Ignacio Puello

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Washington Nationals #28 prospect in 2003
  Puello is an enigma who hasn't yet produced numbers indicative of his talent. He had three mediocre seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and hasn't been any better since coming to the United States. He had a horrendous first half in low Class A in 2002, losing eight consecutive starts with a 6.87 ERA during that span, before rebounding somewhat. Puello has the body of an NFL cornerback. He's a fast-twitch athlete with a wide back, big hands and a lean, athletic frame. He has a natural high three-quarters arm slot, but inconsistent mechanics lead to stretches where his control abandons him. He throws an explosive 92-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 and has arm-side sink. Puello complements his fastball with an above-average power curveball. At times, he'll drop his elbow when throwing his curve, causing it to flatten out and stay up in the zone. His changeup has some promise. Unless Puello has a standout spring, he'll head back for a third stint in low Class A. He may have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the organization, so the Expos are trying to be patient with him.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #15 prospect in 2002
  Puello produced three lackluster seasons in the Dominican Summer League before making his U.S. late in 2000. At the suggestion of Expos minor league coach Salomon Torres, Puello lowered his arm slot to three-quarters in the offseason and immediately showed improved velocity. Puello has one of the best arms in the Expos system. His fastball is consistently in the 92-94 mph range with good sinking movement and tops out at 96 mph. He complements his heat with a 78-80 mph curveball that has a late power break. A plus changeup rounds out his repertoire. He tends to drop down a bit on his curveball, pushing the ball, so sometimes it flattens out. After moving from the Gulf Coast League to Clinton, Puello became tentative and it showed in his command. He may have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the organization but will take some time to develop.