Brian O’Connor
| IP | 12 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.25 |
| WHIP | 1.917 |
| BB/9 | 8.25 |
| SO/9 | 5.25 |
- Full name Brian Michael O'Connor
- Born 01/04/1977 in Cincinnati, OH
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Reading Community
- Debut 05/13/2000
- Drafted in the 11th round (293rd overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1995.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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O'Connor played for a team called the Pirates in Little League while growing up in suburban Cincinnati and adopted former Pittsburgh catcher Tony Pena as his favorite player. He wound up being drafted by the real Pirates and made his major league debut last season. He's the antithesis of most lefthanders, relying on power rather than finesse. He has a fastball that tops out at 92-93 mph with good movement. His slider also has developed into a quality pitch, giving him something to attack lefthanders. Control has been O'Connor's bugaboo as he has reached the higher levels of the organization. He has walked 220 in 363 innings since reaching Double-A midway through 1998. O'Connor did gain better command of his pitches last season and may be turning the corner in that department. The Pirates know he has a live arm but they're torn between using him as a starter or reliever. If O'Connor moves to the bullpen, he could land a spot with Pittsburgh as early as Opening Day 2001. If he keeps starting, he probably will get a full year at Triple-A.
