Donnie Veal Stats & Scouting Report

IP	69
ERA	5.478
WHIP	1.623
BB/9	6.391
SO/9	9.522

Full name Donald Tyrone Veal
Born 09/18/1984 in Jackson, MS
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Pima CC
Debut 04/07/2009
Drafted in the 2nd round (68th overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2005 (signed for $530,000).

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Little righthander Gilbert de la Vara, a 15th-round draft-and-follow of the Royals, was the dominant pitcher on the Pima Community College staff this spring, leading the competitive Arizona junior college ranks with 109 strikeouts and a 1.28 ERA. But scouts showed more interest in Veal, a strapping lefthander whose long arms, imposing body and pitching style evoke a young Vida Blue. Veal's velocity was inconsistent, but his running fastball sat at 94 mph when he was on top of his game, and touched 97. He also threw his curveball with more speed and command than in the past, though it remains a below-average pitch. Veal was one of Arizona's top high school prospects in 2003, when he was drafted by the White Sox, but elected to attend college at Arizona. As a freshman, he didn't pitch because he injured his labrum, didn't throw strikes consistently and generally got lost in the shuffle on a team that advanced to the College World Series. He rebounded with a strong season at Pima, finishing second in the state to de la Vara in strikeouts, with 105, even as he had to endure the death of his mother because of stomach cancer. Projectable and anxious to get his professional career started, Veal projects as a second- or third-rounder.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Veal went from being one of baseball's best lefty pitching prospects in 2006, when he led the minors with a .175 opponent average, to unprotected on the Cubs' 40-man roster after the 2008 season, allowing the Pirates to claim him in the major league Rule 5 draft. Pittsburgh held onto him by keeping him on its major league roster in 2009, finding him extra work by sending him to the minors on a couple of rehab assignments for a strained groin and a strained index finger. Veal's control fell apart in his last two years in the Chicago system, and was dreadful while he pitched sparingly last season. But he seemed to turn a corner in the Arizona Fall League, where he issued just seven walks in 21 innings. There's no doubting Veal's pure stuff, as he can carve hitters up with either a low-90s fastball that touches 95 or a hammer curveball. The problem comes when he can't maintain his funky delivery and loses the strike zone. He has yet to develop a feel for the changeup, and he might be best off focusing on two pitches and working in shorter stints out of the bullpen. Veal won points for his work ethic as he threw numerous side sessions in the bullpen under the watch of pitching coach Joe Kerrigan last season. The Pirates haven't given up on Veal as a starter and will use him in their Triple-A rotation this season.
Veal was one of the best lefthanded pitching prospects in the game in 2006, when he led all minor league starters with a .175 opponent average. But he since has hit the wall hard in Double-A, struggling so much that the Cubs didn't bother to protect him on their 40-man roster because they didn't think he had any chance to stick with a big league club. The Pirates did take him in the Rule 5 draft, and now they have to keep him on their active big league roster in 2009 or expose him to waivers and offer him back to Chicago. When he was on top of his game, Veal got swings and misses by locating his low-90s fastball to both sides of the plate and confounding hitters with a deceptive delivery that included a big leg kick. He also flashed a plus curveball and a solid changeup. Two years later, he looks like an entirely different pitcher. He'll still touch 94 mph with his heater, but he usually works at 89-90 and doesn't maintain his velocity for more than a couple of innings. His curveball is usually a sweepy pitch with little power and only occasional spin, and he has trouble repeating his changeup. He can't maintain his mechanics, leading to control and command problems. He has led the Southern League in walks in each of the last two seasons. The Cubs planned on trying him as a reliever, but he got hammered in that role in the Arizona Fall League. On top of all of his pitching problems, Veal also has had to cope with the loss of his mother to cancer in 2004 and his father to a scuba-diving accident three years later. He has to raise his younger brother Devin, a wide receiver at the University of Arizona. Veal has the raw talent to become a No. 2 starter, but the key word is "raw." He'll be a project for pitching coach Joe Kerrigan in spring training.
After Veal led minor league starters with a .175 opponent average in 2006, he had trouble getting untracked last season. He went 0-4, 10.57 in his first four starts and battled his control throughout the year, leading the Double-A Southern League with 73 walks. Hitters don't see many pitchers like Veal, a big lefthander with quality stuff and an unorthodox delivery. He has a swing-and-miss fastball in the low 90s and works both corners with it. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus pitch, while his changeup is solid at times. Veal has a tough time maintaining his delivery, which includes a big leg kick, and his arm slot. When he falls behind, he'll short-arm the ball and try to aim it. He has trouble staying on top of his curveball, and some scouts wonder if he might need to go to a splitter. He has a ceiling as a No. 2 starter, but Veal could wind up as a reliever in the mold of Arthur Rhodes. The Cubs sent him to instructional league so he could build up confidence, and they'll probably send him back to Double-A to start 2008.
After signing him for $530,000 as a second-rounder in 2005, the Cubs kept Veal on short pitch counts because he was worn out from a heavy workload at Pima (Ariz.) CC. When they turned him loose last year, he led minor league starters in opponent batting average (.175) and shared Chicago's minor league player of the year award with Rich Hill. Hitters can't square up the ball well against Veal because he has quality stuff and hides it with an unorthodox delivery. He has a 92-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95, and he likes to bust hitters inside with a four-seamer and then paint the outside corner with a two-seamer. His 74-79 mph curveball has tight rotation and is a strikeout pitch when it's on. His changeup is a solid third pitch. He has long arms and operates with a big leg kick and a high three-quarters slot, and his pitches get on top of hitters before they're ready. Veal's delivery is complicated, so command becomes an issue. He locates his fastball where he wants, but he won't be able to do the same with his secondary pitches until he starts using them more often. His inconsistent curveball can get loopy at times. He'll open 2007 at the Chicago's new Double-A Tennessee affiliate. Though the Cubs have signed free agents Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, Veal has the electric arm to push his way into the big league rotation by the end of the year if he improves the consistency of his secondary pitches. He's a possible No. 2 starter in the future.
Scouts have been comparing Veal to former Cubs draft pick Dontrelle Willis since he was an Arizona high school star. He declined reported $500,000 bonuses from the Brewers and Yankees, and ultimately turned down the White Sox after slipping to the 12th round, deciding instead to attend the University of Arizona. A cousin of former NBA star (and former Athletics draft pick) Kevin Johnson, Veal had shoulder problems during fall practice, the result of a torn labrum that didn't require surgery but forced him to redshirt as a freshman while the Wildcats reached the College World Series. He transferred to Pima (Ariz.) CC for the 2005 season, then signed for $530,000 as a second-round pick. Though the Cubs kept Veal on short pitch counts in his pro debut, his talent still was obvious and he rated as the No. 2 prospect in the short-season Northwest League. He pitched mainly at 86-91 mph during the summer but sat at 93-94 mph when he was fresh during the spring. He keeps his fastball down, achieves nice run with it and works it to both sides of the plate. He shows the making of a plus curveball, though his changeup will need significant work. His delivery isn't as extreme as Willis', but Veal has some funk to his motion and his long arms make his pitches difficult to pick up. He's something of a project, as he has a ways to go with his secondary pitches and command, but the payoff could be huge. If Chicago continues to take it slow with Veal, he'll open the season in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

