Drafted in the 6th round (181st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2008 (signed for $110,000).
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Demny looks the part of a prospect, as he has a strong 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame and can touch 94 mph with his fastball. He doesn't hold his velocity for more than a couple of innings, however, and pitches at 87-90 mph. His breaking ball is slurvy, and both his changeup and command are in the developmental stages.
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After spending two full seasons in low Class A working to harness his mechanics and his emotions, Demny took a step forward in 2011 and moved to Double-A in 2012. His fastball command and performance remained inconsistent, however, so the Nationals moved him to the bullpen in the Arizona Fall League. He figures to be better suited for relief. Demny's fastball ranges from 90-95 mph in a starting role and could play up in shorter stints. His two-seamer has some sink, but his four-seamer is straight and he must improve his ability to locate it. He has the makings of an average 83-86 mph slider, a below-average curveball and a fringy changeup that he uses sparingly. It isn't dominating secondary stuff, but he has some feel for how to use it. His delivery has a lot of effort and a stiff front leg, contributing to his hit-or-miss command. He has a durable, physical build and enough arm strength to carve out a role as a big league middle reliever. He'll likely head back to Harrisburg to start 2013 and has a chance to reach Triple-A by the second half.
After a promising freshman year at Blinn (Texas) JC in 2008, Demny impressed the Nationals by running his fastball up to 96 mph in a predraft workout, and they signed him for $110,000 as a sixth-round pick. He spent two full seasons in low Class A, where his emotions often vacillated with the ebb and flow of the game and the quality of his stuff varied with his mechanics. He built confidence in high Class A last year and also did a better job maintaining his line to the plate and repeating his arm slot, which tended to drop in years past. Early in 2011, Demny worked mostly at 88-92 mph with his fastball, but the improvements in his delivery helped him sit at 92-94 down the stretch, topping out at 96 at times. Demny's No. 2 pitch is a slider that showed better depth and velocity as the year progressed, coming in at 83-84 mph by season's end. The arm speed and fading action on his changeup continued to get better last year. He still needs to improve his control and command. Demny has the makings of three solid or better pitches and a strong, durable build, giving him a chance to be an innings eater if he continues to blossom, though a future as a reliever seems more likely. Double-A will provide a major test in 2012.
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