Denny Bautista

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #2 prospect in 2005
  Pedro and Ramon Martinez helped Bautista learn his craft in the Dominican Republic, and he pitched in the Futures Game in 2003. Bautista has been traded twice since then, and also had his age adjusted upward two years. Still, the Royals consider acquiring him from Baltimore for Jason Grimsley as a coup. Bautista's fastball, slider and curveball all can rate as average or better on any given day, while his changeup can be a solid pitch as well. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and has touched 99 mph with good boring life down in the zone. Like many tall and lanky pitchers, Bautista struggles to repeat his delivery and throws across his body. His lack of command often renders him a one-pitch guy. Bautista can be a No. 2 or 3 starter if he can locate his secondary pitches consistently. He'll get a chance to win a job in the Kansas City rotation in spring training. It's also possible he could return to Triple-A, or contribute as a late-inning reliever.
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  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #5 prospect in 2004
  Bautista has the highest ceiling of the players Baltimore acquired in midseason trades. Mentored by Pedro and Ramon Martinez in the Dominican Republic, Bautista pitched in the Futures Game and ranked among the top prospects in the high Class A Florida State and Double-A Southern leagues. Bautista has an electric arm, with an explosive fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can touch 98 mph. In one Double-A start, he was clocked at 96 mph 18 times. His curveball also could be a plus pitch, and he has a projectable body. While Bautista's arm ranks with the best in the minors, his command doesn't. His mechanics can get out of sync and he throws across his body. His changeup is a potential plus pitch, but he needs to use it more to develop it. Bautista has the ability to pitch at the top of a rotation, but he'll need to hone his command and delivery to make that happen. He's a potential closer if starting doesn't work out. He could move up to Triple-A Ottawa to start the season and should be ready to contribute in the big leagues by 2005.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #13 prospect in 2003
  After streaking to No. 3 on the Marlins' prospect list a year ago, Bautista fell back with an uneven season marred by visa troubles that delayed his arrival at spring training. Trying to make up for lost time, he overthrew and wound up missing six weeks with shoulder tendinitis. Mentored back home in the Dominican Republic by the Brothers Martinez, Pedro and Ramon, Bautista can be headstrong at times. After getting hurt, though, he accepted suggestions to tone down his violent delivery and stopped trying to throw everything through a brick wall. He pitched at 92-94 mph, a tick down from the 96 mph he reached in the past, and commanded his curveball and changeup much better in the second half. He proved more efficient while on a 75-pitch limit, coaxing groundballs instead of going for strikeouts and taking pressure off his arm. He can be overly emotional on the mound when he struggles and still must improve his fielding and attention to detail, but his ceiling remains high. Largely on Pedro Martinez' advice, Bautista signed with the Marlins for about $350,000. That could yet turn out to be a tremendous bargain.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #3 prospect in 2002
  Bautista's family is close with the Martinez family in the Dominican Republic, which means Pedro and Ramon have provided guidance to a player they consider their nephew. Largely on Pedro's advice, Bautista signed with the Marlins for about $350,000 after an agreement with the Braves fell through in light of Atlanta's Wilson Betemit transgression. Bautista has added 10-15 pounds of muscle to his tall, wiry frame and his velocity has climbed from the mid-80s to 94-96 mph. He pitches at 90-92 and shows a plus curve that comes in over the top, and an improving changeup. He's in tremendous condition and in offseason workouts actually outpaces Pedro Martinez, who taught him how to throw all three pitches. Bautista still tends to overthrow at times and has a bad habit of spinning off toward first base on his delivery, like Pedro. He still needs to add maturity and consistency with his mechanics. Considering Bautista's youth and inexperience, he likely will begin 2002 at Class A Brevard County.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #14 prospect in 2001
  Bautista is a remarkable story. His family is friends with the Martinez family in the Dominican Republic, which means Pedro and Ramon Martinez have guided him to this point. Largely on Pedro's advice, Bautista signed with Florida for about $350,000 after an agreement with Atlanta for $100,000 more fell through. The commissioner's office forced the Braves to release their rights to Bautista in the aftermath of the Wilson Betemit flap. Scrawny and 17 when he signed, Bautista quickly added weight and velocity. His fastball was up to 91 mph by instructional league. Rather than report to the Marlins' Dominican program, he went straight to the Gulf Coast League, where he dominated. Tall with long, loose limbs, Bautista is open to instruction and already has made mechanical adjustments that gave him better tilt and break on his curveball. He has good natural movement on his two-seamer and his changeup is advanced for his age. He controls his emotions well for a teenager but tends to be hard on himself. His upside is tremendous.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Eastern League #18 prospect in 2004
  This year's July 31 non-waiver trading deadline featured a number of perplexing deals but perhaps none more puzzling than the deal that landed the Royals Bautista in exchange for Jason Grimsley. Contrary to some reports, Bautista's makeup is sound and he is a hard worker. He finished the season at Double-A Wichita where he went 4-3, 2.53. Armed with a fastball that touches 97 mph, Bautista has electric stuff and potential to be a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He is raw and has trouble replicating his delivery, leading to too many walks. He learned this year that advanced hitters could turn around even his fastball. He gets himself into trouble by challenging opposing batters with fastballs behind in the count. He was often compared to Danile Cabrera, who has better control than Bautista although Bautista's hammer curveball projects as a better pitch. He made strides in his work with Orioles pitching coach Ray Miller in the development of his changeup prior to the trade, as well.
