Wyatt Allen
| IP | 443 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.327 |
| WHIP | 1.488 |
| BB/9 | 4.571 |
| SO/9 | 6.481 |
- Full name Wyatt Rex Allen
- Born 04/12/1980 in Nashville, TN
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tennessee
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Drafted in the C round (39th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2001 (signed for $872,500).
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Some managers thought Allen had the best arm in the Cape Cod League last summer, and he may have had the best arm in the Southeastern Conference this spring. He worked consistently at 92-94 mph and got as high as 97. He has a classic pitcher's body at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He mixes in a curveball and splitter and varies his arm angle so much that it drives scouts nuts. The different arm slots make Allen deceptive but cost him control. He walked 50 in 80 regular season innings, falling behind in counts as hitters tagged him for a .283 average and a 6.44 ERA. If he pitches well in the NCAA regionals, he could sneak into the supplemental first round.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Despite his periodic flashes of brilliance, most organizations considered Allen a project coming out of college. The White Sox knew his erratic delivery needed a lot of work but were intrigued by his arm and took him 39th overall in the 2001 draft. They still like his ceiling but were disappointed that Allen didn't prove to be a quicker study in his first full season as a pro. His season was not a washout, as he made 29 starts and worked more than 167 innings. But he had 86 walks and didn't miss many bats, so there's much work to be done. Allen hasn't shown the velocity he had at Tennessee--he was clocked at 97 mph in the Cape Cod League after his sophomore season--but mostly needs to continue working on his curveball and changeup. He's likely to return to high Class A unless he shows signs of a breakthrough in spring training. -
This guy has come to the right place. With tremendous arm strength and an erratic delivery, Allen fits the mold of raw pitchers such as Dan Wright and Corwin Malone, who harnessed their talent in a hurry after joining the White Sox system. Allen opened scouts' eyes by beating Middle Tennessee State's Dewon Brazelton (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2001 draft) in an NCAA regional showdown. He was running on fumes after Chicago selected him with a supplemental first-round pick it received after losing Charles Johnson to free agency. He still reduced his ERA from 6.30 as a Tennessee junior to 3.16 with low Class A Kannapolis. He was clocked at 97 mph in the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2000, but generally works at 93-94 with two- and four-seam fastballs he throws to both sides of the plate. His curveball needs improvement and the Sox are working to give him a changeup. Allen may not have as much upside as Wright, but he could come to the big leagues just as quickly.
