Junior Herndon
| IP | 42 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.429 |
| WHIP | 1.905 |
| BB/9 | 5.357 |
| SO/9 | 3 |
- Full name Junior Herndon
- Born 09/11/1978 in Liberal, KS
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 08/02/2001
- Drafted in the 9th round (290th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 1997.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Herndon is the most precocious pitcher in the system. After being named the Padres' 1998 minor league pitcher of the year, he moved to Double-A at age 20 and Triple-A at 21. He started slowly at Las Vegas in 2000 before seemingly turning the corner by going 2-1, 1.91 in five July starts, but went 3-6, 7.21 in his final 12 outings. Herndon throws in the low 90s with life on is fastball. Pacific Coast League managers liked his slider last season, though the Padres would prefer him to throw a curveball. His changeup is effective. After lefthanders batted .317 off him in 1999, he limited them to a .254 average in 2000. Herndon may have been moved too quickly for his own good. He doesn't have a dominant pitch, so he has to win with location and command. He has been too tentative since leaving Class A, as his strikeout-walk ratio has declined from 198-80 to 162-117 and his ERA has risen from 3.43 to 4.89. Herndon definitely needs another season in Triple-A to catch his breath. He's still just 22, so he has time to make adjustments. He must start doing so in 2001. -
Background: Herndon was unheralded as a prospect before signing, but he has quickly established himself as a top prospect. His home on the western edge of the Rocky Mountains is as unlikely a training ground for a top baseball prospect as anywhere in the country. Working as a ski instructor is not surprisingly one of his offseason pursuits. Strengths: Herndon's poise, intelligence and rhythm on the mound belie his lack of experience. The Padres say that he is completely unflappable regardless of the hitter or game situation. Herndon's best pitch is a 91-93 mph fastball he uses aggressively to both sides of the plate. He also throws a hard overhand curveball and a changeup. Weaknesses: Most of what Herndon has to do is just refining what he already does. He needs to improve his offspeed pitches and work on setting up hitters to chase fastballs out of the strike zone. The Future: The Padres are not an organization that rushes young pitchers, but Herndon is leaving them no choice. He will likely start 1999 at Double-A Mobile.
