Mike Esposito

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #30 prospect in 2005
  Injuries slowed Esposito throughout his amateur career. He had Tommy John surgery in his freshman year at Arizona State, and developed forearm stiffness during the spring of his junior year. The Rockies, however, saw enough when he was healthy to sign him for $750,000 as a 12th-rounder in 2002. In two full pro seasons he has made solid progress and stayed away from the trainer's room. He is not overpowering but throws quality strikes and mixes four effective pitches. His fastball generally sits at 89 mph, and he showed improvement with both his curveball and slider last year. The changeup is his fourth pitch, but he needs to use it earlier in counts to keep hitters off his fastball. He will get quick in his delivery and it costs him control, but that can be smoothed out quickly. Esposito will open 2005 at Colorado Springs if he has a good spring, but he could wind up back at Tulsa.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #23 prospect in 2004
  One of the top college pitching prospects entering 2002, Esposito scared off teams when he developed forearm stiffness late that spring. He already had Tommy John surgery two years earlier, and he dropped to the 12th round. When the Rockies were unable to sign second-rounder Micah Owings away from Georgia Tech, they used the money earmarked for him to give Esposito a $750,000 bonus. He signed too late to pitch that season, but after a tuneup in instructional league, he went directly to high Class A for his pro debut. Esposito has solid command of four average pitches. His two-seam and four-seam fastballs range from 88-93 mph, and he also throws a curveball and changeup. He still needs to learn to trust himself. Esposito pitches away from contact early in the count, rather than aggressively challenging hitters. At 6 feet tall, he doesn't generate much downhill plane on his pitches, though he does generate good sink on his two-seamer. He'll make the move to Double-A to open 2004.
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  Ranked Colorado Rockies #19 prospect in 2003
  Esposito was a Reds fifth-round pick out of high school. Entering 2002, he projected to go in the top two rounds of the draft despite having Tommy John surgery as a freshman two years earlier. He battled a sore arm throughout last spring, which coupled with his bonus demands caused him to slip all the way to the 12th round. When the Rockies failed to sign second-rounder Micah Owings, who opted to attend Georgia Tech, they spent that money on Esposito, who got a $750,000 bonus. As a 5-foot-11 righthander with a history of arm trouble, he's not exactly a scout's dream. But Esposito does have an 88-93 mph fastball and the makings of a plus changeup. His curveball can be a hammer at times, and he has an average slider. The biggest question, obviously, is his durability. He'll probably start his pro career in low Class A.