Kyle Cofield
| IP | 522 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.931 |
| WHIP | 1.443 |
| BB/9 | 4.759 |
| SO/9 | 6.586 |
- Full name Kyle Steven Cofield
- Born 01/23/1987 in Gadsden, AL
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Southside
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Drafted in the 8th round (257th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2005 (signed for $100,000).
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Cofield had a strong summer with Georgia's East Cobb program and had a chance to go in the first five rounds. He has lost his arm slot this spring, dropping his velocity from the low 90s to the 86-88 mph range while flattening out his slurvy breaking ball, and he's expected to head to Alabama.
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There are a lot of things to like about Cofield, yet he wasn't able to consistently harness his stuff in six years in the Braves system. The White Sox will try to help him get over the hump after acquiring him for Scott Linebrink in December. Cofield made strides in 2008 and 2009 before missing two months last years with an elbow injury. He has an ideal pitcher's frame, and when he's dialed in he has two potential plus pitches: a low-90s fastball that tops out at 95 with good movement, and a sharp curveball that buckles the knees of righthanders on occasion. Cofield struggles with his control, because he lacks feel for his pitches and nibbles too much. He needs to command his fastball and breaking ball better in the strike zone, and to add more depth and fade to his changeup. After spending the past two seasons in Double-A, Cofield should make the jump to Triple-A with his new organization. He projects as a reliever in the long run. -
After splitting his time between the rotation and bullpen during his first three seasons in the organization, Cofield became a full-time starter in 2008 and ranked second in the Carolina League with a 3.26 ERA. Last year, he jumped to Double-A and tied for the system lead with 10 wins. He bordered on dominating in the first half of 2009, allowing three earned runs or less in 13 of his first 14 outings. The primary weakness preventing Cofield from being one of the Atlanta's premier prospects is his lack of control. He ranked second in the minors in 2009 by issuing 89 walks, which comes from an inconsistent feel for his pitches and a tendency to be too fine. A work-in-progress since turning pro in 2005, Cofield signed as a raw high school hurler out of Alabama and has struggled with his confidence. There's nothing wrong with his pure stuff. His fastball resides in the low 90s and touches 95 mph. His plus curveball is his best pitch, but he also struggles with commanding it in the strike zone. His changeup shows promise but lacks consistency as well. The Braves believe Cofield can be a valuable asset if and when he puts everything together, so much so that they added him to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He'll work toward that goal this year in Triple-A.
