn't pitch that well in Bradenton. His K rate was quite low. If he was drafted that high, one would think that his fastball must at least be in the upper 80's. He may be back in Bradenton or he may be in Erie. Extended spring training will likely decide which is the case.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R     11   8  45.1  57  0  14  28  4.57

Jose Morel: 22-8/21/75; NDFA '92; Dominican(HS)
P, R-L, 6-0 185

Morel pitched decently in relief at Bradenton, but he's also quite old for that level. More than likely, he won't be back, though there is a slight chance we'll see him in Augusta or Erie.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      7   0  15.1  11  2   6  10  2.93

Juan Morrobel: 20-9/14/78; NDFA '95; Dominican(HS)
P, L-L, 6-0 180

Morrobel made 3 appearances at the beginning of the year, but didn't pitch after June 29. He's young enough that we may see him at some point later on, though there's just as good a chance that he won't be back.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R      3   0   8.0   7  0   2   4  0.00

Michael Parkerson: 19-4/26/79; #9 '97; Columbus, GA(HS)
P, R-L, 6-2 185

Parkerson was our youngest pitcher in rookie ball and possibly our best long-term prospect that pitched there. His stock dropped in the '97 draft because, though touted as one of the better HS pitchers in Georgia as a junior, he was kicked off his HS team for disciplinary reasons his senior year (i.e. he didn't pitch HS ball at all). He pitched effectively in relief in Bradenton and had a good K rate. He's a LH whose fastball already is consistently in the upper 80's. He'll likely be in Erie in '98 and possibly in the rotation there.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R     14   0  27.1  27  1  10  25  4.28

Misael Quiros: 21-8/11/76; NDFA '94; Dominican(HS)
P, R-R, 6-1 170

Quiros threw a lot of innings at Bradenton and, though his K rate was below average, his ERA was decent. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Erie in '98.

          G  GS    IP   H HR  BB   K   ERA
97 R     13   3  37.0  42  0  14  24  3.65

Projections:

Bucs: Starters
Bullpen Cordova, Schmidt, Loaiza, Lieber, Silva
Loiselle, Rincon, Wilkins, Christianson, Peters, Martinez
Nashville: Starters
Bullpen Anderson, Halperin, Lawrence, Pett
Ryan, Wallace, Granger, Tabaka, Alvarez, Burrows, McCurry, Wiegandt, Williams
Carolina: Starters
Bullpen Benson, Davis, Hernandez, Phillips, Arroyo
Bussa, Dillinger, Giard, Kelly, Maskivish, Mathews, Pickford, Tolar, Corn, Temple
Lynchburg: Starters
Bullpen Ah Yat, Haynie, Martin, McDade, Alvarado, France, Lambert
Ayers, Bullock, Daniels, O'Connor, Brooks, Chaney, Halla, Ojeda, Combs
Augusta: Starters
Bullpen Bacci, Gonzalez, Hlodan, Prater, Bausher, Guzman
Bravo, Duff, Gresko, Siciliano, Cook, Guy, Luttig, McConnell, Stabile, Gaerte
Erie: Starters
Bullpen Vogt, Alvarado, Parkerson, Quiros
1998 Draft Picks
Gulf Coast League: Starters
Bullpen Grabow
1998 Draft Picks

Is there something here you like, that needs to be changed,
or would you like to see something that is not included?
Send me an

e-mail

Pirate 1998 Scouting Report - Pitchers

Last Updated 11 April 1998

Take a look back at the 1997 and 1996 Scouting Reports

Go back to Mark's 1998 Scouting Report front page

Go back to Glenn's Pirates Page
Go back to Glenn's Home Page

Bucs:	Starters Bullpen	Cordova, Schmidt, Loaiza, Lieber, Silva Loiselle, Rincon, Wilkins, Christianson, Peters, Martinez
Nashville:	Starters Bullpen	Anderson, Halperin, Lawrence, Pett Ryan, Wallace, Granger, Tabaka, Alvarez, Burrows, McCurry, Wiegandt, Williams
Carolina:	Starters Bullpen	Benson, Davis, Hernandez, Phillips, Arroyo Bussa, Dillinger, Giard, Kelly, Maskivish, Mathews, Pickford, Tolar, Corn, Temple
Lynchburg:	Starters Bullpen	Ah Yat, Haynie, Martin, McDade, Alvarado, France, Lambert Ayers, Bullock, Daniels, O'Connor, Brooks, Chaney, Halla, Ojeda, Combs
Augusta:	Starters Bullpen	Bacci, Gonzalez, Hlodan, Prater, Bausher, Guzman Bravo, Duff, Gresko, Siciliano, Cook, Guy, Luttig, McConnell, Stabile, Gaerte
Erie:	Starters Bullpen	Vogt, Alvarado, Parkerson, Quiros 1998 Draft Picks
Gulf Coast League:	Starters Bullpen	Grabow 1998 Draft Picks

Pirate 1998 Scouting Report - Pitchers

Last Updated 11 April 1998

Take a look back at the 1997 and 1996 Scouting Reports

Go back to Mark's 1998 Scouting Report front page

Go back to Glenn's Pirates Page Go back to Glenn's Home Page

Go back to Glenn's Pirates Page
Go back to Glenn's Home Page