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  Ranked Texas League #5 prospect in 2004
  Bautista started to right himself in the second half after a turbulent 12 months, and he finished the season in the big leagues. The former Marlins prospect was traded to the Orioles in the Jeff Conine deal in 2003, and he turned out to be almost two years older than previously thought when he produced his true visa this spring. He came to Wichita when the Royals traded Jason Grimsley to the Orioles for him. Bautista still has front-of-the-rotation stuff, regularly throwing 94-95 mph with his fastball, at times with serious life down in the zone. He sometimes throws across his body and loses life on his fastball, causing it to straighten out and stay up. His curveball has its moments but ranked as his third pitch. "I saw three major league-quality pitches, and he threw nothing straight," Brundage said. "Everything sinks or cuts. I'm not sure he knew where it was going, though. When he figures it out, he's going to have a nice ceiling."
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  Ranked Southern League #16 prospect in 2003
  Bautista flashed through the league, getting just 11 starts between a callup from high Class A and a trade to the Orioles. He showed the league's liveliest arm this side of Jackson or Guzman, but didn't show the command they had. "His arm strength is top-notch and he's got a great pitcher's body," Snitker said. "But he's got a ways to go to be consistent with his delivery." Bautista has strength and size to add to his body but already reaches the mid-90s. One NL scout clocked Bautista's fastball at 96 mph 18 times in one game. However, he loses control of his fastball, 12-to-6 curveball and plus changeup when he throws across his body too much.
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  Ranked Florida State League #9 prospect in 2003
  Of the three pitchers the Marlins gave up in midseason deals with the Rangers (for Ugueth Urbina) and Orioles (Jeff Conine), Bautista is the one with the highest ceiling. He rebounded from a disappointing 2002 to represent the Marlins in the Futures Game, striking out two in a scoreless inning. Bautista has a projectable body and a live, loose arm that produced upper-90s heat and one of the FSL's best breaking pitches, an overhand curveball. Bautista's curve always had exceptional two-plane break, but it became more potent this year as he learned to command it.
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  Ranked New York-Penn League #5 prospect in 2001
  The Braves originally signed Bautista before Major League Baseball suspended their Dominican operations because of Atlanta's underage signing of Wilson Betemit. The Braves' loss was the Marlins' gain, as they jumped on Bautista in April 2000 and agreed to a $350,000 bonus. Bautista began this season in extended spring training, then made a pair of emergency starts in Class A Kane County before being assigned to Utica. The wiry righthander needed just seven starts to impress NY-P managers with his lively 91-93 mph fastball and breaking ball, earning a return to trip to Kane County for the playoff stretch. "He has the perfect frame," Boles said. "He could put on 40 pounds. It's only a matter of time with him. He has all the tools, but he's more polished than people think."
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #14 prospect in 2000
  Bautista, 17, excelled in his first season in the United States. But every manager in the Eastern Division felt the 6-foot-5, 170-pounder had just scratched the surface of his potential. "There's still a lot of improvement left in him," Albert said. "He has a lot of room to fill out, and he should pick up velocity as he gets bigger and stronger." Bautista occasionally touched 92 mph but more frequently worked in the high 80s. He also has a good breaking ball and changeup.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #59 prospect in 2004
• Ranked Baseball America's #87 prospect in 2002

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Bautista, 17, excelled in his first season in the United States. But every manager in the Eastern Division felt the 6-foot-5, 170-pounder had just scratched the surface of his potential. "There's still a lot of improvement left in him," Albert said. "He has a lot of room to fill out, and he should pick up velocity as he gets bigger and stronger." Bautista occasionally touched 92 mph but more frequently worked in the high 80s. He also has a good breaking ball and changeup.