Jason Arnold Stats & Scouting Report

IP	554
ERA	3.379
WHIP	1.19
BB/9	2.973
SO/9	7.879

Full name Jason Grant Arnold
Born 05/02/1979 in Melbourne, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Central Florida
Drafted in the 2nd round (63rd overall) by the New York Yankees in 2001 (signed for $400,000).

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Arnold was all-Trans America Athletic Conference for three consecutive years as a reliever, then did the same after moving to the rotation this season. He relied on sheer arm strength as a closer and blossomed into a more complete pitcher after changing roles. Arnold usually works at 93-95 mph and has reached as high as 97. He throws a quick slider and a palmball that serves as a changeup. A 16th-round pick of the Reds in 2000, Arnold would have signed for $60,000. Now he'll get considerably more, as he's one of three college seniors (along with Rice's Kenny Baugh and Notre Dame's Aaron Heilman) who should go in the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Arnold remains a bone of contention within the organization. Some Jays officials say he's one of their best prospects, while others never have considered him more than a back-of-the- rotation starter or set-up man. He hit his first speed bump as a pro in 2003, and his adjustment will determine which camp is correct. Arnold's fastball, which reached 94 mph as a college closer, sits in the 87-90 range as a pro starter, and it's fairly straight. He dominated Double-A to start the season, but Triple-A hitters learned to lay off his plus changeup, a palmball, and didn't respect his below-average slider. They sat on the fastball and punished it regularly, and Arnold didn't adapt. He must stay tall in his delivery, maintaining a release point that allows him to throw downhill with leverage to keep his fastball down in the strike zone. He clearly doesn't have the arm of the Jays' elite prospects, but has excellent makeup. Arnold is active in charity work and is a reporter's best friend in the locker room. Toronto officials on both sides of the argument want him to succeed.
Arnold has gone 20-6, 2.28, reached Double-A and been involved in two major trades involving seven teams in less than two years. Oakland gave up three of its best prospects to Detroit to get Arnold from the Yankees. Toronto got him from the Athletics for Felipe Lopez, who had played his way out of the Jays lineup. Arnold possesses superior game sense and instinctively knows how to vary his pitching patterns to set up hitters. In addition to his effective 88-91 mph fastball, he throws two different palmballs that serve as changeups. One floats and the other dives, and Arnold will throw them at any time in the count. He's also very aggressive at pitching inside. Arnold's slider is too flat and needs refinement. When he reported to the A's, there was some concern about his conditioning. However, he hired a personal trainer at the end of the season and engaged in strenuous workouts that showed quick results. Arnold was a reliever for his first three seasons in college, and some scouts believe his delivery will lead him back to the bullpen. The Jays will continue to use him as a starter, however, and he could get his first taste of the majors in late 2003.
The Reds drafted Arnold in the 16th round in 2000 but wouldn't give him the $60,000 he wanted to forgo his senior season of college. After three all-TransAmerica Athletic Conference seasons as a reliever, he went 14-3, 1.97 as a starter last spring and earned second-team All-America honors. He signed for $400,000, then threw a no-hitter and finished third in the short-season New York-Penn League in ERA. Arnold blew away hitters as a closer in college with pure arm strength and a mid-90s fastball. He worked comfortably between 90-97 mph at Staten Island, but had more tailing action when he threw 90-91. His slider and changeup have improved markedly and both are potential out pitches. Arnold was shut down during the summer with elbow tendinitis. While he's expected to be fine, he did have a heavy workload in his first year as a starter. He throws across his body with a bit of a herky-jerky delivery, another cause for concern. The Yankees have put Arnold on the fast track following his inspiring pro debut. He should jump to high Class A this year, with a promotion to Double-A not out of the question.

Minor League Top Prospects

Acquired from the Athletics in an offseason four-team trade, Arnold was nearly unhittable in six Double-A starts to begin the year. Triple-A provided him with more than enough of a challenge, pointing out areas Arnold must improve if he's to join a major league rotation. Arnold doesn't throw an overpowering pitch, but can deliver strikes with his 88-91 mph fastball, solid slider or palmball. He mixes his pitches well and confidently throws inside. But while Arnold avoids walks, he must get better at putting strikes exactly where he wants them. He uses a quirky delivery that adds deception but is sometimes difficult to repeat, which could land him in the bullpen. "His fastball command needs to improve and his secondary pitches need to be better," Syracuse pitching coach Tom Filer said. "His secondary pitches are not effective. He knows what to do, but with his command where it is, he can't do it right."
Arnold was a reliever in his first three years of college, but his career has taken off since he moved to the rotation as a Central Florida senior. He dominated the short-season New York-Penn League last summer before being shut down with a tender elbow. Arnold, who touched the mid-90s as a closer, has sacrificed velocity for command and stamina as a pro. He operates with a deceptive, herky-jerky delivery and an 88-91 mph fastball. He makes life tougher for hitters by mixing in a palmball with splitter action. His slider gives him an effective third pitch. "When he gets ahead in the count, he expands the zone," Trembley said. "He just gets it and goes." Arnold was traded to the Athletics in July as part of a three-way deal that sent Jeff Weaver from the Tigers to the Yankees.
The Yankees seemingly took a chunk out of their draft budget by signing Henn, so they took a conservative route and tabbed eight college seniors in the first 10 rounds. Judging by his performance, Arnold, a supplemental second-round pick for the loss of free agent Denny Neagle, appeared to be anything but a conservative choice. After three years of relieving at Central Florida, Arnold moved to the rotation as a senior and vaulted from a 16th-round pick in 2000 to 62nd overall in 2001. He made easy work of the NY-P before getting shut down with elbow tendinitis. He nearly threw a perfect game against Vermont, settling for a 15-strikeout no-hitter, with one walk. Arnold has an 89-93 mph fastball that is capable of touching 95-97. He added depth to his changeup to make it an out pitch, and he also improved his slider.