Daniel Berlind
| IP | 277 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.419 |
| WHIP | 1.455 |
| BB/9 | 3.996 |
| SO/9 | 6.921 |
- Full name Daniel Berlind
- Born 12/03/1987 in Woodland Hills, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'7" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Los Angeles Pierce College
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Drafted in the 7th round (242nd overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2007 (signed for $80,000).
View Draft Report
Berlind, at 6-foot-7, was drafted by the Cubs last year, went to Cal Poly in the fall and transferred to Pierce in January. He finished strong, showing a 90-92 mph fastball on his projectable frame, spinning a decent hard slider and showing aptitude with a newfound changeup.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Berlind was predominantly a catcher in middle and high school before growing too tall for the position and moving to the mound as a prep junior. He was a sought-after recruit who chose Cal Poly, but he spent only the fall semester there before transferring to Pierce (Calif.) JC after Poly assistant coach Jerry Weinstein left the program. Berlind had a solid year at Pierce, signed for $80,000 as a seventh-rounder, then was the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League pitcher of the year in his pro debut. He has imposing size and good athletic ability, showing a three-pitch mix. His fastball sits at 89-90 mph and touches 93, and between his age and body, he has plenty of projection. His hard slider and changeup both have shown potential to be solid-average pitches, if not better. Most encouraging, Berlind challenges hitters and fills up the strike zone, showing coordination and a relatively compact delivery for his size. He's polished enough to jump over Elizabethton and start 2008 in low Class A if he has a good spring.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Cubs drafted Berlind out of a California high school in the 44th round in 2006, but he opted to attend Cal Poly instead. After last fall, he transferred to Pierce (Calif.) Junior College and went in the seventh round in June. Berlind has an intimidating 6-foot-7 frame and he uses it to his advantage, working on a downhill plane with good angle to his 87-89 mph fastball. He also throws a cutter, a 77-81 mph slider that has a chance to develop into a true out pitch and a changeup that presently grades out as well below average. There are a lot of moving parts in Berlind's delivery and yet he still repeats his mechanics well for a big man. He has very long arms and sometimes struggles to maintain a consistent release point simply because of the length of his limbs. Berlind started to wear down late in the year, but most scouts think he'll gain more control in his delivery and add some velocity with better core strength training.
