Kanekoa Texeira Stats & Scouting Report

IP	67
ERA	4.701
WHIP	1.701
BB/9	3.761
SO/9	4.433

Full name Kanekoa J Texeira
Born 02/06/1986 in Maui, HI
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Saddleback CC
Debut 04/06/2010
Drafted in the 22nd round (675th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2006.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has drafted Texeira twice. As Brewers scouting director, he selected Texeira out of a Hawaii high school in the 31st round of the 2004 draft. Texeira declined to sign and turned pro with the White Sox after two years at Saddleback (Calif.) CC. Their paths intersected again in December, when the Mariners took Texeira from the Yankees in the major league Rule 5 draft. He'll have to stick on Seattle's roster all season, or else clear waivers and be offered back to the Yankees for $25,000. A strikeout pitcher who keeps the ball on the ground, Texeira could occupy a middle-relief role with the Mariners. Over the course of the past three seasons, he has fanned 8.6 batters per nine innings while generating 2.4 groundouts for every flyout--and he shows no platoon split. Texeira gets results with a deceptive short-arm delivery and a nifty 78-80 mph slider, which he fires repeatedly at the opposition. The pitch breaks sharply and dives toward the knees and ankles of lefthanders. His high-80s fastball features fair life and some sink from his high three-quarters slot. Like any sinker/slider reliever, Texeria gets hit when he leaves his pitches up and over the plate. He dusts off a low-80s changeup on occasion. While he's too homer-prone to work as closer or set-up man, he could have value in a lower-leverage role.
The Yankees acquired Texeira in the Nick Swisher trade with the White Sox in November, and he adds to the New York's middle-relief depth. A 22nd-round find in the 2006 draft, Texeira has opened eyes with his wicked slider in pro ball. He has shown a durable arm during two pro seasons, developing into a potential big league setup man. He had 20 saves at high Class A Winston-Salem in 2008 before a promotion to Double-A, where he primarily set up minor league save leader Jon Link. Texeira combined for a 1.33 ERA at the two levels, holding hitters to a .205 batting average. His slider breaks sharply and dives toward the knees and ankles of lefthanders, and he has yet to give up a homer to a lefty as a pro. His fastball generally parks in the high 80s but can move into the low 90s at times, and when he misses, he misses down. He has worked on a changeup and a slow curve as a third pitch. The Yankees expect him to anchor their Double-A Trenton bullpen in 2009.

Minor League Top Prospects

The CL's most dominant closer, Texeira didn't allow an earned run in his final 22 outings for Winston-Salem and finished second in the league with 20 saves despite earning a mid-July promotion. He continued to have success in Double-A and could factor into the White Sox bullpen at some point next year. Texeira primarily relies on two pitches, a 90-91 mph fastball that he can throw to both sides or the plate and a nasty slider that can overmatch both lefties and righties. That combination yields plenty of strikeouts and groundouts. He was forced to use his changeup more often in multiple-inning outings in Double-A, but it's still a work in progress.