Greg Miller Stats & Scouting Report

IP	438
ERA	4.13
WHIP	1.578
BB/9	6.514
SO/9	9.637

Full name Greg David Miller
Born 11/03/1984 in Yorba Linda, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School Esperanza
Drafted in the 1st round (31st overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002 (signed for $1,200,000).

View Draft Report

A 6-foot-5, 190-pound 17-year-old, Miller is a late bloomer. No one paid attention to him last summer and fall when his fastball was clocked in the low 80s. After his velocity and feel for pitching improved noticeably in the last six months, he's now regarded as a fringe first-round prospect. His fastball is normally in the 87-89 mph range and has touched the low 90s. He has an excellent curveball and the makings of a solid changeup. His body isn't athletic, but his loose, easy arm works well from a deceptive delivery. He keeps everything down and works the corners well. Once thought to be a good bet to attend school at California, Miller will be a longshot to enroll now.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

As a 19-year-old, Miller's name was spoken in the same breath as Cole Hamels and Scott Kazmir as the minors' best lefthanded pitching prospects. But then he missed the 2004 season and half of '05 with a shoulder injury that required two surgeries, and he never has been the same since. His stuff isn't far from what it was, but a lack of consistency and command are preventing him from reaching his potential. Miller struggled to find the strike zone in Triple-A at the start of 2007, resulting in a demotion, and had a 12.79 ERA with 23 hits and 16 walks in 13 innings in the Arizona Fall League following the season. His arm action is deeper in back than it once was, and though he showed better durability last year, his fastball command was nonexistent at times. He still pitches in the low 90s and touches 95 mph, and his 83-87 mph slider grades as a plus-plus pitch at times, giving him the weapons to profile at least as a situational reliever if he rediscovers his feel for the strike zone. He shows much better command of his slider than he does his fastball. He also throws a curveball, cutter and changeup, but doesn't get to them often because he's too frequently behind in counts. Miller remains on the Dodgers' 40-man roster, and they're optimistic he'll fill a role in their major league bullpen. That will come as soon as he figures out how to consistently throw strikes.
Miller missed all of 2004 and the first half of 2005 with a shoulder injury that required two surgeries. He was used conservatively in 2006, opening the year in Double-A before spending most of it at Triple-A. He's not the same dominant pitcher and lacks consistency, but shows flashes of the velocity and stuff that made him the minors' best lefthanded pitching prospect before his injury. He doesn't repeat his arm slot, and seems to search for a release point that minimizes discomfort in his shoulder. As a result, his control suffers and he's erratic with all of his pitches. His fastball sits at 91-92 mph, touching 95 with nasty life and tail. His hard slider comes in between 80-86 mph with late, sharp break. He also throws a cutter, curveball and changeup, but worked with a two-pitch mix in his role as Vegas' setup man. He rarely worked more than two innings, and Miller's durability remains a concern. The Dodgers could opt to return him to the rotation to test his stamina and give him more innings to work on his control. Miller's future lies in his health.
Once rated as the top lefthanded pitching prospect in baseball, Miller missed all of 2004 and the first half of 2005 with a shoulder injury that required two surgeries. He finally returned last summer and was back in Double-A by August, showing flashes of his old velocity and stuff. He's far from the same pitcher, however, as his shoulder problems have forced him to drop his arm angle. To loosen up, he sometimes throws sidearm before gradually working up to a low three-quarters slot. His fastball ranges from 89-97 mph, and at times he pitched at 94 with good tailing action. He likes to throw a cutter in on the hands of righthanders. Miller owned a slider and a curveball before his injury, but he now works mainly with the curve. It's a two-plane breaking ball at 76-82 mph, a potential plus offering with depth and diagonal tilt. With his lower arm slot, he struggled to get on top of his curve and to command it. Miller also throws an average changeup at 78-81 mph. His stuff plays up because of his remarkable feel for pitching. He's intelligent and mature, and if Miller stays healthy he still could become a front-of-the-rotation starter. The likelihood of that is in doubt, as he was shut down again in October with shoulder soreness after just four innings in the Arizona Fall League.
After establishing himself as baseball's top lefthanded pitching prospect in 2003, Miller never took the mound last season. He had shoulder pain toward the end of the 2003 season and had the bursa sac removed from his shoulder last March. Doctors discovered a bone spur in January, and performed a second operation on his shoulder. Before he got hurt, Miller's velocity had steadily increased, from the mid-80s to low 90s in high school to regularly touching 95 in 2003. His hard slider has developed into a plus pitch, and he has a power curveball. A solid-average changeup completes his repertoire. What separates Miller, though, is his cerebral approach and deft command of all his pitches. Miller's health is a major question mark. Some Dodgers officials believe his shoulder troubles resulted from being rushed, and that the club reacted too slowly to treat the problem. Following changes in the player-development department, Los Angeles will take a more conservative approach with Miller. He was expected to begin throwing again by spring training and could join Class A Vero Beach by mid-June.
Several Dodgers scouts say Miller is even better than Edwin Jackson. After going 2-2, 5.03 in his first six starts, Miller dominated the high Class A Florida State League and earned a promotion to Double-A Jacksonville as an 18-year-old. Miller's velocity has increased from the mid-80s in high school to the low 90s, and he regularly hit 95 mph in 2003. His power curveball is among the best in the organization, and he added a cutter that has morphed into a nasty slider. His average changeup gives a fourth pitch with which to attack hitters. He completes the package with command, intelligence and uncanny poise. Miller's season ended with shoulder bursitis, and some wonder if the stress of throwing a slider contributed to his problems. Other than staying healthy, he has little to work on. Though the Dodgers opted for Jackson when Hideo Nomo got hurt, Miller got serious consideration for a September spot start. He'll be given an outside chance to make the big league rotation in the spring, but most likely will return to Double-A.
Miller was on most Southern California area scouts' follow lists heading into last spring, and some thought he'd make a nice draft-and-follow pick. Then his low-80s velocity improved to the upper 80s, which coupled with his plus breaking ball caused his stock to soar. "He got better in March instead of the following spring," one American League cross-checker said. By draft day, that scout wasn't the only one making Chuck Finley comparisons. One of the youngest players in the draft at 17, Miller operates with an 89 mph fastball with sink down in the zone. He tops out at 92 and has projectability. His knuckle-curve is an above-average pitch with hard, downward break, though he needs to sharpen his command of the pitch. He demonstrates a feel for his rudimentary circle changeup, which projects as an average offering. Miller's delivery is a little choppy and needs some minor tinkering, but it also adds to his deception. He has a high leg kick and short stride, which helps him to snap off his nasty knuckle-curve, so the Dodgers won't lengthen it too much. Spring training will determine whether he's ready to jump to a full-season league.

