James Pazos Stats & Scouting Report

IP	127
ERA	3.969
WHIP	1.394
BB/9	3.685
SO/9	9

Full name James Manuel Pazos
Born 05/05/1991 in Gilbert, AZ
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 252 / Bats: R / Throws: L
School San Diego
Debut 09/05/2015
Drafted in the 13th round (427th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2012 (signed for $100,000).

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Pazos has been a key member of San Diego's bullpen since transferring from Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) JC after his freshman year, and he was 5-1, 1.53 with 59 strikeouts and 18 walks in 59 innings this spring. He missed time in the middle of this season serving a suspension for a violation of team rules. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Pazos is physical and aggressive, attacking the zone with an 89-92 mph fastball that bumps 93. His slider has improved significantly in the past year and has a chance to be a second average pitch. He is developing a changeup. Pazos has a resilient arm and has shown the ability to bounce back strong, helping him profile well as a bullpen lefthander.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Yankees drafted and signed Pazos for $100,000 out of San Diego in 2012 and he quickly rose through their system in the bullpen, reaching the majors in 2015 and again in 2016, when he struggled. The Mariners traded for Pazos after the 2016 season giving up righy Zack Littell. Pazos sits 95-98 mph with his fastball and 81-84 with his slider, but both have proven hittable to major league batters due to lack of command. Pazos has struggled with deep pitch counts and has to improve his below-average fastball command. Still, the Mariners see promise in Pazos' raw stuff and the .152/.250/.217 line to which he held lefthanded batters at Triple-A. He will have every chance to win a spot in the 2017 big league bullpen as a matchup reliever.
After turning down the Rays out of high school, Pazos went first to Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) CC for his freshman year, then transferred to San Diego for his sophomore and junior seasons. All but five of his appearances with the Toreros came out of the bullpen, and he has made only one start as a pro. As a result, Pazos has risen fairly quickly, and he debuted with the Yankees on Sept. 5, 2015. Scouts who have seen Pazos praise his mix of a low- to mid-90s fastball and low-80s slider. He can throw the latter pitch for strikes or increase its break for swings and misses. He pitches with aggression and guts, and fared well in his brief time in the majors. With projected openings for lefthanded relievers in the big league bullpen, Pazos could vie for one of those spots in 2016.

Draft Prospects

Pazos has been a key member of San Diego's bullpen since transferring from Chandler-Gilbert (Ariz.) JC after his freshman year, and he was 5-1, 1.53 with 59 strikeouts and 18 walks in 59 innings this spring. He missed time in the middle of this season serving a suspension for a violation of team rules. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Pazos is physical and aggressive, attacking the zone with an 89-92 mph fastball that bumps 93. His slider has improved significantly in the past year and has a chance to be a second average pitch. He is developing a changeup. Pazos has a resilient arm and has shown the ability to bounce back strong, helping him profile well as a bullpen lefthander.