Clayton Tanner

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #30 prospect in 2011
  Tanner's ability to miss bats has trended in the wrong direction since the Giants grabbed him out of a northern California high school, but he's an intelligent command pitcher who is usually around the plate and impresses on nights when he has three pitches working. Tanner had a strained oblique in May, missing two starts, but strung together enough solid starts in June to be named an Eastern League all-star replacement for Daryl Maday, who was promoted to Triple-A. Tanner's season high for strikeouts was just six, and he pitches to contact. He'll need finer control to live up to his back-of-the-rotation ceiling. He induces ground balls with a sinking fastball and changeup and changes speeds well. At times he gets good, downward tilt on his low-80s slider, and at others it's more of a groundball pitch than a swing-and-miss offering. His slider helps him neutralize lefthanders, who hit just .180 against him, and he could have a future as a lefty specialist if needed. Tanner is always studying opposing hitters for weaknesses or looking for a new wrinkle to exploit. San Francisco added him to its 40-man roster in November, and he should move up to Fresno in 2011.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #23 prospect in 2010
  If Tanner was disillusioned to repeat the California League after ranking sixth in the circuit with a 3.69 ERA in 2008, he didn't show it. His fastball location improved, his slider got tighter and his changeup became a swing-and-miss pitch in the second half. This time he finished third in the league with a 3.17 ERA, and he was brilliant in two playoff starts as San Jose won the championship. Tanner's improved command came from a cleaner delivery that allowed him to stay back better and finish his pitches. His 88-90 mph fastball won't turn heads, but he pops 93 mph on occasion and gets grounders with his two-seamer. He did less nibbling than in the past, didn't get down on himself and showed the ability to avoid big innings. After surrendering just seven homers in 278 previous pro innings, Tanner gave up 18 last year. Seventeen were hit by righthanders, an indication that he needs more consistency with his changeup. A bright and chatty Bay Area native, Tanner loves doing his homework on hitters and fields his position well. Double-A will be a good test for him in 2010.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #20 prospect in 2009
  Tanner struggled to stay healthy in 2008, juggled his repertoire and endured a series of frustrations, yet his 3.69 ERA ranked sixth in the California League--and three of the pitchers he trailed were San Jose teammates Tim Alderson, Kevin Pucetas and Jesse English. Tanner also was part of another strong pitching staff at Augusta in 2007, though a heavy workload there may have led to some of Tanner's problems in 2008. He missed nearly a month with a scapular strain and a tight posterior shoulder capsule. He rebounded to pitch well in the second half, due in no small measure to the re-emergence of his curveball. It became such a dependable pitch that he'd work backward, throwing it for first-pitch strikes and using his changeup when behind in the count. Tanner is bright, talkative and studies hitters as well as anyone in the league, and he's not afraid to challenge them even though he doesn't have overpowering stuff. His fastball sat at 88-89 mph last season and he made his share of location mistakes with it, but he has youth and athleticism on his side. He'll get a true test in Double-A this year.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #12 prospect in 2008
  Tanner competed well as a 19-year-old in low Class A last year, earning a spot in the South Atlantic League all-star game before fading down the stretch. The Giants expected that, considering it was his first full pro season and Augusta gets as hot as the surface of the sun in late summer. Tanner has an advanced sense of how to attack hitters. His fastball hits 91 mph but he usually pitches in the upper 80s with late life. Because his delivery is so easy, his fastball tends to sneak up on hitters. San Francisco believes he'll add velocity as he matures, too. His changeup and slider aren't anything special yet, but he has above-average command and both pitches should improve. Tanner threw over the top in the spring but the Giants lowered his arm slot a bit to a high three-quarters delivery, which he easily repeats. He's competitive, studies hitters and surprised Augusta pitching coach Ross Grimsley by keeping detailed notes on each opposing player. Tanner patterns himself after Barry Zito, and because Zito's contract runs through at least 2013, there's a good chance he'll make his major league debut alongside his idol.
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  Ranked San Francisco Giants #13 prospect in 2007
  Several high school lefthanders were on the Giants' board in the third round of the 2006 draft, but Tanner was a known commodity and based on their scouting reports the organization believed he had a deep inner drive to match his ability. Tanner grew up a Giants fan, another fact that helped the organization persuade him to sign for $425,000 rather than fulfill his commitment to Pepperdine. Outside of Jonathan Sanchez, Tanner has the highest ceiling of any lefty starter prospect in the system. He throws a plus fastball with late life that tops out at 91 mph, though the Giants believe he'll add velocity as he matures. He worked out at AT&T Park all winter as part of a conditioning program. He competed well against older players in the Northwest League, showing the ability to mix his fastball, curve and slider. He's working on a changeup, which will be essential as he advances. Tanner is probably headed for low Class A, though the Giants had him skip the Arizona League in his debut year and it wouldn't be a shock to see him competing in high Class A before long.