Chaz Roe Stats & Scouting Report

IP	217
ERA	3.899
WHIP	1.346
BB/9	4.272
SO/9	10.161

Full name Chaz Daniel Roe
Born 10/09/1986 in Steubenville, OH
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Lafayette
Debut 07/01/2013
Drafted in the C-1 round (32nd overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2005 (signed for $1,025,000).

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A shortstop in high school as well as a pitcher, Roe has two-way potential in college and would be a difference-maker for second-year coach John Cohen's rebuilding efforts at Kentucky. He also has strong ties to the school, where his father played football. But as the season progressed, few scouts expected him to make it to college. Roe, long and projectable, was throwing as well as any prep pitcher in the country and gaining momentum toward the first 50 picks. He has plenty of arm strength, having reached 95 mph at times and throwing consistently in the low 90s. He's athletic (he was a promising football player as a freshman and sophomore before a pair of concussions convinced him that baseball was the way to go), and repeats his delivery. His loose, quick arm generally works well. His detractors say Roe's slurvy, upper-70s breaking ball is too inconsistent (though at times it's a plus pitch) and his body too frail for pro ball at this time, and even supporters say Roe has a head jerk in his delivery, which tends to lead to control problems and could be tough to correct.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

A quality athlete who could have followed in his father's footsteps and played quarterback at Kentucky, Roe instead chose to sign for $1.025 million as a sandwich pick in 2005. He made steady progress until he was slowed by arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in spring training in 2008. He missed time again in 2009 with a strained oblique and got little out of instructional league after coming down with a serious case of the flu. Nevertheless, Roe has reaffirmed his ability as a starting pitcher. He went back to his high school mechanics last season and regained velocity on his fastball, sitting in the low-90s. His curveball is a swing-and-miss pitch, yet he gets hit harder than his stuff would indicate he should because his command is very much a work in progress. He's still refining the changeup that will be a necessity for him to negate lefthanders. His command also remains very much a work in progress. After earning a spot on the 40-man roster, Roe will see how effective his curveball will be at high altitude when he gets to Colorado Springs this year.
Roe had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during spring training, which delayed the start of his 2008 season to May 22. Roe, however, was able to add innings at the end by pitching in the Arizona Fall League. He is 23, but still has a body with projection that hasn't filled out. A quality athlete who had the option of following in his father's footsteps and playing quarterback at Kentucky but opted for pro baseball instead, Roe is reaching a turning point in his career. A decision has to be made on whether he would be better served in the bullpen. He has a quality fastball that sits in the low 90s, and a big-time curveball that is a definite swing and miss pitch. Roe's changeup, however, remains mediocre, and without a third pitch it's tough turning over a lineup enough times to start. He also hangs too many curves and leaves his fastball up in the zone, making him homer-prone. Roe needs to either improve his changeup or significantly improve his fastball command, which is made more difficult by his long, not-yet-mature frame.
Roe turned down a chance to follow in his father's footsteps as a quarterback at Kentucky, signing instead for $1.025 million as a supplemental first-round pick. The Rockies have developed Roe patiently, limiting his innings in his first two seasons before turning him loose in 2007. He finished strong in high Class A with a 4-0, 2.15 record in his final eight starts. Roe has a big-time curveball that's a swing-and-miss pitch. His low-90s fastball plays off his curve well. He still has a lot of projection remaining in his 6-foot-5, 180-pound frame and should develop into a workhorse with two consistent plus pitches. He's very tough when he uses his height to pitch with a steep downward angle to his pitches. Roe is walking that fine line of trying to harness his power without losing command of his pitches. He tends to slip into a more side-to-side motion, causing and his pitches flatten out. He still has a lot of work to do with his changeup. Roe will continue to move one level at a time, advancing to Double-A in 2008. A potential No. 3 starter, he should be ready for the majors by 2010.
Roe had a chance to follow his father's lead and play quarterback at Kentucky, but he opted to turn pro when the Rockies took him 32nd overall in 2005 and gave him a $1.025 million bonus. He opened last year in extended spring because Colorado doesn't have an extensive track record of developing high school pitchers and wanted to monitor his workload. Roe's fastball has good life in the low 90s and tops out at 95, with the chance to add more consistent velocity as his body continues to fill out. His curveball is a definite plus pitch with good biting action. A loose-bodied athlete, he has a tall build that allows him to get a good downward angle in his delivery. Roe tends to rush his delivery out of the stretch. He shows signs of a decent changeup but still is working on making it more consistent. He can get lazy at times with his curveball. Roe is slated for a full season in high Class A. The Rockies will move him slowly, though he could be in the big leagues as a starter by late 2009.
Roe had a chance to follow in the footsteps of his father Donald and play football at Kentucky, but he decided to focus on baseball after having two concussions in high school. The Twins and Braves considerd him in the late first round of the 2005 draft, but he slipped to the Rockies with the 32nd pick. He signed for $1.025 million and made the Pioneer League all-star team in his debut. Roe has a low-90s fastball with hard downward movement and tops out at 95. He has the makings of a downright nasty curveball, which one national crosschecker called the best he'd seen from a high school pitcher in the last decade. Loose and athletic, he has the ideal build for future projection. His work ethic and feel for the game stood out in Rookie ball. Roe's curveball is still inconsistent and gets slurvy at times. He also needs to polish up his changeup. He's also working on his control, which is hindered when he rushes his delivery and loses balance. He can get too aggressive at times. If everything clicks, Roe can be a front-of-the-rotation starter. He'll probably open his first full season in low Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

One national crosschecker said Roe had "the best damn curveball I've seen from a high school pitcher in at least 10 years." The Rockies were happy to snap him up with the 32nd overall pick in June. Roe has electric stuff but needs to refine his delivery, as he struggles to throw strikes consistently. Though he has a loose arm and solid athleticism, he often rushes his delivery and loses balance over the rubber. He touched 97 mph as an amateur and pitched in the low 90s this summer. "I really like him," Kotchman said. "He's got a Mike Witt body, good downward plane and a plus breaking ball. He has erratic command of it, but it's a plus power curveball."