Jim Ed Warden
| IP | 561 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.043 |
| WHIP | 1.49 |
| BB/9 | 4.861 |
| SO/9 | 8.166 |
- Full name James Edward Warden
- Born 05/07/1979 in Murfreesboro, TN
- Profile Ht.: 6'7" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Tennessee Tech
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Drafted in the 6th round (187th overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2001.
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Hard to believe, but RHP Jim Ed Warden's February grade from the Major League Scouting Bureau was a 57--two points higher than Brazelton's. That was a bit of a stretch, but Warden is 6-foot-7, lean and has touched 91 mph, so he's projectable.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Warden was the first NCAA Division I scholarship athlete out of Middle Tennessee Christian School, a disctinction he earned after he walked on at Tennessee Tech. While he had some success there and showed power stuff, he also set the single-season record of 16 wild pitches for the Golden Eagles. Things didn't go well during much of Warden's pro career either until the Indians switched his arm slot to a low three-quarters angle in 2005. The Phillies took a chance on Warden in the Rule 5 draft, selecting him in the second round of the major league phase. With the new release point, he took off, hitting 90-93 mph consistently with his fastball that tops out at 95. His slider has become a plus pitch, but his changeup was the biggest reason for his success last season in Double-A. Warden is new to the two big changes in his career, both in his arm angle and the bullpen role, and his confidence needs to be stoked. He also needs to be more consistent with his release point, as he'll still come over the top from time to time. He'll need better command if he's going to stick on the Phillies' 25-man roster all season. -
A big, strong righthander, Warden is yet another product of the Indians' promising 2001 draft class. In February, the Major League Scouting Bureau gave him an overall future potential grade of 57 grade on the 20-to-80 scale, two points higher than fellow Tennessee collegian Dewon Brazelton, who went No. 3 overall to the Devil Rays. Warden isn't really in Brazelton's class, but he's a legitimate prospect who made quite an impression in Rookie ball and instructional league. The Indians love his makeup, arm strength and ability to both spin a breaking ball and repeat his delivery. His size allows him to create a good downhill angle for his low-90s fastball. The next step for Warden will be to continue to work on his changeup, which could make his fastball even more effective. He's scheduled to start 2002 in the low Class A rotation.
