Jorge Julio Stats & Scouting Report

IP	467
ERA	4.433
WHIP	1.435
BB/9	4.49
SO/9	8.634

Full name Jorge Dandys Julio
Born 03/03/1979 in Caracas, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School U.E.P. Fundacion Bolivariano
Debut 04/26/2001

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Now that he has made a permanent conversion to the bullpen, Julio might be the most promising player the Orioles brought in during their housecleaning in 2000. Before trading him for failed Baltimore prospect Ryan Minor, the Expos had used Julio almost exclusively as a starter, moving him to the bullpen only after he failed in his second shot in the high Class A Florida State League. The Orioles made him a closer, and after not getting out of Class A in five years in the Montreal system, he made it all the way to the big leagues in 2001. Julio's power fastball reaches 97-98 mph and is well suited to a bullpen role. He also throws a hard slider as well that improved last season. He was much more effective when he didn't have to mess with his changeup. Julio's command also improved, though it still needs work. Julio should compete for a big league bullpen spot this spring.
Julio came over from the Expos as Ryan Minor officially became a footnote in Orioles history: the player who took Cal Ripken's place in the lineup. That they got no more for him than Julio shows how much Minor's star had dimmed. Julio had a disappointing season and wasn't selected when he was left unprotected for the major Rule 5 draft. He started the year in the Class A Jupiter rotation, but injuries and poor performance sent him to the bullpen. He continued his bullpen conversion in the Venezuelan winter league, and it better suits his ability. He has a big body and had the best velocity in the Expos organization, consistently in the 97-98 mph range. He also throws a power slider and a changeup. Julio has the stuff to be a big league closer but hasn't made the adjustments to get there. While he has an outstanding fastball with good command, he lacks movement. When he gets hit, he overthrows and has command problems. He also needs to make improvements with his slider.