P.J. Finigan
| IP | 138 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 3.717 |
| WHIP | 1.225 |
| BB/9 | 2.543 |
| SO/9 | 6.261 |
- Full name Patrick J. Finigan
- Born 09/30/1982 in Springfield, IL
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Southern Illinois
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Drafted in the 7th round (210th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2005 (signed for $27,500).
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RHP/SS P.J. Finigan was the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year. He reminds some Midwest scouts of former Southwest Missouri State two-way star Shaun Marcum, who has developed rapidly after focusing on pitching with the Blue Jays. Though he's one of the region's top defensive shortstops and leads the Salukis with a .388 average, his future almost certainly lies on the mound. A four-year starter at shortstop, he totaled just 53 innings in his first three years of college before serving as a Saturday starter this year. He has a solid repertoire, with an 87-92 mph fastball, a solid slider and a changeup that might be his best pitch. Like Marcum, he could blossom once he gives up the rigors of playing shortstop.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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A two-way star who won the Missouri Valley Conference batting title with a .388 average in 2005, his draft year, Finigan has flourished as a full-time pitcher in pro ball. He reached Double-A at the end of his first full season, throwing harder at the finish than he did at the start. Finigan came down with a tired arm at the end of his pro debut and pitched in the high 80s in early 2006. As the year progressed, he righted his mechanics and got stronger. His fastball sat at its usual 91-92 mph, jumping occasionally to 93-94. His best pitch is a plus slider, and he'll mix in some changeups. Finigan isn't a strikeout pitcher, but he avoids hard contract and gets groundballs. He has a good feel for pitching and is a tough competitor. Though he'll return to Double-A at the outset of 2007, he could join Detroit's bullpen in the near future. -
Finigan was Southern Illinois' most important player for three seasons, working as both the team's starting shortstop and as a pitcher. After two years as a reliever, Finigan moved into the Salukis' rotation in 2005 and went 9-3, 3.24 with four complete games. He also had his best offensive season, winning the Missouri Valley Conference batting title at .388 while ranking second with a .461 on-base percentage. The consensus was that the MVC player of the year's pro future was on the mound, and the Tigers concurred after signing him for a low-end $27,500 bonus as a seventh-round pick in June. He came cheap because he was a college senior, and it was the first time that Finigan had been drafted. He has athleticism that produces a fluid, easy arm action that he repeats. He pounds the strike zone with 89- 93 mph fastballs. Detroit believes he'll develop more velocity as he focuses on pitching and hones his mechanics. His slider is an above-average offering that showed improved depth and movement after he turned pro, and he has shown a feel for a solid-average changeup. Finigan's athleticism, two-way background and MVC roots earn him comparisons to Blue Jays farmhand Shaun Marcum, though the Tigers want to keep Finigan in the bullpen instead of moving him to the rotation as Toronto did with Marcum. Finigan projects as a solid setup man and should start 2006 in high Class A.
