Joe Saunders Stats & Scouting Report

IP	1387
ERA	4.373
WHIP	1.422
BB/9	2.849
SO/9	5.139

Full name Joseph Francis Saunders
Born 06/16/1981 in Fairfax, VA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Virginia Tech
Debut 08/16/2005
Drafted in the 1st round (12th overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2002 (signed for $1,825,000).

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Saunders has a lower ceiling than most first-rounders, but he's a safe pick and should be one of the first players in the Class of '02 to reach the big leagues. He has such a great feel for pitching that he just toyed with college hitters this year. While his stuff isn't overpowering, he throws a lot of quality strikes. His fastball sits in the 88-91 mph range, touches 92 and even reaches 94 when he needs a little extra. Scouts say he should just let it rip more often and not try to finesse hitters as much. The biggest knock on his fastball is that it's straight as an arrow--a high hits-to-innings ratio is evidence of that. His curve is also just average now but should be above-average in the future. His best pitch is his changeup, which can be unhittable at times. He gets a lot of strikeouts and easy ground balls off it. Saunders is polished in all facets of pitching. He has an easy, effortless delivery, holds runners well, fields his position and has a good pickoff move. Just a thrower when the Phillies picked him out of a northern Virginia high school in the fifth round in 1999, Saunders has matured as a pitcher in three years. The Orioles, with the fourth overall pick, were looking hard at him early in May, but that interest appears to have dissipated. He still shouldn't last beyond the middle of the first round, though.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Angels passed up Scott Kazmir to take Saunders with the 12th overall pick in 2002 and signed him for $1.825 million. After his first pro summer, he was diagnosed with tears in his rotator cuff and labrum, which didn't require surgery but cost him the entire 2003 season. He steadily has climbed the ladder since, making his major league debut last August. Saunders doesn't have overpowering stuff, relying instead on command and feel. His best pitch is a deceptive changeup that he uses to hold righthanders at bay. His fastball sits at 91-92 mph and he can run it in on hitters effectively. He can cut his fastball, or add and subtract velocity as needed. He repeats his delivery well and hasn't missed a start since coming back from his shoulder injury. Saunders doesn't have a put-away breaking ball and will need to improve the depth and quality of his slurvy curveball to become a No. 3 starter. Saunders likely will open 2006 in Triple-A to work further on his curveball. The only other lefthanded pitcher on the 40-man roster was recent trade acquisition J.C. Romero, so the Angels could need Saunders in a relief role.
After signing a predraft deal with a $1.825 million bonus in 2002, Saunders lasted through his first summer before joining a growing list of Angels pitching prospects on the disabled list. He had tears in his rotator cuff and labrum, though he managed to avoid surgery with an aggressive rehabilitation program. Last year, he showed he had regained the velocity as well as the movement on his pitches. His best pitch is a sinking fastball that sits at 89-90 mph, rising as high as 93 mph. He has slightly above-average control, working his fastball and cutter in and out and keeping them down in the zone. Saunders has a good feel for a plus changeup that he disguises well by maintaining his arm speed. He continued to struggle to craft a consistent breaking ball, however. He was hittable in his comeback, especially after a late-July promotion to Double-A. He'll likely begin this season back in Arkansas and will need another year and a half in the minors before he's ready to contribute in Anaheim.
Saunders made dramatic progress as a pitcher from the time the Phillies drafted him in the fifth round out of high school until he went 12th overall to the Angels in 2002. After going 9-2, 2.86 with a Big East Conference-leading 102 strikeouts as a junior, he signed a predraft deal with the Angels worth $1.825 million after passing a physical. He was scheduled to join Ervin Santana, Steven Shell and Jake Woods in the Rancho Cucamonga rotation last spring, but he showed up with a torn rotator cuff and partially torn labrum. He managed to avoid surgery, however, when Dr. James Andrews prescribed an aggressive rehabilitation process instead. Saunders is at his best when he works his 89-94 mph fastball to both sides of the plate. Changing speeds is his forte, whether it's off his fastball or with his best pitch, a plus changeup with fade and sink. He fools hitters by maintaining his fastball arm action when he throws his changeup. His curveball never has been a strength, but it's a third pitch he can throw for strikes. Saunders was on the mound in instructional league last fall. His fastball was hitting 87 mph and all reports indicated that he was throwing free and easy, without pain. The Angels say Saunders will be ready by spring training. He'll start the season in high Class A if his arm proves to be sound.
Saunders was raw when the Phillies drafted him in the fifth round out of high school, but three years later he emerged as one of the most polished college lefties available. He went 12th overall in June and signed a predraft deal worth $1.825 million. Saunders can spot his 89-94 mph fastball to both sides of the plate, and he adds and subtracts from the velocity. He's aggressive inside. His best pitch is his changeup, which drops off the table and is thrown with the same arm speed as his fastball. Operating with a sound delivery and repeatable arm action, he has above-average command and action to all three of his offerings. If Saunders can improve the consistency of the break on his curveball, he could flash three plus pitches. If his curve doesn't come around, he may toy with a cutter. Because he isn't overpowering, he'll have to continue to be fine with his pitchers. Saunders is similar to Jarrod Washburn but more advanced at the same stage. He could join a prospect-laden rotation in Rancho Cucamonga and reach Double-A in the second half of 2003.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Angels decided to take a lefthander with the 12th overall pick in the 2002 draft, and they opted to save a little money by taking Saunders over Scott Kazmir. When Saunders went down almost immediately with tears in his rotator cuff and labrum, it looked like an unfortunate choice. But he avoided surgery and has regained his stuff after missing the entire 2003 season. Saunders works aggressively with his 91-93 mph fastball and his changeup. He's still refining his curveball, though it only needs to be his third pitch because he'll use his changeup more often against righthanders. He needs to get better at locating his pitches within the strike zone, but he has good control and generally keeps the ball down.
The 12th overall pick in the 2002 draft, Saunders missed all of the 2003 season with shoulder problems. Completely healthy this season, he earned a promotion to Triple-A at midseason and made his major league debut in August. Saunders has all the elements to be a lefthanded innings-eater in a big league rotation. He pitches at 90-92 mph with his fastball and backs it up with a strong changeup and a decent curveball. His command is solid when he maintains his concentration, but he tends to lose it and fall prey to big innings. "Our disappointment was that he didn't have the ability to focus for nine innings," Gamboa said. "We thought he was the best lefthander in the league, but the stats didn't always show it."
Saunders joined Loney, Fielder and Santos as 2002 first-rounders who made the Top 10. He shows good command and makeup, and aggressively goes after hitters. His fastball ranges from 88-94 mph, mostly sitting at 91-92. His changeup might be his best pitch right now, and he can throw it in any count. He also throws a slurvy breaking ball, and the Angels want to see him develop a true slider. "That's what's going to make him," Kotchman said. "When that comes around, he'll move up quick."