Chad Girodo
| IP | 10 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.5 |
| WHIP | 1.3 |
| BB/9 | 1.8 |
| SO/9 | 4.5 |
- Full name Chad Alan Girodo
- Born 02/06/1991 in Decatur, AL
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Mississippi State
- Debut 04/22/2016
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Drafted in the 9th round (265th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013 (signed for $5,000).
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Girodo had struggled to contribute in his first three seasons at Mississippi State before breaking out last summer in the California Collegiate League, where he posted a 44-3 strikeout-walk ratio in 27 innings. He carried that success over to the 2013 spring, becoming one of the Bulldogs' most trusted relievers with a 6-1, 1.10 overall mark. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound left-hander has two solid-average pitches that could make him fill a big league relief role down the line. He has a fastball with late life that sits in the 88-91 mph range and a short, late slider that scrapes 80 mph. Girodo has some effort in his delivery and doesn't have enough fastball command to start, but his ability to combat lefthanded hitters with his slider makes him an attractive senior draft option.
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Mississippi State went to the 2013 College World Series finals, and the Blue Jays selected Bulldogs in the eighth and ninth rounds that year. Kendall Graveman, the ace of that team's rotation, signed for $5,000 and already has reached the major leagues after being traded to the Athletics in the Josh Donaldson deal. Lefty reliever Girodo, who also signed for $5,000, has reached Triple-A Buffalo and resembles Jays big league lefty Aaron Loup in some ways, and he could fill a similar role in the future. Girodo fires from a low-slot, sidearm delivery with a three-pitch mix that includes an 88-91 mph fastball that he commands and locates to both sides of the plate. He's especially tough on lefthanded batters, who went just 7-for-73 (.096) off him in 2015. His Frisbee slider generally has short, late break and serves as an effective chase pitch. He's working to improve his fringy changeup to better combat righthanded batters, but he's close to ready to fill a lefty specialist role, particularly after a successful Arizona Fall League stint. He should start 2016 at Triple-A Buffalo.