Minor League Top Prospects

One of the youngest players in a full-season league in 2003, Miller earned a spot in the Vero Beach rotation out of spring training with just 38 pro innings under his belt. He was able to do so because he has a remarkably refined repertoire for an 18-year-old, with a 90-95 mph fastball, plus curveball, good changeup and newly developed cut fastball. He added an inch and 15 pounds to his projectable frame in the offseason, helping him gain velocity. He was clocked as high as 96 mph after pitching between 87-91 in his pro debut. He was dominant throughout the season, improving his changeup and throwing all four pitches for strikes. "When he's on the mound, he's in charge and there's no doubt about it," Daytona manager Rick Kranitz said. "When we see that he's on the mound, we know we're in for a dogfight."
Despite his 6-foot-5 frame, Miller isn't a flamethrower. Rather, he's a heady pitcher with advanced command and makeup for a 17-year-old. Miller's 87-89 mph fastball began touching the low 90s with more regularity, and he can locate it to both sides of the plate as well as up the ladder. He also features a plus curveball that he can spin for strikes. It's really a knuckle-curve, and he likes to use it as a change of pace after a few fastballs. He's working to improve his changeup. Miller works with a loose motion and batters don't pick up the ball well against him. Because he likes to work hitters up in the zone, he sometimes runs into difficulty if he leaves the ball over the plate.