Drafted in the 9th round (279th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 1999.
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Two years after he ranked as the organization's top lefty prospect and one of the best in the entire game, Malone has slid back. He has spent back-to-back seasons mired in Double-A, plagued by wildness and elbow problems. He missed the final month of 2002 and two months in the middle of 2003. Recruited as a linebacker by Alabama-Birmingham, Malone can overpower hitters with his 92-93 mph as long as he gets his sharp-breaking curveball over the plate. That hasn't happened often enough in Double-A, where he has issued as many walks as strikeouts. There isn't much finesse to Malone, who needs a lot of improvement with his changeup and control. If that doesn't happen, he may face a future as a reliever. The White Sox were encouraged by Malone's showing in instructional league, but they can't be expected to keep him on the 40-man roster forever. He enters 2004 with his career at a crossroads.
After making huge strides in 2001, the one-time linebacker slowed down in 2002, mostly because of control problems. He might have done his best pitching of the season in a March 31 exhibition at Pacific Bell Park, where he blew away the Giants en route to Double-A Birmingham, where he had finished the previous year. Elbow problems ended Malone's season after 22 starts. Malone has the ability to overpower hitters with a fastball that can climb to 93 mph. His natural deception earns him comparisons to Vida Blue. His curveball has tremendous snap on it when his mechanics are under control. He's athletic and coaches rave about his eagerness to learn. Malone tried to throw fewer fastballs in 2002 and paid for it. He didn't command the strike zone as he had the year before, and his walks rose as his strikeouts dipped. He spent much of spring training working on his changeup and seemed to force it into his arsenal, at the cost of too often falling behind in the count. The White Sox believe Malone will be completely healthy in 2003, when he's expected to earn a spot in the Triple-A rotation. He showed improvement after deciding to be more aggressive, and if he gets off to a fast start could join the Chicago rotation if needed in the second half.
Everything came together in 2001 for the hard-working Malone, who planned to play linebacker at Alabama-Birmingham before the Sox drafted him. After relieving in the low minors, he soared when given the chance to start, beginning the year in the South Atlantic League and ending it with a victory in the Southern League playoffs. While Malone has great tools, he's also a top student. He has a 93-94 mph fastball, and hitters react as if it's in the high 90s. That helps his other pitches, the best of which is a snapping curveball. He gained confidence in his curve throughout last season, throwing it for strikes even when behind in the count. He averaged 7.9 walks per nine innings in his first two pro seasons but cut that figure to 3.6 in 2001. Now he needs to work on his command in the strike zone. He didn't throw many changeups as a reliever and still is developing the pitch. Pitching coordinator Don Cooper compares Malone's rise to that of Jason Bere, who helped the White Sox win a division title in 1993 after starting the previous season in low Class A. Malone could have that same kind of sudden impact, but his likely ETA is mid-2003.
Malone was among the 14 pitchers the White Sox took with their first 15 picks in the 1999 draft. He had a standout career as a high school pitcher in Alabama, throwing one no-hitter and four one-hitters as a senior. He gained the club's attention by holding opponents to a .180 average in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 1999 and followed that up by gaining experience in the Midwest League last season. He's 6-foot-3 and can intimidate lefthanders. He has tremendous tools, including a fastball in the 92-93 range, but is very raw. Malone struggles to throw strikes, especially with breaking pitches. He has averaged almost a walk per inning in his career, frequently winging the ball to the screen. If Malone ever can master the strike zone, he's going to be a force to be reckoned with. The White Sox can move slowly with him because he's so young. He'll spend at least one more year in Class A before being considered for bigger challenges.
Minor League Top Prospects
Malone made great strides with his command during a breakthrough 2001 season, but relapsed this year. He led the SL in walks despite being shut down in early August with elbow inflammation. At times Malone got hammered, and at others he dominated with his 93-94 mph fastball and his curveball. He gave up 11 hits and 10 runs in three innings in his worst start, then bounced back with his only two scoreless outings of the year. Some White Sox instructors have tried to refine his raw talent and make him more of a finesse guy, but that has been counterproductive. Malone has balked at that--"I'm a strikeout guy," he said--and Barons manager Wally Backman agreed. "He's had some struggles when he's tried to be more of a pitcher," Backman said. "He's a power guy. He reminds me of a young Vida Blue, and he needs to pitch that way."
Before his promotion to the high Class A Carolina League, Malone stood out among the SAL's bumper crop of lefty starters, even while growing up on the mound. He throws three pitches for strikes and showed a nice mix of power and finesse in leading the league in ERA. "The thing I liked most about him was his competitiveness," Shines said. "He competes no matter what. Just playing catch, he's competing. He always wants the ball with the game on the line." Malone's fastball usually clocks in at 93 mph, and his curveball went from a once-in-a-while pitch to a weapon. That translated to a dramatic improve in command. As good as he was in the Sally League, he fared even better in the Carolina League and in Double-A.
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