Kyle Simon
| IP | 409 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.775 |
| WHIP | 1.399 |
| BB/9 | 2.839 |
| SO/9 | 5.567 |
- Full name Kyle Patrick Simon
- Born 08/18/1990 in Long Beach, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Arizona
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Drafted in the 4th round (125th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2011 (signed for $231,300).
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While he's a lot bigger than Oregon State's Sam Gaviglio at 6-foot-5 and 219 pounds, Simon has similar stuff, as a righthander with a lot of sink on his fastball and a good feel for pitching. Simon peaks at 93 mph, though he usually works between 86-89. He doesn't have a put-away pitch as Gaviglio does, and it shows up when comparing their strikeout totals. Simon's secondary offerings consist of a cutter at 84-87 mph and a changeup. Simon is big and sturdy with a lot of deception in his delivery. He could go to the bullpen and show more of those 93s, or he could stay in the rotation and get a bunch of groundouts as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
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Acquired with catcher Gabriel Lino in the June deal that sent Jim Thome to the Orioles, Simon rejoined Phillies farm director Joe Jordan. Formerly Baltimore's scouting director, Jordan liked Simon's size and sinker enough to sign him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft for $231,300. He struggled at the outset of his first full pro season while working as a starter in high Class A, but he took off after the trade when Jordan put him in the bullpen, which best suits Simon's mentality. He quickly advanced to Double-A before ending the year in the Arizona Fall League. Working from a deceptive low three-quarters arm slot, Simon throws a heavy 89-92 mph sinker that Jordan says "hunts ground." He can get consistent groundouts in the minors with just that one pitch. The Phillies sent Simon to the AFL to get him more innings to develop his short, sweeping slider and his changeup, both of which are fringy offerings. Simon should advance to Triple-A in 2013, and his future is in middle relief. -
Simon was a starter for most of his three years at Arizona, and he earned all-Pacific-10 Conference honors in 2011 by going 11-3, 2.72. The Orioles took him in the fourth round and signed him quickly for a slot bonus of $231,300. That allowed him to start his pro career right away, though Baltimore used him very cautiously after he worked 129 innings in the spring. He pitched in relief at Aberdeen and Delmarva, usually working one-inning stints. Simon is big but not overpowering, succeeding more with heavy sink and a good feel for pitching. He has a low three-quarters delivery that gives him deception and good movement. His fastball operates in the high 80s and touches 93 mph. His slider moves but he needs to tighten its break and his command of it. Simon also has an 84-87 mph cut fastball as well as a changeup. He should be an innings-eating starter, and he'll go back to low Class A to begin his first full pro season.
