Kevin Walter
| IP | 146 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.24 |
| WHIP | 1.603 |
| BB/9 | 4.562 |
| SO/9 | 5.733 |
- Full name Kevin William Walter
- Born 05/01/1992 in Boulder, CO
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Legacy
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Drafted in the 20th round (621st overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2010 (signed for $350,000).
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While Kevin Gausman came into the year as the more highly touted prospect from Colorado, some scouts believe Walter will end up being the better of the two. He's a giant at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. Because of his size he sometimes has timing problems in his delivery, but he's a good athlete with clean mechanics for the most part. He hasn't shown the same velocity as Gausman, pitching at 88-90 mph with some sink and touching 92, but scouts believe it's in there. Walter has shown the ability to spin two different breaking balls, in a power curveball and a hard slider. They're distinctly different pitches and both show the potential to be above-average. He doesn't throw many changeups at this point, but that's not uncommon. Walter is committed to Boston College but may not get there, as he's getting fourth- to sixth-round buzz.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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High school pitchers from Colorado, from Roy Halladay and Brad Lidge to Luke Hochevar and David Aardsma, have a track record of adding velocity as they grow into their bodies, and the Phillies hope the same will happen with Walter, who has a monster 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame. They picked him in the 20th round of last year's draft and pried him away from a Boston College commitment just before the signing deadline for $350,000. Philadelphia loves Walter's arm speed and projection, which should boost his fastball velocity from its present 88-90 mph. He already has touched 93 on occasion with sink. He threw both a curveball and slider in high school, and scouts think the mid-70s curveball should be a better offering down the line. The Phillies will work to teach him a changeup. Because of his size, Walter has difficulty repeating his delivery, but he has solid mechanics and control. Philadelphia likely will keep him in extended spring training before sending him to Williamsport in June.
