Ryan Berry Stats & Scouting Report

IP	81
ERA	3.556
WHIP	1.333
BB/9	2.889
SO/9	8

Full name Ryan Paul Berry
Born 08/03/1988 in Humble, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 192 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Rice
Drafted in the 9th round (266th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 (signed for $417,600).

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Berry doesn't have Stephen Strasburg's stuff, but he was the second-best pitcher in college baseball before he got hurt in mid-March. In consecutive complete-game wins over Texas A&M, Notre Dame and San Diego, he allowed just five hits, an unearned run and no walks while striking out 28. Then he strained a muscle beneath his pitching shoulder in his next start, which sidelined him for five weeks. The Owls eased him back slowly into the rotation and he looked like his early-season self in the Conference USA tournament, firing a two-hitter against Alabama-Birmingham. Two days later, he pitched the ninth inning to save the championship game. In the NCAA Division I regionals, he threw 126 pitches in a loss to Kansas State's A.J. Morris--his teammate at Humble (Texas) High--and pitched the final two innings of the clincher against the Wildcats on one day's rest. Berry's lone plus pitch is his knuckle-curve, yet he took a step forward this spring when he stopped relying on it so much. He has done a better job of throwing his 88-91 mph fastball to both sides of the plate to set up his curve, and he also mixes in a slider and changeup. His fastball has good life and touches 93 at times. He's not physical at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, but he does a good job of repeating his delivery and throwing strikes. His mechanics bother some scouts, as he lands stiff and upright, putting stress on his arm. While Berry's resurgence has him moving back up draft boards, it remains to be seen whether a club will take him high enough (top two rounds) to sign him. Before he was sidelined, teams already were leery of the health of Rice pitchers. Six of the eight Owls pitchers drafted in the first or supplemental first round this decade (Kenny Baugh, Jon Skaggs, Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend, Joe Savery) have had elbow or shoulder surgery in college or early in their pro careers.

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Berry put himself on the fast track in his pro debut in 2010, jumping to high Class A and getting in 117 innings after shoulder problems had dented his draft stock at Rice in 2009. He fell from a possible first-round pick to the ninth round, where he signed for $417,600. His shoulder started bothering him again in spring training last year, and doctors discovered that he had a cyst in a muscle around his shoulder. Berry tried to pitch through the pain and developed tendinitis, so he had surgery to remove the cyst and then spent the first half of 2011 rehabbing. He made it back to Frederick by season's end and impressed the Orioles with the way he closed the year. Berry's fastball returned to its previous 88-92 mph levels and he was working on getting back the life and command that allows him to succeed despite average velocity. He was fine-tuning his mechanics to help him keep the ball down in the zone. He also throws an effective knuckle-curve, a slurvy breaking ball and an average changeup. Berry was fully healthy at the end of 2011 and Baltimore doesn't foresee any long-term problems after the removal of the cyst. He'll probably open 2012 in Double-A, with the chance for a major league look later in the year.
Berry was pitching himself into first-round consideration for the 2009 draft before straining his shoulder that spring at Rice. He fell to the ninth round and signed late in the summer for $417,600, though he didn't see his first pro action until 2010. He looked strong all season, quickly reaching high Class A, and the Orioles put him in the bullpen in late July to keep his innings down. Berry works quickly and throws strikes, coming after hitters with four pitches. His fastball, which usually ranges from 87-90 mph, plays above its below-average velocity because it has good life. His best pitch is a knuckle-curve with 12-to-6 break, and he also throws a more slurvy breaking ball. His changeup should be an average pitch. Berry gets in trouble when his fastball loses its sink. Because he lacks a putaway pitch, he has to be sharp with his command. His herky-jerky delivery gives him deception without detracting from his ability to find the strike zone. He'll have to prove himself at every level because he lacks overpowering stuff. He profiles as a back-of-the-rotation option who could be a useful bullpen arm if starting doesn't work out. He'll move up to Double-A to open 2011.
At the start of last year, Berry's performance compared to that of any college pitcher not named Stephen Strasburg, but a strained shoulder muscle kept him out of action for five weeks in the middle of the season. He still put up a 7-2, 2.42 performance and returned to form in the postseason with a two-hitter against Alabama- Birmingham in the Conference USA tournament. He threw 126 pitches in a loss to Kansas State in regional play, then closed the Owls' regional-clinching game against the Wildcats two days later. Pro teams already take a hard look at Rice pitchers based on their history of elbow and shoulder problems as professionals, and Berry's shoulder woes and his herky-jerky delivery gave teams pause. Undaunted, Baltimore took him in the ninth round and signed him late in the summer for $417,600. Berry's fastball sits at 89-91 mph and touches 93, and his best pitch is his knuckle-curve. He also threw a slider and changeup in college. Berry's mechanics concerned some scouts because they appear to put stress on his arm, but the Orioles like the way the ball comes out of his hand and think he does a good job of repeating his delivery. He gets good life on his pitches and throws strikes. One club official compared him to Turk Wendell, who built a long major league career as a reliever, and that could be Berry's eventual role as well. He'll open his pro career in the Delmarva rotation.