The Mariners spent the 132nd overall pick on James Paxton.
Follow the jump for his pre-draft profile.
James Paxton Position: LHP School: Grand Prairie AirHogs State: TX Year: Sr. Height: 6’4’’ Weight: 220
Birth Date: 11/6/88 Seiler Rating: 1B1 Last Drafted: 2009 (TOR-1s)
|
Year |
W |
L |
ERA |
G |
GS |
SV |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
2007* |
2 |
0 |
6.63 |
25 |
0 |
1 |
17.2 |
20 |
23 |
13 |
2 |
16 |
10 |
|
2008* |
4 |
2 |
2.92 |
17 |
11 |
1 |
52.1 |
46 |
21 |
17 |
4 |
25 |
43 |
|
2009* |
5 |
3 |
5.86 |
13 |
13 |
0 |
78.1 |
83 |
52 |
51 |
11 |
20 |
115 |
|
2010 |
1 |
2 |
4.08 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
17.2 |
15 |
9 |
8 |
1 |
7 |
18 |
*At Kentucky
James Paxton is a well-known left-handed pitcher from the Grand Prairie AirHogs of the American Association, an independent league team in Texas. Paxton is originally from Delta Secondary School in Ladner, British Columbia, a small town about 15 miles south of Vancouver. He was a solid prospect out of high school, and elbow problems was the only thing that kept him from being picked in top seven rounds in 2006. He landed at Kentucky, and after a rough freshman season in relief, he started taking off in a starting role as a sophomore. However, it wasn’t until his junior season that he really flew up draft charts, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he was hit hard and had knee problems, he probably would have been a top twenty pick. However, after becoming a late Boras Corporation client, he fell to the Blue Jays with the thirty-seventh pick, and he didn’t sign as negotiations went down to the wire. After an interview by a Toronto official showed that Scott Boras negotiated directly with the team, the Wildcats suspended him in the fall, and he ended up leaving school after not submitting to an NCAA interview. He landed at Grand Prairie, and he was mediocre in a few appearances. When he was fully ramped up last spring, though, he showed enough potential to be a number two starter. His fastball was a plus pitch, sitting 92-94, touching 96, and while he had plus control, his command wavered between average and above-average. His curveball was a second plus pitch, and his changeup flashed average potential. Since scouts have had a hard time getting a read on him this spring, they’re essentially going off reports from a year ago, and even though he’s still a Boras client, he should go from the back half of the first round into the second round.