Jordan Walden Stats & Scouting Report

IP	222
ERA	3
WHIP	1.225
BB/9	3.892
SO/9	10.784

Full name Jordan Craig Walden
Born 11/16/1987 in Fort Worth, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 250 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Grayson CC
Debut 08/22/2010
Drafted in the 12th round (372nd overall) by the Los Angeles Angels in 2006 (signed for $1,000,000).

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Walden entered 2006 as Baseball America's top-rated high school prospect on the strength of his performance last summer, when he touched 99 mph with his fastball in a Connie Mack game and was named the best pitching prospect at the Aflac All-American game. He hasn't been as spectacular this spring, pitching at 91-94 mph and topping out at 96. On his good days, Walden inspires visions of a big, tall pitcher who could have three plus offerings. His ability to repeat his mechanics fluctuates, as does his command and the quality of his curveball. He has good rotation on his curve but needs to throw it with more power. His changeup has improved and he has good feel for it. A matchup with projected second-round pick Zach Britton drew a horde of scouts, but Walden pitched at just 85-88 mph due to a groin injury. He did rebound to throw 92-93 mph in his next outing, so his draft status is secure. He doesn't hold his velocity as well or have as much polish as fellow Texas prep pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Kyle Drabek. Walden should go no lower than the second round, making it unlikely he'll follow through on a scholarship to Texas.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Much as he rebounded from a poor senior season in high school to land a $1 million draft-and-follow bonus from the Angels, Walden bounced back from a 2009 season marred by a strained elbow ligament to reach the big leagues. Los Angeles converted him to the bullpen during spring training and he finished the year as its top set-up man. Walden hit triple digits on the radar gun multiple times in the big leagues and sat consistently at 94-97 mph. He throws mostly riding four-seamers, but the pitch features sinking, two-seam action when he pitches to his arm side. Opposing batters struggle to lift pitches against Walden, who has permitted just 17 home runs in 346 pro innings--and only one in his big league debut. His low-80s slider is average at best and serves mostly to keep batters off his fastball. His control remains below-average and his changeup is unrefined, so he's in the bullpen to stay. Relieving suits Walden's personality and inconsistent delivery, and it's a role in which he can excel. If Angels closer Fernando Rodney falters, Walden could pick up save opportunities with an eye toward assuming that role full-time in 2012.
The Angels signed Walden for $1 million in May 2007 as a draft-and-follow out of Grayson County (Texas) CC, the same program that produced John Lackey. Walden had entered 2006 as the top high school prospect in the draft, but a poor showing dropped him to the 12th round. He dominated in his first two pro seasons, but a strained forearm limited him to 13 mostly ineffective starts in 2009. Though Walden clearly was not at his best last year, he never completely lost his heavy 90-94 mph fastball. Facing it has been likened to trying to hit a brick. Batters struggle to lift his fastball when it's down in the zone, and he has surrendered just 14 homers in 281 pro innings. His mid-80s slider has occasional tilt. Walden's forearm injury sapped him of his peak velocity and negatively affected his control. His changeup still lags behind his other pitches, and inconsistent mechanics also played a role in his poor command. He didn't pitch with his usual chutzpah while dealing with failure for the first time as a pro. After effectively losing a year of development, Walden rehabbed throughout instructional league in an effort to be ready for spring training. If his command doesn't improve, his power fastball/slider combo appears tailored to a late-inning relief role.
Walden fell to the 12th round after entering 2006 as the top high school prospect in the draft, but he boosted his stock with a year at Grayson County (Texas) Community College and signed for $1 million as a draft-and-follow. He has justified the investment so far, reaching high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in his first full pro season as that team threatened to make the playoffs. He also showed the strongest arm in the system. Walden's calling card remains his fastball, which touched 101 and sat at 91-94 mph in 2008. He throws it on an impressive downward plane, and one observer said facing his heater was "like trying to hit a brick." His 86-87 mph slider has good tilt. He pitches to both sides of the plate and has the frame to be a workhorse. Against more advanced hitters, Walden will need to fine-tune his secondary pitches. He needs to dust off his changeup to better set up his fastball. His slider is inconsistent, at times losing velocity and shape. During instructional league, Los Angeles had him focus on repeating his delivery, which would help improve his command. Walden projects as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter with an ETA of mid-2010. If he doesn't open 2009 in Double-A Arkansas, he should get there by the end of the season.
The No. 1 prep prospect in the nation entering his senior season, Walden saw his velocity dip to the mid-80s and he fell to the 12th round of the 2006 draft. He rebounded at Grayson County (Texas) CC in 2007 and signed for $1 million a few hours before the deadline for draft-and-follows. He capped his pro debut by striking out 10 in eight innings during Rookie-level Orem's league championship game. The night Orem won the league title, Walden touched 100 mph and was still flashing 97s in the seventh inning. His fastball is the easily the best in the system. His slurvy 80-81 mph slider grades as a future plus pitch because of its velocity and occasional late bite. His delivery isn't effortless, but his arm action is relatively clean. He's a good athlete. Walden can pound the zone with his fastball, but his overall command, especially of his secondary pitches, can improve. His slider lacks depth and consistency. He has a rudimentary feel for pitching and has a lot to learn about the craft, such as making his changeup more than just a usable pitch. With wide shoulders, big hands and wrists, Walden figures to fill out into a workhorse No. 2 or 3 starter. The cream of the Angels' promising rising crop of pitching prospects, Walden should spend 2008 at low Class A Cedar Rapids.

