Efrain Nieves Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Efrain J Nieves
Born 11/15/1989 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
Drafted in the 7th round (221st overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2007 (signed for $115,000).

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Nieves shows a controlled delivery with tempo and rhythm. His fastball was clocked at 86-88 mph during an impressive outing in May that raised his stock. He has a slider that shows occasional plus break and a usable changeup.

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When the Brewers drafted Nieves as a 17-year-old out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in 2007, his fastball topped out at 88 mph. Bigger and stronger last season, he added a couple of ticks to his fastball. An advanced pitcher for his age, Nieves should be able to add even more velocity as he matures. He already has an out pitch in his consistent changeup. He also throws a nice curve and has worked on improving his slider, which is tough on lefties. He pounds the strike zone, seldom issuing walks. Nieves has some deception in his delivery, which allows him to sneak his fastball in on righthanders. He'll give up hits because he's around the strike zone a lot, but it also works to his advantage when he gets ahead of hitters and leaves them susceptible to his breaking stuff. Showing great composure on the mound for a youngster, Nieves just needs innings to polish his repertoire. He'll move up to full-season ball at Wisconsin in 2009.

Nieves threw 86-88 mph when the Brewers drafted him as a 17-year-old out of Puerto Rico in the seventh round last year, and his velocity spiked to 90-91 this summer. He still has the same controlled delivery with tempo and rhythm, which allows him to throw plenty of strikes. His mound composure is well beyond his years. He's still working on the rest of his arsenal. His slider has potential and gives him a good weapon against lefties, and he needs to improve his changeup to give him a better option against righties.