Sean West Stats & Scouting Report

IP	112
ERA	5.063
WHIP	1.589
BB/9	3.857
SO/9	6.268

Full name Sean E. West
Born 06/15/1986 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'8" / Wt.: 275 / Bats: R / Throws: L
School Captain Shreve
Debut 05/23/2009
Drafted in the C-1 round (44th overall) by the Miami Marlins in 2005 (signed for $775,000).

View Draft Report

Louisiana is rich in lefthanders this spring, with four who could go in the top four rounds. West ranked behind Jeremy Bleich, Wade Miley and Beau Jones entering 2005, but shot past them thanks to his projectability. At 6-foot-8, West has plenty of room to add strength and velocity, and his fastball already has improved from 85-86 to 90-92 mph within the last year. For a tall pitcher, West repeats his mechanics well and has little trouble throwing strikes. He also has upgraded his curveball, which should give him a second plus pitch. West's high school career ended in the Louisiana 5-A state quarterfinals, when he struck out 17 and took a shutout into the ninth inning, only to lose 5-0 to Jones, who fanned 15. West is signable because he has no four-year college option and has committed to perennial juco power San Jacinto (Texas).

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Signed for $775,000 out of high school, West continues to tantalize with what might be the highest ceiling of the five pitchers the Marlins drafted before the second round in 2005. He missed the entire 2007 season following surgery to repair a torn labrum, and he pitched only three times in the first two months last season because of blisters. He got better each month afterward and then greatly impressed scouts in the Arizona Fall League. His big frame and three-quarters arm slot have earned him comparisons to a young Randy Johnson. West owns a big fastball, which sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96. He features two different sliders, one tighter than the other, and his changeup has shown potential. He continues to mature on and off the mound, battling through outings when he lacks his best stuff. Not surprisingly for such a big man, West struggles at times with his delivery. He tends to shorten his stride, which causes his front side to become too stiff and leaves his arm to drag behind his body, negatively affecting his control. He needs to trust his changeup more. West has yet to pitch above Class A, but his strong work in Arizona has put him on the fast track to the majors. The Marlins will continue to be very careful with him, properly viewing him as a future rotation topper. He figures to open the year at Double-A Jacksonville, but a call to the majors isn't far away.
After signing for $775,000 out of high school, West showed he might have the highest ceiling of any of the five pitchers Florida took in the first 44 picks in June 2005. Signed away from San Jacinto (Texas) JC, he could become the tallest pitcher in Marlins big league history, but his timetable was set back when he had season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum last March. Aggressive and competitive, West can overwhelm hitters with a 90-93 mph fastball that touched 96 mph and showed good tail before he got hurt. He has a Randy Johnson-type look with his height and three-quarters arm slot. He has two different sliders, one tight and the other with a larger break. His changeup has shown plus potential at times. Considered immature in the past, he worked hard on his conditioning during his rehab, adding additional trunk strength. West's secondary pitches didn't get a chance to improve, because he not only missed a season but was restricted from using them when he was able to return to the mound. Durability will be a concern. He still has a tendency to rush his delivery, letting his arm drag behind that big frame. While the rest of his draft class moves on to Double-A, West will have to head to high Class A and show he can stay healthy.
Signed for $775,000 out of high school, West has wasted little time showing he belonged among those five pitchers the Marlins took in the top 44 picks in 2005. He pitched six shutout innings in his first 2006 start then spent a month on the disabled list with nagging shoulder pain. When he returned, he didn't give up more than two earned runs in his next six starts and later ripped off a five-game winning streak. West comes right at hitters from a three-quarters arm slot with a tailing fastball that sits at 90-93 mph and touches 96. He has two different sliders, one fairly tight and the other a big breaker. His changeup is a plus pitch at times. West needs to use his changeup more. His shoulder woes were chalked up to the rigors of his first pro spring training. His off-center personality has at times interfered with his between-starts work, which contributed to a late-season fade. While at times he uses his emotions to his benefit, he must avoid showing up opponents on the mound. West will be part of an all-first-rounder rotation in high Class A in 2007. He's more polished than most lefthanders his age and has bigger stuff than most lefthanders, period. He's definitely on the fast track now.
West might have the highest ceiling of the five pitchers the Marlins took in the top 44 picks last June. He signed for $775,000 out of a Louisiana high school, ending his prep career with a 17-strikeout loss in the state 5-A quarterfinals. At 6-foot-8, he would become the tallest pitcher in club history should he make the majors. He pitches at 90-92 and touches 94 mph with his fastball, which is a swing-and-miss weapon with late life. He saw his fastball jump from 85-86 mph before his senior year and projects to add velocity as he grows into his body. He's a strike-thrower who has little trouble repeating his delivery, but his overall approach and grasp of situations could improve. His curveball could become a second plus pitch, and his changeup is far less advanced. He'll pitch in low Class A this year.

Minor League Top Prospects

West made eight starts for Jacksonville before getting his first callup to Florida in May. He spent two months in the Marlins rotation before returning to the Suns for four more starts in July and early August, then rejoined Florida for the remainder of the season. A flyball pitcher, West works off an 87-94 mph fastball that sits at 90-92. He throws a good slider with two variations, one in the low 80s for a get-me-over strike and another in the mid- to high-80s with harder break. He mixes in a low- to mid-80s changeup that needs more work, though he began throwing the pitch more often in September. West, who missed the entire 2007 season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum, throws slightly across his body, which puts excess stress on his arm and can hamper his command. At 6-foot-8, he gets great downhill angle but it might take him more time than most to hone his mechanics. He wore down in September, when his velocity diminished.
After missing all of 2007 with a torn labrum, it took West a while to get back into a comfort zone on the mound. He struggled to repeat his delivery early in the season, leading to inconsistent command. But as he shook off the rust, he showed steady improvement and he finished by going 3-0, 1.16 in August. West's stuff bounced fully back. He pitched at 92-93 mph and touched 96 with his fastball, and he showed a hard slider with good tilt that he can throw for strikes or bury out of the zone for strikeouts. His changeup is an average pitch at times, though he doesn't always use it enough. Though he's 6-foot-8, he has no obvious mechanical flaws, so it may be that he just needs more experience and sharper concentration to find more command.
West is the classic example of a guy who you love when he's on your team, but can't stand playing against. A fierce competitor with a nasty streak, the 6-foot-8 West became notorious in the SAL for his loud mouth and fist-pumping. West pitched all season at 90-94 mph with his tailing fastball but needs to command it better. He also developed a slurvy 74-78 mph breaking ball, though his changeup still requires a lot of refinement. With his size and three-quarters arm slot, he's particularly tough on lefthanders, who hit just .215 against him with 25 strikeouts in 79 at-bats. Though they can often be his best friend, West's emotions also can get the best of him and be his downfall. He needs to learn how to channel his passion, especially when things don't go his way.
The 6-foot-8 West is surprisingly athletic for his size, with moves like a basketball player. He's adept at holding runners and fielding his position. His stuff is close to Volstad's, but he lacks Volstad's mound presence and pitching knowledge. West's fastball ranged from 88-90 mph, with a high of 92. He moved it in and out well and the pitch looked faster because it got on hitters quickly. West drew comparisons to Randy Johnson because of his size and three-quarters release point. His slider was especially tough on lefthanders and was an effective backdoor offering against righties. He also gets good deception on his curveball.