J.B. Wendelken
| IP | 159 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.019 |
| WHIP | 1.277 |
| BB/9 | 3.962 |
| SO/9 | 8.547 |
- Full name Jeffrey Benjamin Wendelken
- Born 03/24/1993 in Savannah, GA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 242 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Middle Georgia State
- Debut 05/08/2016
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Drafted in the 13th round (421st overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2012 (signed for $100,000).
View Draft Report
One of the nation's most effective relievers, Wendelken had allowed just one earned run in 44 innings, a 0.20 ERA. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound freshman has a short arm stroke and throws with lots of effort, but he repeats his delivery and attacks hitters with a 90-93 mph fastball. His short arm stroke gives him some deception, and at times he touches 94 mph.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Track Record: Drafted by the Red Sox in 2012, Wendelken has been around long enough to be traded for two players who are now out of baseball: Jake Peavy and Brett Lawrie. Wendelken made his big league debut with Oakland in 2016, got hammered and then had Tommy John surgery that fall.
Scouting Report: The key to Wendelken's comeback was reworking his delivery and arm swing with minor league pitching coordinator Gil Patterson and rehab pitching coordinator Craig Lefferts. As a result, Wendelken added a tick of velocity and rounded out his arsenal. He topped out at 98 mph and averaged 95 in the big leagues and backed up his fastball with a plus breaking ball and now-usable changeup. His fastball gets swings and misses in the zone and his curveball induces chases in and out of the zone.
The Future: In his return to Oakland, Wendelken allowed one run in 17 innings and recorded an 0.78 WHIP, hinting at his potential to pitch high-leverage relief innings in 2019. -
Wendelken joined the White Sox in July 2013 as part of the same three-team deal that brought Avisail Garcia and Frankie Montas to Chicago. He spent 2014 in the high Class A Winston-Salem rotation before returning to his relief roots in 2015 and advancing to Triple-A Charlotte. Though it's not always pretty, Wendelken gets results. His thick build, hooking arm action and short-arm delivery help him sell a plus changeup that parks in the high 70s and generates plenty of awkward swings and misses. He is unafraid to throw the pitch two or three times in a row. His fastball can reach 94 mph but sits more regularly in the low 90s, and he lacks the stamina to start. He tends to roll a one-plane, slurvy breaking ball to the plate in the low 80s, but it's more of a surprise pitch than a true weapon. The White Sox added Wendelken to the 40-man roster in November, and he could receive a big league trial in the bullpen at some point in 2016 if he pitches well at Charlotte.
