Kyle Greenwalt
| IP | 392 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.212 |
| WHIP | 1.474 |
| BB/9 | 2.342 |
| SO/9 | 5.946 |
- Full name Jeffrey Kyle Greenwalt
- Born 09/29/1988 in Sellersville, PA
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Souderton Area
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Drafted in the 20th round (621st overall) by the Houston Astros in 2007 (signed for $120,000).
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Righthander Kyle Greenwalt won't be a simple sign, either, but like Gallagher he showed promise during an otherwise down year in eastern Pennsylvania. He was a high-profile figure as an underclassman and may have worn himself out with a plethora of showcase appearances last summer, but he was returning to form this spring. He has flashed an above-average fastball up to 93 mph with heavy sink at times. Greenwalt's breaking ball has inconsistent shape, but ranges from 76-81 mph, and he will occasionally snap off a filthy downer with hard break and tight rotation.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Greenwalt committed to South Carolina in 2007, part of a recruiting class that helped the Gamecocks win the College World Series in 2010, but he signed with the Astros instead for a $120,000 bonus. He's the only viable member of the Astros' historically thin 2007 draft class, when they lacked a first- or second-round pick and failed to sign their third-, fourth- and eighth-round picks. Greenwalt has never had great success, but he's becoming a durable bulldog on the mound with a back-of-the-rotation ceiling. He threw well in the Arizona Fall League and didn't give up a home run in 15 innings. His fastball will never be a plus pitch, as it sits at 88-91 mph and maxes out at 93, but he gets solid sink on it. His slider and changeup, though, are both plus pitches at times. He has depth to his slider, which helps him get groundballs as well, and sink on his changeup, which most scouts consider his best pitch. He's consistent with his secondary pitches, with decent command of both. His fastball command suffers due to his short arm action and stiff delivery. Greenwalt will report to Double-A and hope to build off his AFL success. -
Greenwalt is one of the few bright spots from Houston's disastrous 2007 draft. He pitches at 88-93 mph with his fastball, throwing it for strikes but not always commanding it as well as he needs to. He flashes an average 75-78 mph curveball, though he needs more consistency with its quality and his control of it. In his full-season debut last year, he held righthanders in check but lefties pounded him to the tune of an .815 OPS. His struggles against lefthanders result because he has been slow to bring his below-average changeup up to par. Greenwalt has a solid delivery with good arm action, and his quick footwork gives him a good pickoff move. Some scouts think he might be better off as a reliever because his stuff would play up and his changeup would be less crucial, but the Astros plan on exhausting his potential as a starter. He'll get a stiff test at Lancaster in 2010.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Astros spent less on the 2007 draft than any club and didn't exceed MLB's bonus recommendations for any of their picks. But they did push the slot envelope on Greenwalt, who fell to the 20th round because of signability and a lackluster spring, snagging him for $123,000. Greenwalt struggled in his debut, but he never hung his head and his arsenal is promising. He has a fastball that sits at 88-92 mph, along with a good slider and an average curveball. Working out of a high three-quarters arm slot, he keeps his pitches down. Improving his changeup is a must after lefties batted .396 against him.
