Prospect of the Day: Kyle Drabek

Prospect of the Day

Kyle Drabek, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays
     When the Blue Jays acquired Kyle Drabek from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 Roy Halladay trade, they hoped that the young right-hander would be ready to fill a rotation spot in 2011. Drabek met this timetable exactly, locking up a starting spot with a strong spring training and looking outstanding in his first start this past weekend. The former first-round pick gets sinking movement on his 92-94 MPH fastball, mixing it with a cutter, curveball, and changeup. The son of former Cy Young winner Doug Drabek, Kyle has the mound presence you'd expect from a player who grew up around the game. Scouts had concerns about his personality when he was younger, but he matured tremendously while recovering from Tommy John surgery. His biggest need pre-season was improved control, but he posted a 14/1 K/BB in spring training and looked sharp in his first start. If that continues he'll be a leading contender for Rookie of the Year. I gave him a Grade A- and had him ranked as the Number Seven pitching prospect in the 2011 Baseball Prospect Book.