Radhames Liz Stats & Scouting Report

IP	18
ERA	.5
WHIP	.72
BB/9	3
SO/9	8.5

Full name Radhames Corey Liz
Born 10/06/1983 in El Seybo, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 08/25/2007

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Liz was part of a combined no-hitter in high Class A in 2006, and he added another last season at Double-A Bowie on the way to his major league debut. He got knocked around in the big leagues because he consistently fell behind hitters. Once seen as a possible reliever, Liz now looks like he has the stamina and pitches to work at the front of a major league rotation. His fastball still clocks in at 94-97 mph with life, and he has a curveball and changeup that are plus pitches when he commands them. If he gets ahead of hitters and uses all three pitches, he can be devastating. The keys for Liz are commanding his fastball in the strike zone and using his other two pitches regularly. When he falls behind and starts leaning too much on his heater, it tends to drift up in the zone. He also needs to be more consistent with his mechanics, which will allow him to improve his overall command. Ideally he would get at least part of one more season in the minors, but he'll compete for a spot in the big league rotation in spring training.
Liz was the talk of the minors early in the 2006 season as he dominated at Frederick, including an April start when he struck out 13 in five innings in a combined no-hitter against Salem. He found out in Double- A that he still had a lot to learn about pitching, however. Liz throws his fastball with such life that there's a clicking sound when he throws it at its highest velocity--in the 94-97 mph range--as his thumb hits his index and middle fingers. His curveball is another plus pitch that he's still learning how to use. His changeup can be an average pitch when he doesn't try to throw it too slow. He likes to elevate his heater, but Double-A hitters showed Liz he needs to pitch down in the zone. He's also working on control and command of all his pitches. Liz doesn't like to get hit, and the Orioles are trying to teach him that contact on his terms is desirable. Liz' command questions and two dominant pitches make him a candidate to be a reliever, but Baltimore officials say his durability and potential three-pitch mix will keep him in a rotation until hitters tell them otherwise. He'll begin 2007 back in Double-A.
Liz made a strong impression in his first season in the United States. He was the story of Orioles' extended spring training camp, dominating hitters with an electric fastball that usually ranges from 94-96 mph and touches 98. Baltimore instructors tried to get him to work on his curveball and changeup, but Liz was reluctant to because no one could touch his heat. So the organization sent him to low Class A, where he got knocked around a bit. Demoted to Aberdeen when the New York-Penn League season opened in June, he earned his way back to Delmarva in August. He would have finished second in the NY-P in ERA if he had enough innings to qualify and ranked fourth in strikeouts despite making just 10 starts, including a 15-whiff outing. Liz has long arms and gets a good downward plane on the ball, and his big hands make it harder for hitters to pick up the ball. His motion reminds some of Hall of Famer Bob Gibson's with the way he falls off toward first base, right foot crossing over his left. The Orioles are trying to make his delivery more fluid so he doesn't put too much stress on his arm. He learned a lot about pitching during his first stint in Delmarva, getting behind in the count and looking overwhelmed at times. His curveball and changeup made progress, though they still need work, as does his command. The Orioles say Liz has the size, strength and athletic ability to be a big league starter, but he could relieve if his secondary pitches don't develop. He'll probably go back to low Class A to open the season.

Minor League Top Prospects

Managers and scouts in the EL didn't quite know what to make of Liz once they saw him pitch on TV after his big league promotion. That Liz struggled to throw strikes and didn't trust anything but his fastball. The EL version was the hardest thrower among the league's starters other than Joba Chamberlain, no-hit Harrisburg in June and ranked seventh in the minors with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Like Orioles enigma Daniel Cabrera, Liz throws a plus-plus fastball (sitting 94-96 mph at times with good life), and his changeup, slider and curveball all have flashed the potential to be average pitches. Like Cabrera, his control wavers as he opens his front shoulder in his delivery, causing his arm to drag and leading to inconsistent release points. Forget about command--he won't ever have it. "We worked with him on trying to keep a better tempo," Figueroa said. "He needs to get the ball and go after guys, trust his stuff. He has so much velocity and life on his fastball, he just needs to trust it and throw it for more strikes."
Things really fell apart for Liz shortly after he was called up from high Class A in July. He overpowered hitters in the Carolina League but his below-average command doomed him in the EL. He left his stuff over the plate and fell behind in the count too often. Liz has a lightning-fast arm that generates 97-mph heat, but he struggles to repeat his delivery and release point. His curveball is inconsistent, as is his changeup. At times, both show the potential to be plus pitches. His upside is significant, and 2006 was just his second season in America, so with time Liz could develop into a starter in the mold of Orioles righty Daniel Cabrera. At worst, he moves to the bullpen and could become a closer.
Liz started off his first full season with a bang, striking out 13 over five innings as part of a no-hitter against Salem in his initial turn in the rotation. He was named to the California-Carolina League all-star game in June, then joined Reimold representing the Orioles in the Futures Game. Liz has big-time heat, topping out at 97 mph with his lively fastball. He had trouble controlling his breaking ball at times, though that seldom hurt him in the CL. When he stays upright and compact with his delivery, it's a looping 12-to-6 curveball, but when his shoulders fly open and he isn't on a direct line to home plate, it morphs into a hard slider with late-diving action. He also has two variations of changeups, one that breaks down and away from righthanders and another that does the same thing against lefties, but needs to improve his command of both. Wiry strong with exceptionally long arms, Liz is raw but has an awful lot of upside.
After spending his first two pro seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, Liz made his U.S. debut in low Class A in May. He kept trying to light up radar guns to impress the Orioles, so they decided a demotion was in order. Liz became the most dominant pitcher in the NY-P. With a lively 92-96 mph fastball and a plus curveball, Liz never allowed more than three runs in any outing. In a mid-July start against Vermont, he struck out 15 of the 19 batters he faced. "Catch him on the wrong night," Vermont manager Bobby Williams said, "and it was a done deal." Liz has an athletic frame that allows him to throw in the mid-90s with ease. He needs to develop a reliable third pitch--he's working on both a slider and a changeup--to remain in the rotation.