Wade Townsend

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #24 prospect in 2008
  Townsend endured another tough season in 2007, though this one at least started out on the mound. The eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft, he missed all of the following season after having Tommy John surgery. He allowed 11 runs in his first eight starts in 2007 but struggled thereafter and gradually pitched worse. He was shut down in early August and had a small bone spur removed from his elbow. To his credit, Townsend tried to pitch through the pain and demonstrated a bulldog tenacity that should bode well for the future. He approached his rehab with similar intensity and is expected to be healthy in spring training. Before the latest injury, he showed more than a glimpse of the form that made him a star at Rice and a two-time first-round pick. Townsend's fastball resides in the low 90s with decent movement. He also has a spike curveball that should become a plus pitch, and his changeup could become an above-average offering as well. Townsend has pitched just 142 innings since his college career ended in 2004--negotiations with the Orioles broke down swiftly after they took him eighth overall that June--and he needs more time to iron out the kinks in his delivery and improve his pitch sequence. Some scouts see his future in the bullpen, but he'll aim for a healthy year as a starter in high Class A.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #26 prospect in 2007
  Townsend went eighth overall in both the 2004 and 2005 drafts, though neither the Orioles nor the Devil Rays would have drafted him that high had the scouting departments gotten their way. He was part of one of the most successful college rotations ever at Rice from 2002-2004. Townsend, Philip Humber and Jeff Niemann won the 2003 College World Series together and all three went in the first eight picks of the 2004 draft. The Orioles low-balled Townsend in 2003, and he got angry and returned to Rice to complete his degree. Townsend hadn't pitched for nearly a year when he worked out for clubs in April and May in 2005, and he appealed to Tampa Bay's former upper-management team because he had no bargaining power. Townsend signed for $1.5 million--$700,000 below MLB's slot projection-- and little has gone right for him since. He strained his neck in his first pro outing, went winless in 12 outings and then blew out his elbow in the Arizona Fall League. Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2006 slate. When he was starring at Rice, Townsend had a low-90s fastball and a devastating spike curveball, and he'd also flash an above-average changeup. In his pro debut, he pitched at 85-88 and didn't have the usual bite on his curve. Some scouts believe his future will be in the bullpen, in part because he has an intense competitive drive and wouldn't have to try to pace himself. At this point, the Rays just want to get Townsend back on the mound early in 2007 and see what they have.
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  Ranked Tampa Bay Rays #14 prospect in 2006
  The Devil Rays' former upper-management team overruled the scouting department and mandated that the club take Townsend with the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft. He appealed to them because he had little bargaining power and would sign for below market value--he agreed to $1.5 million, a savings of $700,000 in the eighth slot--and theoretically would move quickly through the minors. But his first taste of pro ball went poorly. Townsend strained his neck the day after making his debut and pitched poorly in the New York-Penn League. Assigned to the Arizona Fall League, he tore an elbow ligament in his first outing and is expected to miss the entire 2006 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Townsend also went eighth overall in the 2004 draft, when he and Rice rotation mates Philip Humber and Jeff Niemann all went in the top eight to become the highest drafted trio ever off one team. But the Orioles lowballed Townsend in bonus talks, leading to acrimony that never got resolved. He returned to school to complete his degree, gambling that he could still negotiate after renouncing his eligibility, but MLB ruled against him. Forced to re-enter the draft after nearly a year on the sidelines, he spent much of April and May working out for clubs. At his best at Rice, he pitched at 90-92 mph with his fastball and dominated hitters with a spike curveball. But last year, his velocity ranged anywhere from 85-92 and his curve lacked its trademark bite. He didn't have much of a fastball in the NYP, relying on his curveball and changeup to try to get hitters out. Townsend is an intense competitor, and a lot of scouts think his fire would work better if he were used as a reliever. Tampa Bay sees him as a starter, but he won't get back on the mound until 2007.