Juan Antonio Pena

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Oakland Athletics #17 prospect in 2002
  The brother of the oft-injured Red Sox righthander of the same name, this Juan Pena has great potential and a background of success. The California League strikeout leader in 2000, he learned to work the outside corner against righthanders in 2001, adding to his effectiveness. He has a low-90s fastball, plus a devastating changeup that he can throw as much as 20 percent of the time to keep hitters off balance. He still needs to develop his command as more advanced hitters are less likely to chase his pitches out of the strike zone. Improving his breaking ball is also on his agenda as he returns to Double-A in 2002.
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  Ranked Oakland Athletics #18 prospect in 2001
  Wild and young, Pena is a lefthander of great potential if he can find the strike zone consistently. He spent the last two years in the California League, leading the league in strikeouts in 2000. He'll move to the Double-A Midland rotation 2001 amid concerns whether he can command his fastball well enough against better hitters in a bandbox of a home ballpark. His fastball has both low-90s velocity and life, and he complements it with an excellent change, which he can throw 25 times a game and keep fooling hitters. Much of his success has come by inducing aggressive young hitters to swing at pitches out of the strike zone, and the A's are concerned that more advanced opponents will be more effective in waiting him out. He's from a pitching family, with his brother Juan having pitched with the Red Sox and another brother expected to be a prize signee in 2001.