Bryan Bullington
| IP | 81 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.667 |
| WHIP | 1.593 |
| BB/9 | 3.444 |
| SO/9 | 6 |
- Full name Bryan Paul Bullington
- Born 09/30/1980 in Indianapolis, IN
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Ball State
- Debut 09/18/2005
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Drafted in the 1st round (1st overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2002 (signed for $4,000,000).
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Bullington has been labeled first-round material since he earned all-conference honors and led the Mid-American Conference in strikeouts as a freshman. His stock went higher this spring when his velocity improved, he changed his arm slot and tightened up his breaking ball. He pitches at 92-94 mph with good life and displays pinpoint control on the black. He can reach back for 95-96 mph heat. After walking just 19 in 108 innings as a sophomore, he registered 126 strikeouts in 94 innings while issuing 17 walks this year. His 2.11 ERA led the MAC, and he had not allowed a home run. Bullington's release point has varied from a low three-quarters to a high three-quarters. After settling with a straight three-quarters slot he developed a nasty, hard slider. He's a polished pitcher with a big league body, leading most scouts to believe he'll move rapidly up the ladder in pro ball.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Bullington has been a disappointment since the Pirates made him the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, as seven pitchers drafted after him beat him to the major leagues, including four from the high school ranks. Bullington got to Pittsburgh at the end of the 2005 season, then tore the labrum in his shoulder during his debut and missed all of 2006 after undergoing surgery. He had an up-and-down season at Indianapolis last year, though he did get the win in the Triple-A all-star game. He also created some optimism at the end of the season with two solid major league starts. Bullington's fastball now usually tops out at 90 mph, a far cry from the 95 mph scouts clocked him at in college. He does have a good slider, decent changeup and a solid feel for pitching to make up for a lack of a great heater. It's clear now that he won't be a star, but Bullington has shown great resiliency and can still carve out a major league career as a back-of-the-rotation starter. He'll likely start the 2008 season back in Triple-A -
Bullington has been under the microscope since the Pirates used the first overall pick to take him rather than B.J. Upton in the 2002 draft. They signed him for a club-record signing bonus of $4 million. After four seasons in the organization, he has pitched in just one major league game, though he's 34-17, 3.33 in 69 minor league games. However, he missed all of last season after shoulder surgery in October 2005. Bullington's fastball was clocked as high as 95 mph at Ball State, but he has never touched that in pro ball. His heater now sits at 88-91, far from overpowering, though he has good command of it. He rediscovered his slider in Triple-A in 2005 and it became a strikeout pitch for him. His curveball and changeup are also serviceable pitches. While he's getting older and his chance of becoming a star has likely passed, he could still develop into a decent starter if healthy. He'll go back to Triple-A to start the 2007 season. -
Though some members of the organization preferred B.J. Upton, the Pirates made Bullington the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft and gave him a club-record $4 million bonus. After missing the first six weeks of the 2005 season with a sore shoulder, he had a fine year at Triple-A and made his big league debut in September. However, he needed shoulder surgery to repair damage to his labrum in October and won't be able to pitch until June. Bullington regained the touch on his slider in 2005. With its late break and good tilt, it became his out pitch. He has a smooth delivery and his pitches have good movement coming from a three-quarters arm slot. Bullington's fastball hit 95 mph in college, but he never has thrown that hard since coming into pro ball. The Pirates hope he might regain velocity following his shoulder surgery. Bullington's curveball tends to get loopy and his changeup can be erratic. Bullington will begin the season rehabbing his shoulder, slowing down his timetable. Look for him to spend most of 2006 in the minors, with a September callup to the majors most likely. -
Bullington was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft, getting a $4 million signing bonus after holding out for nearly five months. The player picked after him, high school shortstop B.J. Upton, looks like a future star and made his big league debut in Tampa Bay last year, while Bullington hasn't gotten past Double-A. The Pirates took Bullington for his two dominant pitches, a lively fastball and sharp slider. His velocity has dropped from 94-95 mph at Ball State to 90-93 in the pros, however, and his slider hasn't had the same bite. He has compensated by showing a knack for making pitches in tight situations, and the Pirates still hope he'll regain his zip. Bullington's biggest need is to get back the stuff he showed in college. He also must refine his changeup to give him a third pitch to make it as a big league starter. Bullington has good control but could use better command--he's hittable because he's around the plate so much with his pitches. Bullington will go to Triple-A with hopes of finding his fastball. This year figures to go a long way in telling whether he's a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, a No. 5 starter or a set-up man. -
There was considerable debate within the organization, but owner Kevin McClatchy wanted to go the safe route with the No. 1 overall pick in 2002. So the Pirates chose Bullington, a college pitcher, over high school star B.J. Upton. Bullington didn't make his pro debut until 2003 because he didn't sign for a club-record $4 million until late October 2002. Bullington has a projectable pitcher's body and the makings of a power fastball/slider combination. He throws from a three-quarters arm slot, which gives his pitches more movement. His curveball improved and he got experience throwing his changeup, a pitch he didn't need often in college. Bullington's fastball topped out at 90 mph and sat between 87-89 last season, 3-4 mph below where it was in college, and his slider didn't have consistent bite. The Pirates attribute the lack of velocity to his long layoff between college and the start of his pro career. Bullington will get tested at Double-A Altoona in 2004. Despite the pedigree of the first overall pick, he projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter, likely reaching the majors sometime in 2005. -
After winning Mid-American Conference player of the year honors by going 11-3, 2.84 at Ball State and setting a league record with 139 strikeouts in 105 innings, Bullington was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft. He finally signed in late October for a club-record $4 million, but missed the minor league season and instructional league while negotiating. Bullington dominated college hitters by throwing a heavy 95 mph fastball. He also has a sharp slider to complement his heater. Bullington won plenty of admiration for his toughness in the 2001 MAC tournament, when he was hit in the face by a line drive in the opening round and came back to pitch two days later. It remains to be seen how much of an effect sitting out all of last summer will have on Bullington in 2003. He needs to tighten his curveball and refine his changeup in order to have something to offset his hard stuff. The Pirates will start Bullington off in low Class A. He could be on the fast track and likely will be ready to break into majors in 2005, along with touted prospects John VanBenschoten and Sean Burnett.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Bullington might not ever live up to being the No. 1 overall pick in 2002, but there's no reason he can't be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. After being held back at the beginning of the season with some minor shoulder fatigue, he established himself as one of the top pitchers in the IL during the second half and made his big league debut in September. The velocity on his fastball hadn't been up to 95 mph since he was in college, but Bullington hit that mark several times this season. His fastball has great late life, exploding at the plate. He complements his heater with a sharp slider and an improved changeup that gave him a legitimate third option and played a major role in his late-season surge. -
The No.1 overall pick in the 2002 draft got mixed reviews in the CL. Some scouts weren't impressed with Bullington's fastball, which was clocked in the 95 mph range in college but dropped to 89-91 late in his first pro season. His slider also wasn't as devastating as it was at Ball State. Nevertheless, Bullington went 8-4, 3.07 without jaw-dropping stuff. He won by throwing strikes and improving his offspeed pitches, a curveball and changeup. That will be beneficial once his fastball and slider bounce back. "Everything I had on him led me to believe that he was a lot better than what I saw," one scout said. "But when I saw it, I was kind of disappointed. "His other stuff looked good, good enough to get hitters out at this level. His curveball was tight and he seems to change speeds well. It's probably more about him staying consistent with the fastball to really keep hitters off balance."
