Caleb Clay Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Caleb Russell Clay
Born 02/15/1988 in Birmingham, AL
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Cullman
Drafted in the C-A round (44th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2006 (signed for $775,000).

View Draft Report

Auburn recruiting coordinator Butch Thompson saw in Clay an athletic player with good arm strength who could blossom into a Friday starter. Unfortunately for Auburn, Clay may have blossomed too soon. He was primarily an outfielder before his senior season, but when he started pitching in relief this spring he became the talk of the Southeast. With a slender, strong and projectable body and a simple, loose and easy delivery, Clay moved into a starting role and climbed draft boards. He struck out 10 and hit three home runs in a doubleheader sweep in the second round of the 5-A playoffs. His days as a center fielder, however, appear over. His fastball sat between 90-91 mph, touching 94. It's heavy with late life. Surprisingly, his a slider and changeup have been solid, if somewhat inconsistent. When he stays on top of his slider, it has tight rotation with hard bite. Clay's aptitude is as much of an asset as his athleticism. He's eager to learn and offers a fresh arm. He showed rudimentary feel for pitching, spotting his fastball to both sides of the plate and pitching down in the zone. Cullman made a late push in the postseason and Clay's workload piled up, which drew some concern from scouts.

Top Rankings

Clay was such an obscure prospect at the outset of 2006 that he wasn't even on Boston's draft follow list, but teams quickly flocked to see him once he moved from center field to the mound and started throwing low-90s fastballs. In the Alabama 5-A playoffs, he struck out 10 and hit three homers in a second-round doubleheader. Clay signed for $775,000 two days after Boston drafted him but didn't pitch during the summer because of his heavy workload during the spring. Clay's fastball comes out of his hand easily and features late, heavy life. While he has a fresh arm, he's also raw as a pitcher. He didn't have much of a between-starts routine or know much about a shoulder-strengthening program before he got into pro ball. His mechanics graded out well, though he doesn't always repeat his delivery. He can fly open and drop his shoulder, which elevates and flattens out his pitches. Clay's secondary pitches are promising yet unrefined. He used both a curveball and slider as an amateur, and likely will stick with the slider as a pro. His changeup, control and command are still inconsistent. The Red Sox will be patient with him, which means he'll probably open 2007 in extended spring training before making his pro debut.