Colton Cain
| IP | 399 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.195 |
| WHIP | 1.373 |
| BB/9 | 3.316 |
| SO/9 | 6.789 |
- Full name Billy Colton Cain
- Born 02/05/1991 in Waxahachie, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 256 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Waxahachie
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Drafted in the 8th round (235th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009 (signed for $1,125,000).
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On the right day, Cain can look like a first-rounder. He's a strong 6-foot-3, 225-pound lefthander who has can sit in the low 90s for a few innings and touch 94 mph with his fastball. He has improved his curveball to the point where some area scouts grades it as an average pitch and project it as a plus offering. He also has a strong track record, having starred with the U.S. youth and junior teams the previous two summers. Scouts who aren't as high on Cain have seen him overthrow trying to pitch to the radar gun, and didn't think as highly of his breaking ball or arm action. If Cain attends Texas, he may get more of an opportunity to contribute initially in the lineup than on a crowded pitching staff. He's a first baseman with plenty of strength and lefthanded power potential. He made more of an impression at the Area Code Games last summer with his bat, though scouts now prefer him more as a pitcher. They have some questions about his ability with wood bats and his defense. Cain reportedly wants a seven-figure bonus, which may be a bit rich for pro clubs.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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One of several pitchers the Pirates have signed to over-slot bonuses in the last three drafts, Cain received an eighth-round-record $1.125 million in 2009 to pass up a scholarship from Texas. He also was a slugging first baseman at Waxahachie (Texas) High, the alma mater of golf immortal Byron Nelson, but Pittsburgh believed he had a brighter future on the mound. He signed too late to play in 2009 and spent much of 2010 rehabilitating from offseason back surgery, but last year he started to show what he can do. Cain throws a fastball that sits in the low 90s with good movement. He's still refining an 11-to-5 curveball and a changeup. What separates Cain from many young pitchers is his fearlessness, as he attacks hitters inside and will throw any pitch in any count. He does a good job of keeping the ball down and hides the ball well in his delivery, giving him deception with his pitches. He throws across his body and with some effort, yet it doesn't hamper his control. His stocky frame is built for durability. Cain will pitch in high Class A this year and likely move up one level at a time, putting him in line to reach Pittsburgh in 2015. He could develop into a No. 3 or 4 starter. -
Signed to an eighth-round record $1.15 million bonus in 2009, Cain had back surgery last winter and spent much of 2010 rehabilitating what the Pirates called a minor issue. He did get back on the field by the end of June, and management was impressed with his intense work ethic and delighted that his stuff bounced back to near-peak form. His ERA is deceiving because he limited opponents to a .197 average, including .163 against lefthanded hitters. Cain's fastball tops out at 93 mph, with expected room for improvement there, and sits at 88-91. It plays up thanks to deception in his delivery and his ability to command it down in the zone. Hitters seldom had clean swings on it. The secondary pitches are a work in progress but show enough that they could be legitimate weapons. The first is a slurvy 2-to-8 breaking ball, and the other a fringy changeup. His command of the fastball is good, but he'll clearly need to improve the secondary pitches. Cain makes the most of a workhorse frame, but scouts see him as too upright in his delivery. He needs to get more comfortable with his mechanics and polish his repertoire in order to remain a starter. He should start 2011 in West Virginia's rotation. -
Cain would have been taken earlier than the eighth round in the 2009 draft based strictly on talent, but his signability was an issue with most clubs. Some saw him as a sandwich-round talent but few felt they could buy him out of his commitment to Texas. A year after luring Robbie Grossman away from the Longhorns, the Pirates did the same with Cain, giving him an eighth-round record $1.15 million bonus. Some teams liked Cain for his abilities as a power-hitting first baseman, but the Pirates are convinced he can become an above-average majorleague starting pitcher. He throws his fastball in the low 90s and his curveball shows flashes of becoming a plus pitch. Like a lot of high school pitchers, he'll need to become more consistent, develop a changeup and smooth out his delivery now that he's in pro ball. He eats chicken for every pregame meal because he feels it gives him energy. Cain signed too late to make his pro debut last summer but attended instructional league. He'll probably open 2010 in extended spring training, then head to the Gulf Coast League.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Pirates lured Cain out of a commitment to Texas by giving him an eighth-round-record $1.15 million bonus a year. A back injury hampered him in the offseason, and he made his pro debut in the Gulf Coast League in 2010. After four starts he moved up to State College, where he held his own as a 19-year-old. "It's just straight horsepower behind a Texas body, and he's a gunslinger on the mound, just throwing missiles at guys," Steele said. "He's exciting because of the physicality and ability to get after guys." Cain attacks hitters with his fastball, which sits at 88-91 mph and tops out at 93. His slurvy 2-to-8 breaking ball and changeup are both fringy at this stage, but he has feel for both and he can throw all his pitches for strikes. The breaking ball, in particular, has a chance to be an out pitch if he can stay on top of it more consistently. Cain is a little too upright in his delivery, and he opens a little too quick, which hinders his command. As he matures and gets more comfortable with his mechanics and stuff, he could develop into a workhorse starter.
