Trevor Reckling Stats & Scouting Report

IP	607
ERA	4.166
WHIP	1.448
BB/9	4.285
SO/9	7.265

Full name Trevor Richard Reckling
Born 05/22/1989 in Livingston, NJ
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Saint Benedict's Prep
Drafted in the 8th round (268th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2007 (signed for $123,300).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Reckling won Angels minor league pitcher of the year honors when he raced to Double-A as a 19-year-old in 2009, but his 2.93 ERA with Arkansas obscured his walk rate of 5.0 per nine innings. Since then, little has gone right. He has spent the bulk of the past two seasons attempting to tame the Texas League, with mixed results. He didn't pitch after July 11 last year because of a strained elbow ligament. Reckling's fastball has lost velocity since its 2009 peak, and he now sits at 86-88 mph and touches 90 with solid downhill plane and dramatically improved command. Because his fastball is now fringy, he lives and dies with the quality of his secondary stuff. His mid-70s slider induces swings and misses with its late break. His fading changeup rates as his best pitch, in part because his herky-jerky delivery deceives batters. Reckling experimented with different arm angles last year in an effort to recover velocity. Even if his days of working in the low 90s are history, he still may have a future as a reliever. He could start 2012 in Triple-A if his elbow is healthy.
The organization's pitcher of the year in 2009, Reckling raced to Double-A as a 19-year-old and showed flashes of dominance while ranking fourth in the Texas League in ERA (2.93) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.0). Pushed a step further to Triple-A in 2010, he responded with his worst performance as a pro, going 4-7, 8.53 with more walks (50) than strikeouts (46) before getting demoted to Arkansas in late June. Reckling lost a few ticks on his fastball last season, dropping to 88-90 mph, and the Angels concede that his entire repertoire went backwards. They asked him to deemphasize his plus changeup in order to concentrate on locating his fastball, especially when behind in the count. He paid the price for his poor fastball command in the Pacific Coast League, where anything left up and over the plate is in danger of being hit a long way. Reckling also threw two versions of a breaking ball: a sweepy mid-70s slider to lefthanders and a harder low-80s offering with tilt to righties. Los Angeles wants him to focus on mastering the hard breaker. Reckling's herky-jerky delivery--he tends to rush his arm and get offline to the plate because he doesn't get over his front side--makes him deceptive but also can make throwing strikes a challenge. After his demotion, Reckling re-established his strikeout rate and showed improved control, providing a silver lining to an otherwise dismal season. Energetic, competitive and with the potential for three average or better pitches, Reckling will take another shot at Triple-A in 2011.
Injuries at the big league level unleashed a wave of premature promotions in the system last year. Reckling, then 19, raced to Double-A after just three starts at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He had no problem adjusting, ranking fourth in the Texas League with a 2.93 ERA and 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He pitched in the Futures Game in July and for Team USA at the World Cup in September, but an oblique injury shelved him after two appearances. Reckling's best pitch is a sweepy slider-curve hybrid that sits at 78-82 mph with good spin and hard tilt. That weapon makes him a nightmare for lefthanders, who hit just .165 with four extra-base hits in 121 at-bats against him in 2009. His fastball ranges from 87-93 mph with run to his glove side. He works quickly and delivers the ball from a herky-jerky, high three-quarters delivery, which provides steep angle and terrific deception to his pitches. He took quickly to a changeup, commanding it with deceptive arm speed from the get-go. He'll throw any of his pitches at any point in the count. Because his delivery features a lot of moving parts and he loses his release point, Reckling's fastball command isn't where it needs to be. He led the TL with 75 walks and 14 wild pitches. He continues to shy away from his heater at times, favoring his quality secondary stuff. Despite rushing him last year, the Angels will give Reckling plenty of time to develop as a mid-rotation starter. If he can't iron out his command, his breaking ball would make him a nasty reliever.
Overshadowed among New Jersey high schoolers by Rick Porcello in 2007 and on low Class A Cedar Rapids' staff by Jordan Walden in 2008, Reckling is starting to make a name for himself. The Midwest League's youngest regular starting pitcher last season--he didn't turn 19 until late May--led the Kernels with 10 wins and spun a 29-inning scoreless streak. Reckling could have three pitches that grade better than average. His drop-offthe- table curveball has the most upside. He spots his 87-91 mph fastball to both sides of the plate and down in the strike zone. His changeup may be his most dependable pitch, which is unusual for a teenager. He's a good athlete with a smooth delivery, and he does a nice job of staying on top of his pitches with a high-three-quarters arm slot. Reckling's curveball has so much movement that he's still working to command it consistently, and he can fall in love with it at times. He tired late in the season, going 3-5, 5.72 in his final nine starts, so he'll need to get stronger. He had a difficult time settling in at the start of games, as his 6.23 ERA and .324 opponent average in the first inning were easily his highest in any frame. The Angels tend to play it conservatively with high school draft picks, so Reckling probably will spend all of 2009 in high Class A. He has a ceiling of a No. 3 starter.
There was plenty of buzz in New Jersey about a high school prospect last spring, but the pitcher everyone wanted to see was Tigers first-rounder Rick Porcello, not Reckling. East Coast supervisor Mike Silvestri saw Reckling in tournaments in Florida and followed him last summer after the Angels took him in the eighth round. The Angels signed him away from his commitment to High Point for $123,300. A good athlete who also played on St. Benedict Prep's nationally ranked high school basketball team, Reckling is a little raw but has plenty of projection. He has a quick arm with a smooth delivery and high three-quarters arm slot. He'll flash three quality offerings and shows the early signs of feel for his craft. His fastball sits between 86-89 mph, touching 92. His curveball projects as above-average, with good spin and hard tilt. His changeup could be a third weapon. Pitching coordinator Kernan Ronan encouraged Reckling to pitch off his fastball instead of leaning on his breaking ball to get outs. Reckling tends to rush toward the plate, causing him to pitch uphill. Reckling could prove to be an eighth-round steal, and he'll begin his level-by-level ascent in Orem next season with a shot to pitch in Cedar Rapids with a strong spring training.

