Here are numbers 12, 11, and 10 on our top prospects countdown. These are three young pitchers, all drafted out of high school, and all with some very good potential, as well as some significant risk.
12.) Zack Von Rosenberg--RHP--20: ZVR had a terrible year on paper. He had a 5.73 ERA while spending the entire season in West Virginia pitching out of the rotation. However, ZVR put up some impressive secondary numbers, with 8.2 K/9 and 1.6 BB/9 ratios, to go along with a decent 1.32 WHIP. A lot of his struggles this year can be explained by his lack of command, leaving the ball up in the zone too often. The Pirates teach their minor league pitchers to better command their fastball, so we can expect this to improve moving forward. I ranked ZVR at #17, but I feel like he could make a case for the top 10 because of his potential. Baseball America ranked him as the #41 prospect coming out of the 2009 draft, and he has a lot of upside. His secondary pitches worked very well for him when he used them more, and he finished the season strongly, with a 2.66 ERA in his final 9 starts. He also threw six perfect innings in his last start of the year. If he learns better command of his fastball, ZVR is a definite candidate for a breakout season at Bradenton next year, where he is expected to begin the season.
OFP: 60 (Mid-Rotation Pitcher)
11.) Nick Kingham--RHP--19: Kingham was a 4th round pick in 2010, one of three high school pitchers taken with the first four picks. He has a big frame, at 6’5” and 220 lbs, and throws his fastball at 89-94 MPH with good movement. His change was working great this year, and his curve was an effective pitch when he was throwing it more often. Kingham had a fantastic year in State College, with a 2.15 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 71 innings. He spent a lot of the season working on his fastball command, something that the Pirates have a lot of players focus on in the lower levels. This sometimes leads to inflated ERA’s because hitters know a fastball is coming, so to see such low numbers for Kingham is very encouraging. He didn’t strike out a lot of batters, but he also had good BB numbers. He will be a very interesting prospect to follow over the next few years, and could end up as a #2 or #3 starter in the majors, throwing 200 innings a year. Kingham will start next year in West Virginia.
11.) Nick Kingham--RHP--19: Kingham was a 4th round pick in 2010, one of three high school pitchers taken with the first four picks. He has a big frame, at 6’5” and 220 lbs, and throws his fastball at 89-94 MPH with good movement. His change was working great this year, and his curve was an effective pitch when he was throwing it more often. Kingham had a fantastic year in State College, with a 2.15 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 71 innings. He spent a lot of the season working on his fastball command, something that the Pirates have a lot of players focus on in the lower levels. This sometimes leads to inflated ERA’s because hitters know a fastball is coming, so to see such low numbers for Kingham is very encouraging. He didn’t strike out a lot of batters, but he also had good BB numbers. He will be a very interesting prospect to follow over the next few years, and could end up as a #2 or #3 starter in the majors, throwing 200 innings a year. Kingham will start next year in West Virginia.
OFP: 62 (Mid to Upper Rotation Starter)
10.) Colton Cain--LHP--20: Another high school pitcher, Cain was drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 draft, but was rated the #109 prospect in the draft by Baseball America. Cain was very consistent as a starter this year, and put up good numbers while in the rotation. He started 19 games for West Virginia, and had a 3.13 ERA, but had a 7.94 ERA in five appearances out of the bullpen. As a starter, opponents hit only .211 against him, and this came after a year where opponents hit .189 in State College. He also doesn’t walk too many batters, so he keeps players off the bases, which is definitely helpful. His strikeout numbers dropped a little this year, but that’s not something to be too concerned about right now. Cain throws his fastball in the upper 80’s and lower 90’s, so he is not a flamethrower. He compliments his fastball with a change and a curve, which both have the chance to be above average major league pitches. If Cain can continue to develop his mechanics and stay consistent, he can be a solid #3 starter in the majors. He will start next season in Bradenton, with an outside chance of moving up to Altoona if he has success.
OFP: 53 (Bottom of Rotation Starter)
10.) Colton Cain--LHP--20: Another high school pitcher, Cain was drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 draft, but was rated the #109 prospect in the draft by Baseball America. Cain was very consistent as a starter this year, and put up good numbers while in the rotation. He started 19 games for West Virginia, and had a 3.13 ERA, but had a 7.94 ERA in five appearances out of the bullpen. As a starter, opponents hit only .211 against him, and this came after a year where opponents hit .189 in State College. He also doesn’t walk too many batters, so he keeps players off the bases, which is definitely helpful. His strikeout numbers dropped a little this year, but that’s not something to be too concerned about right now. Cain throws his fastball in the upper 80’s and lower 90’s, so he is not a flamethrower. He compliments his fastball with a change and a curve, which both have the chance to be above average major league pitches. If Cain can continue to develop his mechanics and stay consistent, he can be a solid #3 starter in the majors. He will start next season in Bradenton, with an outside chance of moving up to Altoona if he has success.
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