Kevin Vance Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Kevin Jeffrey Vance
Born 07/08/1990 in San Diego, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 208 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Connecticut
Drafted in the 19th round (591st overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2011.

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Closer Kevin Vance performed well in the Cape Cod League for Chatham last summer, impressing scouts with a fastball that touched 94 mph. He showed similar velocity during UConn's scout day and intrasquad workouts, sitting 90-92, but during the spring he has mostly been in the 86-90 mph range. Vance still was one of the Big East's top bullpen arms, registering 12 saves and holding opponents to a .105 average through his first 23 appearances. He flashes an above-average curveball with good shape and a decent changeup. When he's on, scouts said Vance looks like Ricky Bottalico, though the drop in velocity could hurt his draft positioning.

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Part of loaded Connecticut teams that featured top prospects Matt Barnes (now with the Red Sox), Mike Olt (Rangers) and George Springer (Astros), Vance saved games as a closer and sometimes won them with his bat. He slid to the 19th round in 2011 after losing fastball velocity that spring, but his stock has surged since he signed for $40,000 and focused on pitching full-time. He had middling success as a starter in the first two months of last season before posting a 1.66 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 60 innings after moving to the bullpen. Vance's fastball continues to fluctuate. He'll work in the low 90s at times and the upper 80s at others, but he piles up outs because he generates weak contact thanks to his solid curveball. He also has a fringy changeup that he didn't use often as a reliever. Vance pitches with a lot of poise, digging in and throwing strikes when he's in trouble. If he can find more consistent fastball velocity and build on his success when he gets to Double-A in 2013, he could put himself in position for big league consideration before the season is over.