Minor League Top Prospects

Walden spent all of 2009 with Arkansas but battled a forearm strain for most of the season and wasn't at his best when he did pitch. Because of his arm problems and his difficulty improving his command and developing his changeup, the Angels moved him to the bullpen this season. The results were dramatic, as managers rated his fastball the best in the TL and he finished the year in Los Angeles' bullpen, where he had a 2.35 ERA in 16 appearances. Walden's fastball has always been his calling card, a heavy sinker that usually sits around 94 mph and peaks at 97, and it was much more effective in short stints. His slider is a potential plus pitch but remains inconsistent, which is one reason why he hasn't dominated as much as his stuff might indicate. The other reason is his command, which remains inconsistent due mostly to his mechanics. His slider and command seemed to come around in the big leagues, however, and with his pure arm strength, he'll be effective as a set-up man at least. If it all comes together, he could be a closer.
The radar gun at Great Lakes' Dow Diamond may be a tad fast, as it reported Loons ace Clayton Kershaw throwing 101 mph last year and Walden doing the same in his final MWL start before a mid-June promotion. For most of the season, his fastball ranged from 90-95 mph, though one scout who saw him twice didn't see him hold that velocity and watched him pitch at 86-91 mph in the second outing. Walden's velocity can be overpowering at times but he's still working on polishing the rest of his game. His slider has the potential to become a plus pitch, but it's inconsistent and often devolves into a softer, slurvier breaking ball. He'll have to improve his changeup, command and mechanics in order to remain a starter. Scouts also liked the power arm of another Kernels righthander, Mason Tobin, who didn't log enough innings to qualify for this list. Before a shoulder strain ended his season in early June, Tobin pitched in the low 90s and touched 97, albeit with some effort in his delivery.
Walden was scheduled to spend his first full season in the low Class A Midwest League, but he performed so well that he earned a promotion to Rancho in mid-July. Those who saw him in his nine Cal League starts were impressed. Walden had the highest ceiling on the Rancho Cucamonga staff, with the potential to be a No. 2 big league starter. He features an above-average fastball that touched 96 mph in the Cal League, and a good breaking ball that was alternately identified as a slider or a curve. Walden still needs some polish. His mechanics sometimes get off kilter, meaning he can't command his pitches consistently. His changeup is a work in progress.
Orem won its third Pioneer League championship in four years by sweeping all four of its playoff games, and Walden was at his best in the finale. Though he received no decision, he allowed just an unearned run in eight innings while striking out a career-high 10 and touching 98 mph with his fastball. Walden was considered a surefire first-rounder heading into his senior year of high school in 2006 until his fastball velocity dipped into the high 80s. When it bounced back this spring, the Angels signed him for $1 million as a draft-and-follow. He maintained a plus-plus fastball in his pro debut, sitting at 94-96 mph even in the later innings of his starts. Walden has good arm action on his slider, which has the potential to be a plus pitch once he refines it and locates it for strikes consistently. His changeup is also improving. His mechanics were off a bit at the beginning of the season, but he since has smoothed them out.