Brad Baisley
The top pitching prospect in the
Philadelphia Phillies system, this righty was pitching well at Class-A
Clearwater (3-3, 3.09 ERA, and 1 SV) before an arm injury occured that has
him shut down for the rest of the 2000 season.
A 20-year-old, Baisley was the Phillies'
second round pick in the 1998 draft. He had his breakout season in his
first full year in 1999 while pitching at Low-A Piedmont. For the Boll
Weevils, Baisley went 10 -7 with a 2.26 ERA, three complete games, 148
innings pitched, 116 hits allowed, 55 walks, and 110 strikeouts in 23
starts. He even hurled a no-hitter in the summer verus Hagerstown.
He uses a low-to-mid-90s fastball and curve
as his top two pitches. With his age, you could expect his fastball to
gain some speed and possibly to clock in the mid-90s consistently if he
can recover fully from the injury. I don't think you will see him rushed
to Philadelphia. Instead, he should get a full season at each level,
allowing him to start in the majors sometime around 2003. If he is
healthy, Baisley could be a No. 1 type of starter. At 6-foot-9 and 205
pounds, he could be an imposing force.
|