Matt Maloney Stats & Scouting Report

IP	91
ERA	5.736
WHIP	1.473
BB/9	1.78
SO/9	5.835

Full name Matthew Michael Maloney
Born 01/16/1984 in Sandusky, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Mississippi
Debut 06/06/2009
Drafted in the 3rd round (97th overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2005 (signed for $400,000).

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Maloney originally committed to Tennessee before injuries his senior year in high school prompted the Volunteers to release him from his letter of intent. After two modest seasons, he emerged as Mississippi's ace midway through the year, flipping spots with Stephen Head on the pitching staff as Head became the closer and Maloney became the No. 1 starter. He was able to take over that role as his physical maturity helped all his pitches move up a grade this season. Maloney's stuff was consistent all year and should move him into the first three rounds. Big and physical, he maintains a good downward angle on his 88-91 mph fastball, which has bumped up to 92-93 at times this spring. However, his fastball has below-average life, so he has to locate it to be effective. His curveball, slider and changeup range from average to fringy, but when he stays tall in his delivery, he keeps both pitches down. His ability to throw four pitches for strikes makes him profile as a starter, but he's shown the durability to return to a relief role.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A shoulder impingement in high school threatened Maloney's career. He ended up at Mississippi and blossomed into a third-round pick in 2005. Traded by the Phillies for Kyle Lohse in mid-2007, Maloney made his big league debut last June and earned his two major league victories in September. Though Maloney has piled up strikeouts throughout his career, he's not a power pitcher. He gets outs by locating and mixing his pitches: an 86-89 mph fastball that touches 91, a slow curveball, a slider and a changeup. Like several other Reds farmhands, he added a cut fastball in 2009. The cutter helped him reduce his ERA by 1.60 in his second full season in Triple-A. Lacking average velocity and a swing-and-miss pitch, Maloney has a slim margin for error. He threw strikes in the big leagues but saw that he can be hit hard when his command isn't there, giving up nine homers in 41 innings. Maloney will head into spring training as a candidate for the back of the Reds' rotation. His ceiling isn't much higher than that, but his 50 Triple-A starts make him a relatively finished product and give him an edge over Travis Wood for 2010.
Picked up in the Kyle Lohse trade with the Phillies in July 2007, Maloney ranked third in the minors with 177 strikeouts that season and fourth in the Triple-A International League with 132 last year. His whiffs come not from overpowering hitters, but from his ability to mix four pitches and move them around the zone. Maloney throws an 88-91 mph fastball with natural sink, a plus changeup and an average slider and curveball. He commands all four pitches and can throw them all at any point in the count. Like any pitcher who has less than overwhelming stuff and is always around the plate, Maloney always has to walk a tightrope. He gives up a lot of fly balls and homers. His overall 2008 numbers would have looked better if he hadn't given up 19 runs in his final three starts. Maloney is close to big league-ready, with a ceiling as a fourth or fifth starter or a useful arm out of the bullpen. With the Reds suddenly flush with starting candidates, he's an underdog in the competition to become their No. 5 starter.
After acquiring Kyle Lohse for the 2006 stretch drive, the Reds sent him to the Phillies last July in exchange for Maloney, who immediately became the system's top lefthander. The deal seemed to energize him, as he struck out 62 in 45 innings afterward. Maloney is the typical crafty lefty who knows how to pitch. His 87-91 mph fastball has enough sink to keep hitters honest, especially since he combines it with a plus changeup and a slightly above-average slider. He does a good job of pitching downhill and keeps hitters off balance with his outstanding feel for pitching. He has solid command to both sides of the plate. Though he hit 92-93 mph in college, Maloney's fastball straightens out and his command suffers when he tries to muscle up to that kind of velocity now. As a lefty who's around the plate without overwhelming stuff, he's prone to giving up longballs. Maloney is nearly ready for the big leagues but lacks much upside, profiling as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Maloney was worn out from pitching Mississippi to the NCAA super regionals when he turned pro in 2005, so the Phillies didn't see him at his best until 2006. His best was very good, as he was named South Atlantic League pitcher of the year after leading the circuit in wins, innings and strikeouts while finishing second in ERA. Maloney attacks hitters by throwing four pitches for strikes. His stuff is average across the board but his advanced feel makes it play up, and he creates good deception with his easily repeatable delivery. His 86-88 mph sinker is his best pitch because of its late movement. His changeup isn't far behind and he'll throw it in any count. He also has an 11-to-5 curveball and a slider. Maloney's lack of velocity leaves him with little margin for error, and his secondary pitches need work to translate at the upper levels. His curveball has good downward spiral but can flatten out at times, and his slider needs to be tighter and harder if it's going to remain in his arsenal. On the high end, Maloney could be a No. 4 starter. Without better breaking stuff, he could be a middle reliever. Considering his savvy and that he'll be 23 in 2007, he could skip a level and head straight to Double-A.
Maloney spent his freshman year at Manatee (Fla.) Junior College before moving to Mississippi as a sophomore. After improving his strength, conditioning and slider he broke out as a junior last spring, when he started the season as the Rebels' closer before emerging as their best starter. His college innings rose from 48 in 2004 to 104 in 2005, so he arrived in pro ball with a dead arm after signing for $400,000 as a third-round pick. The Phillies limited his innings at Batavia and in instructional league, so they don't have a great read yet on what they've got. Physical maturity helped Maloney consistently pitch at 88-91 mph with his fastball. His height allows him to maintain a good downward plane, and his ability to locate the fastball makes up for its lack of life. His changeup is probably his best pitch, though it's no more than a solid-average offering. His slider and curveball can be as good at times, but he must show more consistency with all his secondary offerings. Location, however, isn't a problem and in fact rates as Maloney's greatest strength as a pitcher. He'll start 2006 in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Until Will Inman qualified for the ERA title in his last start of the season, Matt Maloney was in line to capture the SAL pitching triple crown. He settled for leading the league in victories (16), innings (169) and strikeouts (180) while winning the league's pitch-of-the-year award. He's a classic soft-tossing lefty who relies on command and guile. His fastball sits at 85-87 mph and he compliments it with a slider, changeup and curveball. He locates all of his pitches well and his fastball the best, making it his go-to offering. With his advanced feel, he should move fast, but his lack of velocity will give him far less room for error as he advances. The 6-foot-4 Maloney has a tendency to stay upright in the finish to his delivery, causing him to leave the ball up in the zone, which could be a problem at higher levels.