Drafted in the 4th round (121st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2006 (signed for $350,000).
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Gibson is the son of former major league lefthander Paul Gibson, who pitched eight seasons with the Tigers, Mets and Yankees. The younger Gibson is a classic pitcher's son, with excellent feel for pitching, clean mechanics and great makeup both on and off the field. He is the opposite of New York's other top prep prospect, Dellin Betances, because he is polished and has a repeatable downhill delivery but lacks present velocity. Gibson's fastball sits at 86-88 mph and touches 90 every once in a while, but his 6-foot-4 frame has plenty of projection to it. What he lacks in fastball velocity he makes up for with two promising secondary pitches. Gibson has always had confidence in his changeup, which rates as at least an average pitch and could get better. His 76-77 mph curveball with good bite has been a revelation--it projects as a plus pitch and is already major league average according to most scouts. The biggest question about Gibson is that he has not faced strong competition in high school, but his overall package of command, secondary stuff, makeup and projectability should land him in the top five rounds.
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When the Rays decided they'd had enough of Elijah Dukes, they shipped him to the Nationals in December and received Gibson in return. The son of former major league lefthander Paul Gibson, he might have been the New-York Penn League's best pitcher last summer until his final two starts, when he tried to pitch while sick and saw his ERA balloon from 1.74 to 3.10. It was later discovered he had mononucleosis, which caused him to drop about 20 pounds and reversed his solid progress in the weight room. Gibson's savvy makes his stuff play up. He pores over hitting and pitching charts before every start so he can exploit weaknesses, and he mixes speeds and locations well. He can throw his plus changeup in any count for strikes, his slow downer curveball can be above-average at times, and his fastball can touch 91 mph and has late movement. Gibson's fastball sits in the high 80s and isn't overpowering, which limits his upside and margin for error. He still needs to add strength to his frame, particularly his lower half, to improve his durability and velocity. Gibson is ready for a full-season league and should begin 2008 in low Class A. He looks like a safe bet to reach the big leagues as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
The son of former big league lefthander Paul Gibson, Glenn turned down a commitment to Central Florida for an above-slot $350,000 bonus in the fourth round. He signed late in the summer so he had a limited pro debut, but he did show off his polish with three scoreless outings at short-season Vermont. It's evident that Gibson learned a lot from his father, because he really knows how to pitch. His best offering is an above-average 76-77 mph curveball with good downward bite that was a revelation this spring after his dad moved his arm slot from three-quarters to high three-quarters. He has always trusted his changeup, which already rates as an average pitch and could get better. Gibson projects to add velocity to his 86-88 mph fastball as he fills out his lanky frame, and he already ratchets it up to 91 on occasion. His delivery is clean and easy. Despite hiring a personal trainer and adding 15 pounds as a high school senior, Gibson remains skinny and needs to get stronger. He commands his fastball well but needs to add velocity to pitch toward the front of a big league rotation. Because he's so advanced, Gibson will push for a rotation spot in low Class A as a 19-year-old. He could become a No. 3 starter if he develops physically.
Minor League Top Prospects
The son of former major league lefthander Paul Gibson, Glenn is far more advanced than the typical high school product from the Northeast. He might have been the best pitcher in the NY-P until his final two starts, when he tried to pitch while sick and saw his ERA rise from 1.74 to 3.10. Gibson pores over hitting and pitching charts before every start so he can exploit hitters' weaknesses. He mixes speeds and locations very well. He's starting to fill out his lean frame and he ran his fastball up to 91 mph this summer, though he usually pitches in the high 80s with late movement. He's not afraid to throw his exceptional changeup or solid 12-to-6 curveball in any count, and all of his offerings look the same out of his hand. Gibson doesn't have overpowering raw stuff, but his savvy and polish should allow him to move quickly.
Best Tools List
Rated Best Control in the Washington Nationals in 2008
Rated Best Changeup in the Washington Nationals in 2008
Rated Best Control in the Washington Nationals in 2007
Rated Best Curveball in the Washington Nationals in 2007
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