Danny Salazar Stats & Scouting Report

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Salazar did little in his first five years as a pro to garner much attention as a prospect. Elbow problems limited him to seven starts in 2010, and he eventually succumbed to Tommy John surgery in August that year. Though he hadn't pitched above low Class A, the Indians protected him on the 40-man roster after the 2011 season, then saw his stuff pick up significantly in 2012 amidst the best year of his career. As the season wore on and Salazar grew further removed from his surgery, his velocity took off. His fastball now sits at 94-97 mph at times and reaches 100. He's still learning how to use his secondary pitches to miss bats, but his breaking ball has power and depth to it and his changeup stands out in a system that doesn't feature many good ones. He still has to prove his durability because his career high in innings remains the 107 he threw in 2009. If he can't hold up as a starter, his power fastball could be electric in the bullpen. He'll either return to Double-A Akron or make the jump to Triple-A Columbus in 2013, when he could see big league time by the end of the season.

Salazar had Tommy John surgery in late 2010 and his stuff didn?t really rebound until two years later when he dominated at high Class A Carolina in 2012. Success continued to flow this season as he dominated Triple-A competition?though he never went more than five innings in any of his 13 starts?and he reached Cleveland for good in early August. Salazar logged a career-high 93 innings this season between Columbus and Double-A Akron, and he commanded the ball better than ever. A power pitcher, he sits at 94-98 mph and has hit 100. His mid- to high-80s slider is a good secondary pitch against lefties and righties, and his changeup has improved post-surgery, earning average grades and helping him handle lefthanded hitters. With Salazar?s velocity and movement, scouts project him as a potential mid-rotation arm or shutdown reliever.

Background: Signed in 2006, Salazar did little in his first five years as a pro to garner much attention as a prospect. Elbow problems limited him to just seven starts in 2010, and he eventually succumbed to Tommy John surgery in August that year. Though he hadn't pitched above low Class A, the Indians protected him on the 40-man roster after the 2011 season, then saw his stuff pick up significantly in 2012 amidst the best year of his career. Scouting Report: As the season wore on and Salazar grew further removed from his surgery, his velocity took off. His fastball now sits at 94-97 mph at times and reaches as high as 100. He's still learning how to use his secondary pitches to miss more bats, but his breaking ball has power and depth to it and his changeup stands out in a system that doesn't feature many good ones. He still has to prove his durability because his career high in innings remains the 107 he threw in 2009. The Future: Salazar's development was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2012 for Cleveland. If he can't hold up as a starter, his power fastball could be electric in the bullpen. He'll either return to Double-A Akron or make the jump to Triple-A Columbus in 2013, when he could see big league time by the end of the season.