Carlos Gutierrez Stats & Scouting Report

IP	359
ERA	4.086
WHIP	1.418
BB/9	3.861
SO/9	6.618

Full name Carlos Rafael Gutierrez
Born 09/22/1986 in Miami, FL
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Miami (FL)
Drafted in the 1st round (27th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2008 (signed for $1,290,000).

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A casualty to Tommy John surgery, Gutierrez redshirted at Miami last season. He is back to form this season, and is considered the top closer in the ACC. Pitching for one of the top-ranked college teams in the country, Gutierrez has gotten plenty of chances to show off his low-90s fastball. The pitch has late life with heavy sink and Gutierrez commands it well, down in the zone, causing hitters to swing over the top of it. He throws a slider on occasion but it currently can't be considered average and he does have an arm recoil that follows his delivery--both of which raise red flags. However, upon developing and refinement of a second pitch, Gutierrez could be a fast mover as his sinker is a current major league plus pitch. Gutierrez is one of many quality college closers in this year's draft. He was not drafted out of high school as he began playing baseball just before his senior year.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

So far, the Twins haven't gotten the returns they hoped for on their 2008 draft class. First-round outfielder Aaron Hicks is stumbling in Class A and sandwich-round righthander Shooter Hunt was lost in the Triple-A phase of the 2011 Rule 5 draft. Drafted in between them and signed for $1.29 million, Gutierrez hasn't raced to the majors like he was expected to as a college reliever. He spent much of his first two pro seasons as a starter because Minnesota wanted to give him innings to refine his slider and changeup. He appeared to take off when moved back to the bullpen in 2010, but his control wavered last year after he went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder in July. He gave up 11 runs and 18 hits in his last 14 innings. Gutierrez's fastball can be electric. At times it sits at 93-96 mph with late turbo sink, generating tons of groundballs. Its liveliness makes it difficult for him to command, and advanced hitters started laying off it. Instead of trusting his slider and changeup when that happens, Gutierrez keeps going back to the sinker. As a result, his slider has regressed. Both of his secondary pitches are below average, and his cross-body delivery and tailing action on his fastball make it tough for him to locate pitches to his arm side. A slow tempo and low-energy mound presence haven't helped Gutierrez, who nevertheless was added to the 40-man roster in November. He'll have a chance to win a big league job in March but more likely will return to Triple-A.
Gutierrez recoved from Tommy John surgery in 2007 to go 27th overall in the 2008 draft, signing for $1.29 million after serving as the closer on Miami's College World Series team. The Twins used him as a starter in 2009 and for the first half of 2010 before returning him to the bullpen after he struggled in Double-A. They signed his brother David, also a righthander, as an 18th-rounder in June. Gutierrez has a power sinker that has earned him Derek Lowe comparisons, though he throws harder, reaching 97 mph at times. His sinker was much more effective once he moved to the bullpen, getting 4.4 groundouts for every airout, compared to a 2.6 ratio as a starter. His slider is better than his changeup, though it's more of an average pitch than a true weapon. He needs to command it better against lefthanders and throw more strikes in general. He's a solid athlete who repeats his delivery. As soon as Gutierrez can throw consistent strikes with his sinker, he'll join Minnesota's bullpen. Free agency could leave several openings in the Twins' relief corps, giving him an outside chance to open 2011 in the big leagues. It's more likely that he'll begin the season in Triple-A.
Gutierrez helped lead Miami to the 2008 College World Series and was one of three Hurricanes first-rounders in 2008, along with Yonder Alonso and Jemile Weeks. His younger brother David, a righthander, still pitches for the Hurricanes. Carlos closed for the 2008 club, but the Twins liked him as a starter and used him in that role for most of 2009, until he reached his innings limit. Gutierrez's hard sinker delivers groundouts by the bushel. It's a 92-94 mph bowling ball that produced a 3.45 groundout/airout ratio, the best of any minor leaguer with 100 innings last year. He's difficult to elevate when he commands his sinker, and it helps his average changeup and slider both play up. He's athletic, controls the running game and fields his position well. The Twins were cautious with Gutierrez's workload after he had Tommy John surgery in 2007 and pitched just 80 innings between college and pro ball in 2008. He'll need to get stretched out even more to be ready to start in the majors. Command is his other big obstacle, as his ball moves too much for him to keep it in the strike zone at times. If Gutierrez can improve his command, he has a chance to make good on the Derek Lowe comparisons he has earned. He's headed back to Double-A as a starter, but if he falters in that role, he should be able to make a big league impact as a setup man or possibly a closer.
Gutierrez started 17 games as a sophomore at Miami before missing 2007 with Tommy John surgery. He returned as a closer and became one of three Hurricanes drafted in the first round last June, joining Yonder Alonso (Reds) and Jemile Weeks (Athletics). Gutierrez signed for $1.29 million. He has the best fastball in the system when velocity, command and especially movement are factored in. His low-90s sinker has drawn comparisons to Derek Lowe's, and he had a 2.6 groundout/airout ratio and didn't allow a homer in his pro debut. Gutierrez' delivery is so easy that his pitches seem to jump on hitters. He's excellent at holding runners, and despite making a costly error in the College World Series, he's an above-average fielder. At times, Gutierrez shows a plus slider in the mid-80s, but he lacks consistency with it. His changeup is in the rudimentary stages but has flashed some sink. The Twins intend to see if Gutierrez can emulate Lowe as a starter who works off his sinker almost exclusively. They also hope putting him in their high Class A rotation will help him hone his fastball command. If the need arises, Minnesota could shift him back to the bullpen and put him on the fast track.

Minor League Top Prospects

There wasn't much to relish about facing the Twins' 2008 first-round pick. When Gutierrez was on, hitting his sinking fastball felt like making contact with a shot put. At his best, Gutierrez sits at 92-94 mph and piles up groundout after groundout. While at Fort Myers, he had a 4.5 groundout/airout ratio and allowed only one homer and eight extra-base hits in 55 innings. Hitters made contact against him, but very few barreled the ball. On other days, Gutierrez's sinker parks at 89-91 mph. His slider and changeup still need work, so some scouts believe he'll end up working out of the bullpen. That was his role at Miami, where he was a closer on a College World Series team.