Minor League Top Prospects

Reckling ranked No. 8 on this list a year ago after posting a 2.93 ERA in 23 Double-A starts at age 20. The Angels sent him to Triple-A to open the season but he struggled there, and he mixed good starts with complete disasters after returning to Arkansas at the end of June. With a 87-92 mph fastball, a tight slider and a sinking changeup, Reckling has three major league pitches. He also shows a willingness to challenge hitters. Reckling's future will depend on his ability to repeat his mechanics and throw strikes consistently, because he gets hammered when he's wild. He draws comparisons to Franklin Morales as a lefthander with a good arm who struggles to tame his herky-jerky mechanics. Most scouts believe Reckling will figure his delivery out because of his athleticism, and he impressed with his competitiveness even when he didn't have his best stuff.
Reckling came to Arkansas as the youngest player in the TL after making three starts in high Class A, and he ended up as the only lefthander to make the league's postseason all-star team. He also pitched for Team USA in the World Cup in September. With a solid-average fastball that sits at 87-91 mph, as well as plus pitches in his slider and changeup, Reckling has the arsenal to dominate. Most people think his breaking ball is his best pitch, with its sharp, late break, though he also has good arm speed on his changeup and commands it as well. Questions about Reckling stem from his over-the-top delivery, which has a lot of moving parts and can get jerky, affecting his command. His mechanics do give him deception and a good downhill plane, but he has trouble repeating his delivery and loses his release point at times. He's athletic enough that he should be able to smooth things out.
The MWL's youngest regular starting pitcher, Reckling didn't turn 19 until late May. He's a lefthander with a chance to have three solid-or-better pitches, and his curveball may have the most potential. It's a hard breaker that drops off the table, and it has so much movement that he's still working to control it on a consistent basis. His changeup may be his most reliable pitch at this point, and Reckling can throw his 87-91 mph fastball to both sides of the plate. He's a good athlete with a smooth delivery, which should allow him to make the necessary improvements to his control and command. He already does a good job of locating his pitches down in the zone, generating a lot of grounders.