Mark Woodyard

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #26 prospect in 2005
  The Rockies drafted Woodyard twice as a first baseman before the Tigers made him a surprise fourth-round choice in 2000. Because he was raw and inexperienced, Detroit knew it would take him a while to develop. After going 15-33, 5.09 in his first four seasons, he may have found his ticket to the majors when he moved full-time to the bullpen in 2004. Woodyard always has had a good arm, and he finally started to harness it last season. He sits consistently at 92 mph with his fastball, sometimes touching 95. He also has a solid power curveball and has developed a serviceable splitter. He still has work to do, as he struggles to put hitters away and his command is still inconsistent. He's also 26, so his stuff isn't likely to get much better. Woodyard's solid performance in the Arizona Fall League cemented the Tigers' decision to protect him on the 40-man roster for the first time. He'll begin 2005 in Triple-A, with a shot of reaching Comerica Park at some point.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #25 prospect in 2002
  The Tigers rolled the dice on the intriguing Woodyard, taking him in the 2000 draft's fourth round--far ahead of where he was expected to go. Detroit figured the product of tiny Bethune-Cookman might be a diamond in the rough, and to this point he has been neither a shining light nor a disappointment. He has merely held his own. Woodyard is raw and has gone just 8-17 as a pro, but he has shown flashes of potential. His fastball regularly reaches 90 mph or better, hitting 94 mph at times. His curveball is either very good or not good at all. There seems to be no in-between in that regard, especially when it comes to commanding his curve. Woodyard has struggled to find a consistent release point, which hurts his control, or a changeup. Yet he's athletic--he also played first base in college--and his work ethic has been good. He'll begin this season in high Class A.
• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #29 prospect in 2001
  The Tigers went off the beaten path to find Woodyard. He was mostly a position player at tiny Bethune-Cookman until last spring, when he began pitching and impressed Detroit's scouts enough to get drafted in the fourth round. He obviously is raw, but not as much as might be expected. His mechanics come and go, and as they do so do his radar-gun readings, which fluctuate from the high 80s to as much as 94 mph. His breaking ball isn't bad given his lack of experience, and he's a good athlete with solid work habits. Woodyard didn't get totally overwhelmed during his first pro season, showing the ability to battle through innings, but he was fairly wild and still needs a lot of work on his changeup. He has a good chance of starting this season at West Michigan.