Ben Julianel
| IP | 514 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.397 |
| WHIP | 1.395 |
| BB/9 | 3.519 |
| SO/9 | 9.525 |
- Full name Benjamin Paul Julianel
- Born 09/04/1979 in La Jolla, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: S / Throws: L
- School San Diego State
- Drafted in the 12th round (374th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Since arriving from the Cardinals in a trade for lefthander Sterling Hitchcock, Julianel has emerged as the best in-house option the Yankees have for filling the lefty specialist role in the bullpen. He dominated lefthanders last year, holding them to a .184 average, one homer and 35 strikeouts in 96 plate appearances. And Julianel may have enough stuff to be more than a specialist. After previously using a three-quarters delivery, he raised his arm angle a bit in 2004 and his slider improved to where it's now a plus pitch. He also throws an 88-89 mph fastball and an average changeup. He has the makeup to pitch in crucial situations and has been compared with Steve Kline for his stuff and his guts. Julianel probably will return to Double-A to begin 2005 but could contribute in New York by the end of the season. -
While unloading the contracts of overpriced veterans in 2003, the Yankees were able to acquire some promising second- and third-tier prospects. They got Jon-Mark Sprowl in the Raul Mondesi trade, Scott Proctor and Bubba Crosby for Robin Ventura, and Julianel and Justin Pope for Sterling Hitchcock. A solid athlete, Julianel was an all-league performer in football (quarterback) and basketball (shooting guard) in high school. His nasty slider makes him a prototypical situational lefthander. Lefties batted just .232 with no homers in 82 at bats against him last season. He operates with a deceptive delivery from a tough low-three quarters slot, making his slider and 85-89 mph fastball tough to recognize. Julianel will open 2004 in high Class A.
