Jason Young Stats & Scouting Report

IP	29
ERA	9.931
WHIP	2.172
BB/9	4.345
SO/9	7.759

Full name Jason Kariya Young
Born 09/28/1979 in Oakland, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Stanford
Debut 05/12/2003
Drafted in the 2nd round (47th overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2000 (signed for $2,750,000).

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Young led the nation with 178 strikeouts last year, but he has been erratic this spring as questions about high pitch counts have resurfaced. He struggled early with tightness in his shoulder, yet then he went on a streak where he won 12 games in a row. When he's at the top of his game, Young's stuff is devastating. His fastball tops out at 94 mph and he complements it with an excellent changeup. He has a playable curve. Young's pure stuff is considered better than that of teammate Justin Wayne because he's taller and has more leverage. His mechanics are not as refined. If Young reaches his ceiling, he would be a No. 1 or 2 big league starter.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

The Rockies were set to take Young in 2000's first round, but went for Matt Harrington when he slid to the No. 7 overall pick. While Colorado couldn't sign Harrington, it landed Young in the second round and signed him for a franchise-record $2.75 million. He pitched in the Futures Game in 2001 and 2002, and had eight brief big league stints in 2003. Young uses the entire strike zone with four pitches. His top pitch is a 92-93 mph four-seam fastball, and he has refined a Vulcan changeup that he'll throw in any count. He's intelligent and mature, and he's an excellent competitor. Young still is trying to decide on his breaking ball. The slider is easier to learn, but because its velocity is too similar to that of his two-seam fastball, his curveball is more useful as an offspeed pitch. Young also needs more upper-body strength and added deception with his delivery. Projected as an eventual starter, Young will get a look as a reliever in big league camp. More likely, though, he'll begin 2004 in Triple-A.
Young signed for a club-record $2.75 million as a second-round pick in 2000. He made his pro debut the following year, when he pitched in the Futures Game but also was shut down with a tender elbow. He pitched a full season in 2002, meeting all expectations, returning to the Futures Game and reaching Triple-A. Young has a full assortment of pitches. He uses all four quadrants of the strike zone with his fastball. He has a four-seamer that sits at 92 mph and a two-seamer that ranges from 87-90 mph with decent sink His Vulcan changeup works well for him, and his curveball is a good pitch. Young needs to get stronger so he can work deeper into games. His curveball can get loose at times. He could create deception in his delivery, which is a bit deliberate. Young used to throw 94 mph when he was at Stanford, and while that velocity could come back, it hasn't since he had shoulder soreness with the Cardinal. Young likely will open the season in Triple-A. He should make it to Coors Field for keeps at some point in 2003.
Elated to get Young with the 47th overall pick in 2000, the Rockies handed him a club-record $2.75 million bonus. Making his pro debut last season, he was selected for the Futures Game. His season ended on July 12, when a tender right elbow caused him to be shut down, though he did return in time to make four starts in the Arizona Fall League. Young has three quality pitches with movement: a fastball with sinking action, a slurve that has good action when he keeps his elbow up, and a changeup. When he's healthy, his fastball tops out at 94 mph. He has a good feel for using his changeup. He's competitive and intelligent. A knee problem that has bothered him since college limits Young's conditioning to riding a stationary bike, which keeps him from developing the stamina to carry a game into the late innings. He had a tight shoulder in 2000 at Stanford before his elbow woes last year, and needs to stay healthy to get some needed pro innings. Young has the ability and savvy to be a front-of-the-rotation starter and move quickly. He figures to open the season at Double-A but could pitch his way to the big leagues before the end of 2002.
Considered a possible No. 1 pick in the 2000 draft before the college season began, Young was slowed by tightness in his right shoulder. So the Rockies, who had planned to take him in the first round until Matt Harrington slipped, were able to get Young in the second round. He didn't come cheap. The NCAA Division I strikeout leader as a sophomore, he received a franchise-record $2.75 million bonus, fourth-highest for any player in the 2000 draft. Young has size and strength. His fastball was clocked at 97 mph when he was healthy. He has command of a hard slider that dominates hitters. Young needs to use his changeup better. Once he masters that pitch, he has the potential of being a legitimate No. 1 starter. His command was inconsistent during the college season, which might have been the result of his shoulder troubles. Because of prolonged negotiations, Young won't make his pro debut until this spring, most likely at Salem. With his background and arm he could move quickly, and he figures to get to Double-A by midseason. He could arrive in Colorado sometime in 2002.

Minor League Top Prospects

There was a huge dropoff in pitching after Harden, Soriano and Williams. Oklahoma's Colby Lewis and Memphis' Dan Haren would have bridged that gap if they hadn't fallen just short of qualifying. That left Young at the top of the second tier, as he finally looked like the pitcher the Rockies thought they were getting when they paid him a club-record $2.75 million bonus in 2000. Young matched the 92-93 mph velocity he showed in the PCL in 2002 and showed better command of his fastball. He also took the slurviness out of his slider and honed a Vulcan changeup that shackled lefthanders. Perhaps the PCL's most cerebral pitcher, he had little trouble pitching in the thin air of Colorado Springs.
Young doesn't have a signature pitch like Cook's sinker, but he has more pitches he can rely on than his teammate and friend. His 92-93 mph fastball, slurvy breaking ball and changeup all are big league pitches. Most observers thought his changeup was the best of the three. Young is an athletic 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, but he needs to throw on a better downward plane. He gets more movement on his fastball and is less vulnerable to longballs when he does. He also could use more deception, as hitters get a good look at Young's pitches.
Young and Cook roomed together at high Class A Salem, Carolina and again at Triple-A Colorado Springs before Cook departed for the majors. They're the top two pitching prospects in the Rockies system. "Young is very close behind Cook," Carolina manager P.J. Carey said. "Young is not the overpowering pitcher like Aaron is, but Young has above-average stuff across the board on all his pitches. When he's on, he can be as dominant as he wants to be." Young has a taller, stronger frame than Cook but usually pitches in the low 90s. He also has a slurvy breaking ball and a plus changeup. After elbow tenderness interrupted his 2001 season, he stayed healthy all year.
In his first professional season after receiving a Rockies-record $2.75 million signing bonus, Young showed off a mid-90s fastball and the ability to consistently throw it for strikes. A potential No. 1 starter, he also throws a hard slider, changeup and curveball. "He's one of the few pitchers in the league who has such good control that he can get by with throwing his fastball 80 percent of the time," Collins said. "What I like other than his ability is he has a warrior's mentality. He's not afraid out there."