Joseph Cruz
| IP | 393 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.145 |
| WHIP | 1.402 |
| BB/9 | 3.366 |
| SO/9 | 8.198 |
- Full name Joseph A. Cruz
- Born 07/20/1988 in Monterey Park, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School East Los Angeles College
- Drafted in the 30th round (905th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007 (signed for $100,000).
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Rays had believed for a while that Cruz was on the verge of putting together a breakthrough season. It finally happened in 2010, when his hard work paid off with him leading the Florida State League with 13 wins and posting a career-low 2.85 ERA. Cruz's best pitch is his fastball, which sits around 92 mph and tops out at 95. He started last season without a decent breaking ball, but put in time with Charlotte pitching coach Neil Allen to develop a slurvy curveball that he can throw for strikes at any time in the count. The bender has a huge, high break on occasion, clocking as slow as 73 mph. He also has a fringy changeup. Cruz has become more adept at adding and subtracting from all of his offerings in order to keep hitters off balance. Lanky with a long arm action, he uses his ideal pitcher's frame to his advantage by throwing on a sharp downhill plane. He has thrown strikes throughout his pro career. He's still experimenting with all of his pitches, but he mainly needs to maintain his consistency against more experienced hitters at higher levels. A potential fourth or fifth starter if he solidifies his repertoire, Cruz will move up to Double-A in 2011. -
Cruz is behind in his development compared to pitchers ranked ahead of him on this list, but his upside is impressive, particularly considering how far he has already come. The lanky hurler, whose 6-foot-4 frame still offers projectability, has a smooth delivery with a loose, fluid arm action. He gets good extension that makes his pitches look as if they're jumping out of his hand. Cruz throws his fastball at 92-94 mph and touches 96. He's still learning how to throw his offspeed pitches, a decent curveball with some bite and a fringy changeup. While his control is good, he needs to throw more quality strikes. He also must manage his emotions on the mound. When Cruz keeps his pitches down in the zone he can be close to unhittable, with several Rays officials comparing him to a young Matt Garza. That makes Cruz a steal as a former 30th-round pick who signed for $100,000. Ticketed for high Class A Charlotte in 2010, he can become a solid major league starter if his secondary pitches develop. If not, his live arm could work well out of the bullpen. -
The Rays selected Cruz late in the 2007 draft and watched him pitch over the summer before signing him for $100,000 near the Aug. 15 deadline. After making three late-season appearances that summer as a reliever with Princeton, he returned to the Appalachian League in 2008 as a starter and demonstrated a live arm with above-average control. Cruz has an ideal pitcher's body with a smooth delivery and easy arm action. The ball jumps out of his hand, and his fastball sits in the low-90s and reaches 94 mph. He gets good extension out front, making his heater seem even quicker. His secondary pitches also have potential, with his curveball featuring sharp break and his changeup displaying decent depth. He lacks consistency with his curveball, one reason he was more effective against lefties than righties in 2008. Cruz keeps the ball down in the strike zone, generating a lot of groundballs. There's still projectability remaining in his lanky frame, too. Cruz should move up to low Class A to start 2009.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The FSL win leader with 13, Cruz can look like two different pitchers--sometimes in the same outing. At his best, he has a fastball that touches 95-96 mph and works down in the zone with the kind of downward plane that leaves hitters helpless. But in the next inning, he might have an 86-88 mph fastball. His velocity varies so much because he has a rough delivery with a long arm action and a wrap in the back. Cruz also throws a slow curveball and still is working to find a reliable changeup. His lack of an average second pitch and his difficulty maintaining consistent velocity may lead to an eventual move to the bullpen. But with his arm and frame, the Rays will give him plenty of time to see if he can stick in the rotation.
