Griffin Murphy
| IP | 184 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.06 |
| WHIP | 1.478 |
| BB/9 | 3.766 |
| SO/9 | 8.462 |
- Full name Griffin Robert Murphy
- Born 01/16/1991 in Highlands, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: L
- School Redlands East Valley
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Drafted in the 2nd round (61st overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 (signed for $800,000).
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As the 2010 spring season opened, Murphy quickly established himself as the premier lefthander in the Southern California prep ranks, and he joins Dylan Covey in San Diego's recruiting class. Strong and durable, in both frame and pitching style Murphy resembles Angels lefty Joe Saunders. While not a flamethrower, Murphy likes to establish his 89-92 mph fastball early in a game and work his other pitches off of it. He shows an uncanny knack for manipulating his fastball--he can run it in, run it away, sink it or turn it over. Few lefties can succeed without a quality curveball, and Murphy has one. His sweeping, 75 mph bender exhibits fine shape and two-plane movement, but he needs to work the curve down in the strike zone more consistently. Mechanically solid, Murphy loads up well on his back hip and does a fine job of accelerating his arm at release. A fast worker, he may benefit from slowing his motion down a shade and by improving his leg drive. Murphy's size (6-foot-3, 195 pounds), stuff and pitching smarts could easily push him up into the first two rounds.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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The second prep lefthander selected in the 2010 draft, Murphy went 61st overall and signed for $800,000. He signed too late to make his pro debut that summer, and spent 2011 in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he was a bit old for the circuit at age 20. His late start helped other arms in the system move ahead of him. Murphy mainly pitches off an 89-91 mph fastball that touches 93, and he has good feel for running it to either side of the plate or sinking it down in the zone. His second pitch is an effective changeup, which he throws with deceptive arm speed. He shows some ability to spin a curveball but still is refining the pitch. Scouts were drawn to his polish when he was an amateur, though Murphy's command was iffy at times in the GCL. He has a strong frame and could fit into the No. 4 slot in a rotation if it all comes together. He'll get his first taste of full-season ball at Lansing in 2012. -
The overall 2010 draft class was thin in high school lefthanders. A strong spring put Murphy at the head of the class along with Phillies first-rounder Jesse Biddle, and the Blue Jays took Murphy in the second round and signed him for $800,000 at the deadline. He offers a nice combination of quality stuff and rare polish for a prep pitcher. Murphy's fastball ranges from 87-93 mph, but he sits at 89-91 and has the potential to add a little more velocity in the future. He can manipulate his fastball as he sees fit, running it to either side of the plate or sinking it down in the zone. He maintains good arm speed on his above-average changeup, which runs in the low 80s and has some fade. He also shows the ability to spin a curveball, and he'll change its shape depending on whether he's facing lefties and righties. A potential middle-of-the-rotation starter, Murphy signed too late to make his pro debut. Nevertheless, his advanced feel could allow him to start 2011 in low Class A.
