Caleb Cotham Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Caleb Kent Cotham
Born 11/06/1987 in Mt. Juliet, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Vanderbilt
Debut 07/29/2015
Drafted in the 5th round (165th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2009 (signed for $675,000).

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Vanderbilt also had a disappointing season, though the Commodores at least made NCAA regionals. No pitchers after Minor stepped forward, though sophomore-eligible righthander Caleb Cotham showed flashes. He was a sinker-slider pitcher most of the time and missed time due to knee soreness. He came back working in more of a relief role and showed a plus slider at times out of the bullpen. He works off the slider and his 88-92 mph fastball with decent sink, though for many starts his velo was in the 87-88 range. Cotham throws a curveball and changeup as well, but he rarely has all four pitches working. That accounted for his 14 home runs allowed in 70 innings.

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The Yankees used the draft-and-follow approach with junior college players for years. With that system gone thanks to the August signing deadline, the Yankees have shifted to summer follows, with Cotham a prime example in 2009. An injury to his right knee interrupted his season at Vanderbilt in the spring, and the sophomore- eligible pitcher went to the Cape Cod League after the Yankees drafted him in the fifth round. He struck out 15 in 13 scoreless innings for Brewster, earning a $675,000 bonus. He wound up having knee surgery and didn't throw much in instructional league, but he has shown two plus pitches when healthy. His fastball sits in the low 90s with excellent sink, and when he's right he has solid command of the pitch. His slider improved greatly last spring, and he pushed its velocity into the upper 80s while maintaining depth. Cotham's knee is the biggest question about him going forward. He's one more Yankees pitching prospect working to improve his changeup, an area of emphasis for the organization. He'll begin his first full pro season in low Class A.