A second-round pick in 2005, Veal already has passed first-rounder Mark Pawelek as the top pitching prospect in the Cubs system. He continued to deal after a promotion to high Class A and led all full-season starters with a .175 opponent average between the two stops. Veal has a strong 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, a volatile fastball clocked at 91-94 mph and a promising changeup. But he doesn't repeat his mechanics with much consistency, and at times he had to drop into the high 80s to throw strikes. His delivery may make it difficult to develop a reliable breaking ball, and he's still trying to decide whether to throw a slow version for strikes or a harder version as a chase pitch. He throws the two breakers with two different motions, which doesn't help his cause.
Veal has evoked so many Dontrelle Willis comparisons that it's necessary to issue a disclaimer: Veal is not Dontrelle Willis. His delivery, while tough on hitters, doesn't have the same deception that Willis' pinwheeling motion has. But the results have been similar. After a midseason callup, Veal was even better than he was in the low Class A Midwest League, limiting FSL batters to a .170 average. He does have a high leg kick that helps him conceal the ball until late in his delivery. Combine that with his 92-93 mph fastball, and hitters were overmatched even though he pitched almost exclusively with his heater. He would bust batters inside with a four-seamer, then pick up strikeouts by painting the outside corner with a two-seamer. Veal has good athleticism and a mature frame that seems perfectly suited to eat innings, but he'll have to improve his curveball and changeup. While his fastball command is solid, he struggles to locate his curve with any precision.
Managers predicted future success for Veal as much because of his impressive poise on the mound as his strong frame, long arms and solid stuff. Veal didn't work deep into games as the Cubs managed his pitch counts after a long season at Pima (Ariz.) CC, and he worked at 88-91 mph after he peaked at 97 during the spring. His fastball still featured good movement. Veal showed quick improvement with his secondary pitches and has the makings of an above-average curveball. In his final start of the season, he struck out 10 batters in five scoreless innings, allowing a hit and two walks. "He's definitely the best lefthander in this league," Gideon said. "He commanded his fastball to both sides of the plate, kept it down, and in later innings he found his curveball, a sharp little curveball."