Sean Thompson Stats & Scouting Report

IP	739
ERA	3.593
WHIP	1.344
BB/9	3.848
SO/9	8.488

Full name Sean Davis Thompson
Born 10/13/1982 in La Junta, CO
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 170 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Thunder Ridge
Drafted in the 5th round (145th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2002.

View Draft Report

Thompson, 19, moved from his home in La Junta to Denver for his senior year of high school to play at the highest level of competition in Colorado and get greater exposure. And he has a strong chance of becoming the state's top draft pick. Thompson isn't physical but competes so hard that he needs to be reigned in at times. His fastball is slightly below-average at 88-89 mph, but he more than offsets it with a dynamic curveball that scouts say is already pro quality. College is a secondary option for Thompson, who first committed to Hawaii for football, later selected Arizona State for baseball and now has Arizona's Yavapai JC for leverage. All of that should be academic, as Thompson's goal is get his professional career off the ground.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Thompson spent two years in short-season ball before tackling low Class A. He began 2005 in high Class A and quickly jumped to Double-A early in the season, but got hit hard. His maturation continued with a repeat of the level last year. This time he finished fourth in the Southern League in strikeouts, but also fourth in most home runs allowed. The organization attributes Thompson's success to improved command of his 85-88 mph fastball, especially in the second half of the season. Getting ahead in the count allowed him to work his two best offerings--a very good changeup and occasionally very good curveball--into sequences that worked for him. Both pitches are among the best in the system. Thompson's high strikeouts total is a testament to the effectiveness of his secondary stuff because his fastball is below average. Like many lefthanders, Thompson fields his position well and controls the running game with one of the system's best pickoff moves. He needs to gain more focus and better control his emotions on the mound. Thompson is bound for Triple-A, and has a chance to become at best a back-end major league starter or a left-on-left reliever, at worst.
Coming out of a Denver high school, Thompson needed two years of short-season ball before advancing to low Class A, where he led Fort Wayne in wins and strikeouts in 2004. He started off last season in lights-out fashion in high Class A but struggled after a promotion to Double-A, though he still led the system in whiffs. Thompson's best pitch is a curveball that rates a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale, a big breaker that's considered the best in the system. He also flashes a plus changeup at times and works with an 85-88 mph fastball. A good athlete who earned NCAA Division I-A scholarship offers in football, Thompson fields his position well and has a terrific pickoff move. After finding adversity for the first time in Double-A, he needs to set up more experienced hitters for his secondary stuff more efficiently and improve his fastball command. He takes the mentality of a power pitcher on the mound but lacks the fastball to back it up. The Padres see Thompson's ceiling as a potential No. 4 or 5 starter, and at worst he should become a lefty bullpen specialist. He'll return to Double-A to begin 2006.
Off-the-field problems led to Thompson changing high schools and living with a foster family as a senior. His full-season debut in 2004 was a huge success, as he allowed two or fewer earned runs in 21 of 27 starts. Thompson has a plus-plus curveball, a true knee-buckler that's the best in the system. He's aggressive on the mound and thrives on competition, tossing seven shutout innings against Lansing in Mark Prior's highly publicized first rehab start last May. He has an excellent pickoff move. His fastball has below-average velocity at 86-89 mph, but it has just enough juice and movement for Thompson to set up his curve. He's still prone to bouts of wildness, and when he misses he's vulnerable because he misses up in the zone. He's a slow starter, often not finding his groove until the third or fourth inning. Logically, Thompson's next assignment would be to high Class A. However, because of his success and his flyball tendencies (which wouldn't be a good fit in the California League), he may be pushed to Double-A.
The Padres have selected just two high school pitchers in the first 10 rounds of the last three drafts, and area scout Darryl Milne (now with the Red Sox) signed both David Pauley and Thompson, both Colorado products. His size and his fastball certainly aren't big, but Thompson was one of the toughest pitchers to hit in the short-season Northwest League last year. He works everything off the best curveball in the system, a knee-buckler that rates at least a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His changeup is at least solid average and will be a plus pitch once he gains more experience. As for his fastball, Thompson usually works in the high 80s and gets some arm-side run. He can touch 92 mph but that's by overthrowing, which leaves his fastball vulnerable and up in the zone. He needs to throw more strikes, particularly with his fastball. He's a possible No. 4 starter who may wind up in the bullpen because he's short and lacks stamina. He'll get his first taste of full-season ball this year in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Despite a solid group of college lefthanders, Thompson was a high school southpaw who stood out. He's a bulldog competitor who always wants the ball and works aggressively with three average to above-average pitches and plus command packed into a frame that reminds scouts of Ron Guidry. "He's a little fire hydrant; he goes right after people," Eugene manager Roy Howell said of the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder. Thompson's size brings up durability questions, though managers across the board were impressed with his stuff. His 97 strikeouts fell just two shy of the league lead. Thompson generates good movement with his 88-89 mph fastball. He sets hitters up by working both sides of the plate with his fastball and a developing changeup, then finishes them with a knee-buckling curveball. He also holds runners well with a top-notch pickoff move.
Just wait until Thompson and his major league-ready curveball get out of the Rocky Mountains. "He's pitched all his life in high altitudes," Werner said of the Colorado native. "I want to see this kid's curveball with more humidity. If it breaks like this in light air, in heavy air it's going to be wicked. It's already hard, with tilt, bite and tight rotation." Thompson has an average fastball to go with his plus curve. His heat sits around 89-90 mph and sometimes reaches 92. He also added a circle changeup since joining Idaho Falls. He took to it naturally. Thompson's confident, competitive nature boils over at times and he comes off as cocky. He also tries too hard for strikeouts, running up his pitch counts. His control fluctuates from solid to poor, and he showed a tendency to leave his fastball up in the zone.