Rob Bryson
| IP | 354 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.61 |
| WHIP | 1.282 |
| BB/9 | 4.551 |
| SO/9 | 11.186 |
- Full name Robert L. Bryson
- Born 12/11/1987 in Newark, DE
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Seminole State College (FL)
- Drafted in the 31st round (932nd overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006 (signed for $300,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Bryson signed with the Brewers in 2007 for $300,000 as a draft-and-follow in the final year before Major League Baseball eliminated the rule. He pitched well in the Milwaukee system before the Brewers packaged him along with Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley and Zach Jackson to acquire C.C. Sabathia from the Indians in July 2008. Bryson made just seven more appearances that season before injuring his shoulder and requiring surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff. That type of shoulder surgery is usually the kiss of death for a pitcher, but he bounced back strong last year after missing nearly the entire 2009 season. Bryson's low-90s fastball tops out at 95 mph and is a swing-and-miss pitch with good deception. Both of his secondary pitches need work. Though he flashes an average slider at times, it has long, slow break. He has worked on his changeup, but still uses it only occasionally and it's a below-average pitch. He throws strikes but still is honing his command after losing so much time to injury. He may return to Double-A to begin 2011. -
The Brewers have worked the draft-and-follow process extremely well, and they hauled in another strong crop in the final year of the rule's existence. Before the 2007 draft, they signed five of their 2006 draftees. While 12th-round righthander Chad Robinson ($500,000) and 19th-rounder Lee Haydel ($624,000) had higher profiles and bigger bonuses, Bryson shined brighter at Helena in their first pro summer. Signed for $300,000, Bryson was tired after a heavy workload at Seminole (Fla.) CC and spent most of his debut working out of the bullpen. Nevertheless, he nearly led the Pioneer League in strikeouts, logging 70 in 54 innings. Bryson's best pitch is his fastball, which usually sits in the low 90s and hits 95 mph, though his velocity was down slightly in his debut. His 78-82 mph slider got better as the season progressed, though he needs considerable work on his changeup. He liked pitching with games on the line, converting all eight of his save opportunities with an aggressive, attacking mentality. Bryson has some delivery issues to work out, mostly in his rhythm and timing, but he does throw strikes and the ball comes out of his hand with little effort. He's not big and ultimately may wind up as a two-pitch reliever, but the Brewers will give him a chance to start when he's at full strength in 2008. He'll move up to low Class A.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Brewers were extremely active in the last year of the draft-and-follow process, and one of their key signings was landing Bryson for $300,000. Though he spent most of his pro debut as a reliever, he nearly led the league in strikeouts. His best pitch is a fastball that clocked in the low to mid-90s during the spring and was down slightly at Helena because he was tired. Bryson's 78-82 mph slider is improving, as is his changeup, but the latter is still a below-average pitch. His mechanics are solid, but as with most young pitchers he can develop better rhythm and timing.
