Chris Carpenter Stats & Scouting Report

IP	15
ERA	5.4
WHIP	2.4
BB/9	10.2
SO/9	6

Full name Christopher John Carpenter
Born 12/26/1985 in Bryan, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Kent State
Debut 06/14/2011
Drafted in the 3rd round (97th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2008 (signed for $385,000).

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After a couple of false starts, Carpenter's pro career should finally get going this summer. The Tigers made him a seventh-round pick in 2004, but he became the highest-drafted high school pitcher that year to opt for college. He blew out his elbow throwing a 93-mph fastball as a freshman, requiring Tommy John surgery in May 2005 and a second operation in June 2006 to clean out scar tissue. He was surging toward the first round with a strong finish to the regular season last year. But teams wondered about his health and his signability as a draft-eligible sophomore, and no one took a flier until the Yankees popped him in the 18th round. They planned on following him in the Cape Cod League, but he made just two appearances before departing with a tired arm. Carpenter has been healthy all year, topping out at 98 mph and often pitching at 92-96. His hard curveball is tighter and more consistent than it was in 2007, and his command has improved after some early season struggles. His changeup has gotten better too, though he doesn't throw it for strikes as easily he does his main two pitches. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Carpenter has the body to pile up innings--provided he stays healthy. There are clubs that will back away because of his medical history, but he has enhanced his chances of going in the first three rounds by expressing a willingness to sign for slot money.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Tigers took Carpenter in the seventh round of the 2004 draft, but he became the highest prep pick that year to opt for college when he attended Kent State. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman and a second elbow operation the next year, but regained his stuff and became a third-round pick in 2008. He has been healthy throughout his pro career, with the exception of missing most of last August with a strained oblique. Carpenter was a starter until he got to the Arizona Fall League in 2010, when his fastball jumped to 94-100 mph when he came out of the bullpen. The Cubs kept him in relief and brought him to the big leagues last season, but his control and command regressed and he put up the worst numbers of his pro career. He had trouble adjusting to the routine of a reliever, and he started overthrowing and lost consistency with his mechanics. By the end of the year, Carpenter realized he still could sit in the mid-90s and touch triple digits without selling out for velocity. He has tightened his breaking ball, giving him a consistent hard slider as a second pitch. He showed a changeup with some deception and fade as a starter, but he doesn't use it much as a reliever. Carpenter got back on track and lived in the strike zone when he returned to the AFL following the 2011 season, laying the groundwork to contribute in Chicago this year. He eventually could develop into a set-up man.
The highest-drafted high school pitcher in 2004 (seventh round, Tigers) who opted for college, Carpenter had Tommy John surgery as a Kent State freshman and a second elbow procedure the following year. Though his medical history dropped him to the third round of the 2008 draft, he hasn't missed a start as a pro. He opened eyes as a reliever in the Arizona Fall League after last season. Carpenter profiles as a No. 3 starter or set-up man. Pitching out of the rotation, he works at 91-96 mph with his fastball, which has good life for a four-seamer. In relief in the AFL, he pitched at 94-99 mph and touched 100 in the Rising Stars Game. His low-80s breaking ball is a solid slider with bite at times and more slurvy at others. His changeup has deception and fade but probably won't ever be more than his third pitch. Carpenter still is figuring out control and command, as he runs into problems with walks and gets hit more than someone with his fastball should. He needs to do a better job of controlling the running game after giving up 23 steals in 29 attempts last year. He works diligently to stay healthy. Carpenter hasn't dominated as a starter, so he may be in for a change of roles. It's possible he could begin 2011 in Iowa's rotation and finish the season in Chicago's bullpen.
The highest-drafted prep pitcher in 2004 who opted for college, Carpenter turned down the Tigers as a seventh-rounder. He had Tommy John surgery as a Kent State freshman in 2005, then a second elbow procedure the next year. His medical history made him available to the Cubs in the third round in 2008. Carpenter throws his fastball at 91-94 mph and touches 97. It has very good life for a four-seamer, inducing lots of groundballs. He also has a mid-80s slurve that flashes the bite and depth of a slider. His changeup gives him a potential solid third pitch. He's a diligent worker with a frame built for innings. Carpenter's stuff can be so lively that he struggles to control it. He needs to stay on top of his breaking ball to make it a true slider, and his changeup will develop more quickly if he uses it more often. While his health may always be a concern, he has had no physical problems since a tired arm in the summer of 2007. As long as he stays healthy, Carpenter has a bright future. He'll return to Double-A to open 2010 and contend for a big league rotation spot the following year.
Carpenter was the highest-drafted high school pitcher in the 2004 draft to opt for college. He blew out his elbow throwing a 93-mph fastball as a freshman at Kent State, leading to Tommy John surgery in 2005 and a second operation to clean out scar tissue in 2006. As a draft-eligible sophomore in 2007, he made a run at the first round before fading late and dropping to the Yankees in the 18th round. When he left the Cape Cod League with a tired arm, New York lost interest in signing him. The Cubs got him with a third-round pick and a $385,000 bonus in 2008, and Carpenter could be a bargain if he can stay on the mound. He consistently works at 92-95 mph and touches 97 with his fastball, and he has tightened up his hard curveball over the last year. His changeup has shown improvement as well, though it's not reliable as his two main pitches. Carpenter struggled to harness his stuff at times in college, and he did so in his pro debut. He has a big, strong frame that enables him to throw downhill and should help in terms of durability. The Cubs may send him to Daytona to keep him in warm weather at the start of the 2009 season. If he can stay healthy, Carpenter will shoot up this list and through the minor leagues.

Minor League Top Prospects

Carpenter had Tommy John surgery as a Kent State freshman in 2005, then a second operation to clean out scar tissue the next year. He has put his elbow issues behind him, as his ability to sit at 91-94 mph and reach 97 with his fastball will attest. Carpenter operates mostly with a four-seamer but still gets groundballs because he locates it all over the strike zone. Whether he makes it as a starter or reliever will depend on how well he develops his secondary pitches and how willing he is to use them. His breaking ball is something in between a curveball and slider. It flashes some bite and depth, but he needs to do a better job of staying on top of it. Scouts say his changeup is a decent third pitch but wish they could see more of it. His command was shaky in the MWL but improved once he moved on to high Class A and Double-A.