IP 442
ERA 3.38
WHIP 1.258
BB/9 3.217
SO/9 7.575
  • Full name Nicholas Barnese
  • Born 01/11/1989 in Simi Valley, CA
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Simi Valley
  • Drafted in the 3rd round (95th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007 (signed for $366,000).
    View Draft Report
    Barnese was raring to go this season, having missed his junior year at Simi Valley High due to a team-imposed suspension. He started his spring well, hitting 94 mph on radar guns in Major League Baseball's first-ever preseason showcase at its complex in Compton, Calif. He hadn't hit that kind of velocity consistently, but velocity isn't the best thing about his fastball. It has excellent life, especially down in the strike zone when thrown in the 88-91 mph range, and Barnese has a projectable frame that could allow him to add velocity down the line while preserving the life on his heater. He's not afraid to work inside. He's athletic and has a quick arm, with a lower arm slot that probably means he'll have to ditch his fringy curveball and pick up a slider down the line. His competitiveness and solid control of his fastball could push him into the first three rounds, but if he falls, he could move to the front of the Cal State Fullerton rotation next year as a freshman.

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