Michael Cisco

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #23 prospect in 2010
  The grandson of former big leaguer and former Phillies pitching coach Galen Cisco, Mike is trying to beat his brother Drew--a top high school prospect for the 2010 draft--to the big leagues. Cisco isn't as tall or as talented as his younger brother, but he has a head start and has fared better than most scouts expected after his modest four-year college career at South Carolina. After sitting at 89-92 mph and touching 94 with his fastball during his 2008 pro debut, Cisco opened last season on the disabled list with a strained oblique and didn't have quite the same velocity. He worked at 88-90 mph, which wasn't a problem because he still got outs with his plus changeup and mound savvy. Cisco throws strikes with his curveball and has a modest slider that's more of a cutter. He depends on his fine command, because when he gets too much of the plate, he's vulnerable to homers. Cisco's velocity could spike back up with a move to the bullpen, but he's likely to anchor the Reading rotation in 2010.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #29 prospect in 2009
  Cisco's middle name is Galen, hinting at his big league roots. His grandfather Galen pitched parts of seven seasons in the big leagues and was the Phillies' pitching coach from 1997-2000. Mike went 19-10, 4.16 in three seasons at South Carolina, earning a reputation as a soft-tossing strike-thrower. His fastball sat at 84-88 mph, when he threw it. Surprisingly, he signed for $10,000 as a 36th-round pick in June, and then even more surprisingly showed more velocity on his fastball than ever before. South Carolina coach Ray Tanner called Cisco a poor man's Greg Maddux for his ability to command his fastball to all four quadrants, and Cisco did that as a pro. Instead of parking in the mid-80s, however, Cisco's fastball gained velocity as he used it more, peaking at 93-94 mph and usually running from 89-92. He has a feel for pitching and throws strikes with his curveball, changeup and short slider. Cisco's pro debut was a revelation, from his increased stuff to his 30-0 strikeout-walk ratio at Lakewood. He repeats his compact delivery, giving him the best command in the organization. He's likely headed to Clearwater's rotation this year with fellow 2008 draftees Vance Worley and Mike Stutes. He profiles as a middle reliever but could be a fourth or fifth starter if he can maintain his average fastball velocity over a full season.