Ernesto Frieri Stats & Scouting Report

IP	303
ERA	3.594
WHIP	1.238
BB/9	4.248
SO/9	11.495

Full name Ernesto Frieri
Born 07/19/1985 in Bolivar, Colombia
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 09/26/2009

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Padres had employed Frieri in a swingman role prior to 2008, but he held up well making a career-high 21 starts last year. San Diego added him to the 40-man roster after the 2007 season, along with another hard thrower in Wilton Lopez. The duo began the year together in high Class A, but Frieri separated himself with better command and results. He features easy 92-94 mph velocity from a high three-quarters arm slot, and he looks like he's playing catch, so the ball gets on batters quickly. He throws a quality changeup. Though Frieri has one of the better curveballs in the organization--it's a hard downer--he struggled in 2008 to get the same peak velocity on the pitch that he had in the past. Continuing to break his hands over the rubber will be key for Frieri's command as he moves up. The Padres like his aptitude and makeup, and he'll probably begin 2009 back in the San Antonio rotation, though his future role may be in the bullpen.
The Padres are one of the few teams to scout extensively in Colombia, and they've discovered a few high-ceiling pitchers in Frieri and Fabian Jimenez. Frieri's U.S. debut in 2005 was an eye-opener, as he led the Arizona League in wins and ERA. His fastball has no more than average velocity, but he features two quality breaking balls: a hard, cutting slider and a big, looping curve. Both generated plenty of swings and misses in the AZL. Frieri's penchant for breaking balls has led to a number of nagging hand problems, including an ingrown nail early in the year and a blister problem in instructional league. His command is spotty, and most of his strikeouts came when inexperienced hitters chased pitches out of the zone. He can get away with that now, but Frieri will need to hone his command and learn to throw more quality strikes. San Diego used Frieri in a swingman role to limit his innings and might continue that practice if he jumps to low Class A to start 2006. The other option is to work with him in extended spring training before putting him in the rotation at Eugene.

Minor League Top Prospects

Frieri, a 20-year-old from Colombia, was used in a swing role by the Padres and led the league with seven wins and a 1.17 ERA, limiting opponents to a .137 average and no homers. He was especially tough in relief, going 6-0, 0.65 in 12 appearances. Frieri got most of his 59 strikeouts in 46 innings on an 85-87 mph slider. He also has a plus fastball, a resilient arm and plenty of competive fire. While he has command issues, he was so dominant in his first stint in the United States that he earned a late-season promotion to the high Class A California League.