Kevin Whelan Stats & Scouting Report

IP	3
ERA	9
WHIP	3.333
BB/9	21
SO/9	6

Full name Kevin J. Whelan
Born 01/08/1984 in Kerrville, TX
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Texas A&M
Debut 06/10/2011
Drafted in the 4th round (120th overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2005 (signed for $265,000).

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Whelan and Texas A&M teammate Robert Ray first emerged as top prospects while pitching out of the Wareham Gatemen bullpen in the Cape Cod League last summer. Whelan had a 0.42 ERA and led the Cape with 11 saves in his first stint as a full-time pitcher. He spent his freshman season with the Aggies as a backup catcher before pulling double duty as a sophomore. Whelan focused on pitching this spring and finished with a surge after a slow start. He pitches mainly with a four-seam fastball that peaks at 95-96 mph and a pair of splitters. He uses a narrow grip that produces the equivalent of a two-seam fastball, and a wider grip that produces an 85-86 pitch that dives at the plate. Though he's not tall, he works from a high arm slot and generates a good angle to the plate. His stuff and competitive makeup should serve him well as a pro reliever, and he should get better as he gets more experience on the mound.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Scouts don't know why Whelan is a slow starter--they just know that he is. It happened at Texas A&M, where he failed to capitalize as a junior on his strong 2004 Cape Cod League showing and fell from firstround consideration down to the fourth round. While his results were solid early last season--his first in the Yankees system since coming over in the Gary Sheffield trade with Detroit in November 2006--his stuff was not as sharp. He was working with a high-80s fastball and decent splitter as a reliever, then was sent down to high Class A to get some work starting. New York hoped to build up his arm strength and work on his breaking ball, a decent slider that remains his third pitch. When he came back to Double-A, it took Whelan a while to get going but he eventually put it all together and was throwing 92-94 mph with a plusplus splitter, one he could bury or throw in the strike zone. That Whelan could be in the majors as soon as 2008, but the former catcher just converted to pitching full-time in 2005 and likely will need another year in the minors. He still seeks consistency and is learning nuances of the game such as holding runners, who take advantage of his slow delivery to the plate. Basestealers went 19-for-20 against him last year. Whelan left the Arizona Fall League with a sore arm but was expected to be fully healthy by spring training.
Whelan arrived at Texas A&M as a catcher but his strong arm proved more valuable on the mound, and he's looked like a steal since Detroit took him in the fourth round in 2005, dominating three levels and earning 42 saves in 1 1/2 seasons. He came to the Yankees in the Gary Sheffield trade in November. Whelan's out pitch is his splitter, clocked as high as 89 mph. He also has a strong four-seam fastball in the 92-94 mph range, as well as a two-seamer with plus sink. The residue of the throwing motion he used as a catcher adds deception. Whelan switched to pitching full-time only in 2005, and his inexperience remains evident. He sometimes loses his feel for the strike zone. Once he gains a better understanding of his delivery, he'll have an easier time repeating it. His slider, which could be a nice addition to his fastball-splitter combination, has remained inconsistent. Whelan will start 2007 in Double-A, with an eye toward refining his pitches. Once everything clicks, he has the potential to sail through the system. He may get to New York at some point this season, and he should arrive in the majors to stay in 2008.
Whelan took control of his career in the Jayhawk League in 2003, asking his coach to move him from catcher to pitcher, but had to move back behind the plate at Texas A&M due to injuries to the Aggies' other backstops. He exploded as a pitching prospect in the Cape Cod League in 2004 with a 0.42 ERA and a league-best 11 saves. He finally became a full-time pitcher in 2005, signed for $265,000 as a fourth-round pick and had a sterling pro debut. Whelan has classic closer stuff. His four-seam fastball tops out at 96 mph, and his two-seamer has wicked sink. When he widens his grip on the two-seamer, it morphs into a mid-80s splitter that buries hitters. His delivery has some deception as well, complicating matters for hitters even more. He's a dogged competitor. Just 6 feet tall, Whelan has to make sure he maintains his over-the-top delivery to keep his fastball from flattening out. He generally succeeds. He continues to pick up pitching nuances as he gains experience on the mound. Whelan has yet to pitch above low Class A, but few in the organization will be shocked if he reaches Detroit in a set-up role this year. With no defined closer in Detroit, he could step forward and seize the role by 2007.

Minor League Top Prospects

Whelan made just 11 appearances covering 12 innings, but he squeezed a lot of dominance into his brief time in the NY-P. After surrendering a three-run homer in his first outing, he allowed just one more hit and fanned 18 in his final 11 innings. He blew away Midwest League hitters as well following a promotion to low Class A. Whelan relies mainly on a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and two variations of a splitter. Though he's just 6 feet tall, he works from a high arm slot and generates a good angle to the plate.