• Full name John Daniel Ely
  • Born 05/13/1986 in Harvey, IL
  • Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
  • School Miami (OH)
  • Debut 04/28/2010
  • Drafted in the 3rd round (119th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2007 (signed for $240,750).
    View Draft Report
    Ely can't fill out a uniform or light up a radar gun as well as his Miami teammate Connor Graham can, but he has outperformed Graham in college and in the Cape Cod League and has a better chance to be a major league starter. Ely is just 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, and he has a head jerk in his maximum-effort delivery. His stuff is hard to argue with, however. His 89-94 mph fastball and his vastly improved changeup both qualify as plus pitches, and his curve is an average offering. Though he lacks smooth mechanics, he throws strikes and has a resilient arm that never has given him problems. His delivery also gives him deception that makes him harder to hit. Ely also is an intense competitor who helped his cause by pitching a complete-game seven-hitter at Texas in March. Though Graham scores better in what the NFL would call

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Minor League Top Prospects

Best Tools List

  • Rated Best Changeup in the Chicago White Sox in 2010
  • Rated Best Changeup in the Chicago White Sox in 2009
  • Rated Best Control in the Carolina League in 2008
  • Rated Best Breaking Pitch in the Carolina League in 2008

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