Stephen Kahn Stats & Scouting Report

IP	165
ERA	5.509
WHIP	1.715
BB/9	5.945
SO/9	8.073

Full name Stephen James Kahn
Born 12/14/1983 in Fullerton, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Loyola Marymount
Drafted in the 5th round (143rd overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2005 (signed for $190,000).

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A big, strong and athletic power pitcher with an exploding 95 mph fastball, Kahn was the West Coast Conference pitcher of the year in 2004 and a member of the Team USA squad that won the World University Championship. He had every expectation of being a first-round pick in this year's draft but underachieved this spring, going just 4-5, 5.23. A year after being the only Division I pitcher with at least 12 starts not to allow a home run, he had served up 10 this year. He also surrendered 92 hits in 86 innings in a mid-major Division I conference. Scouts say the biggest difference was not in his velocity, which slipped marginally, but in his fastball command. He simply left too many balls over the heart of the plate and was hit hard. A maximum-effort pitcher who generally likes to go right at hitters, Kahn always had trouble mastering a breaking ball, but that pitch actually improved this year.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Kahn had first-round aspirations in the 2005 draft, but he lost his fastball command and went just 5-6, 5.60 as a junior, and he fell to the Mariners in the fifth round. Seattle decided he would fit best into the bullpen and moved him there in pro ball. He had little trouble in the lower minors, blowing away hitters with a 94-97 mph fastball. But when he got to Double-A last summer, his lack of command quickly caught up to him. There's a lot of effort and a head jerk in his delivery, and he doesn't help matters by trying to throw harder when he gets into trouble. Kahn has good depth on his 12-to-6 curveball, but it's a loose, loopy pitch and he has trouble controlling it as well. He has a decent changeup but seems more interested in lighting up radar guns. Despite his big fastball, Kahn may never have the second pitch, command or mentality to be trusted as more than a setup man. He'll give Double- A another try in 2007.
An eighth-round pick of the Brewers out of high school in 2002, Kahn didn't sign and attended Loyola Marymount. After winning West Coast Conference pitcher-of-the-year honors and pitching for Team USA in 2004, Kahn projected as a possible first-round pick for 2005. But he lost his fastball command and went just 5-6, 5.60 as a junior, sliding to the Mariners in the fifth round. After signing for $190,000, Kahn moved to the bullpen and took to his new role. His maximum-effort delivery is better suited for shorter stints, as is his aggressive nature. When he pitched in relief, his fastball sat at 95 mph and topped out at 98 with explosive life. It's the best fastball in the system. His second pitch is a 12-to-6 curveball that can get loopy at times. Kahn's curve needs more consistency, and he might be better off switching to a slider. Despite his initial success, he still has to improve his ability to throw both strikes and quality strikes. If he can locate two quality pitches, he'll have closer potential. Seattle could challenge Kahn by jumping him to high Class A in 2006.

Minor League Top Prospects

Kahn's maximum-effort delivery was the reason the Mariners moved him from college starter to pro reliever, a role in which he simply can rear back and throw. His powerful fastball reached 97 mph, and he regularly threw it at 94. Kahn also has a 12-6 curveball, but it can get loopy at times. "For me, he's a straight setup man or closer in big leagues," Grifol said. "He's got the mentality for it, the athleticism for it and wants the ball to do it. His breaking ball is big and 12-6, but he doesn't control it as much as he should right now. He's going to be very nasty once he starts throwing a slider. That's probably a pitch he should use instead of the curve."