Adam Carr
| IP | 400 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.163 |
| WHIP | 1.418 |
| BB/9 | 4.455 |
| SO/9 | 7.425 |
- Full name Adam C Carr
- Born 04/01/1984 in Felton, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Oklahoma State
- Drafted in the 18th round (541st overall) by the Washington Nationals in 2006.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Carr's road to Washington's 40-man roster this winter was long and winding. A power-hitting first baseman at Oklahoma State, Carr pitched just five innings in two years with the Cowboys, but Nationals area scout Ryan Fox saw him light up radar guns in fall practice and urged the club to draft him as a pitcher. Signed for $1,000 as an 18th-round pick, he posted a 1.78 ERA between Potomac and Harrisburg in his first full pro season but got hammered repeatedly during the next two years with those same two clubs. Essentially left for dead as a prospect heading into 2010, Carr showed up in spring training with a dramatically less violent and more repeatable delivery that translated into better stuff and command. His calling card is a 93-95 mph fastball that touches 96. He can use his average slider as a chase pitch, and he also learned to throw it for strikes last year. He has developed a serviceable changeup, though it's definitely his third-best option. After posting identical 2.08 ERAs in Triple-A and the Arizona Fall League, Carr looks ready to compete for a big league middle-relief job in spring training. -
Carr pitched just five innings in his two-year career at Oklahoma State, where he mostly played first base and blasted 34 home runs. But Nationals area scout Ryan Fox saw him light up radar guns in fall practice and urged the club to draft him as a pitcher. That looks like a stroke of genius now that Carr, who signed for $1,000 as an 18th-rounder, dominated high Class A and reached Double-A in his first full pro season. His power fastball-slider repertoire made him a feared closer for Potomac, and he has the potential to fill the same role in the big leagues. With a fresh, electric arm, Carr easily pitches at 92-96 mph with his fastball, routinely touching 97. He attacks hitters with the fastball and an 80-82 mph slider that has good tilt and depth when it's on. He's still working on the spin with his slider and sometimes overthrows it, but it has the makings of a plus pitch. Carr is trying to refine his control, but Washington isn't discouraged by his high walk total because his location isn't all over the place. Most of the time, he just misses off the corners. Carr has a well below-average changeup that he seldom uses, but it doesn't figure to be a big part of his future repertoire. He should return to Double-A to start 2008 and could be in the big leagues as a setup man by the second half of the season. -
Carr led the Big 12 Conference with 22 home runs as a first baseman at Oklahoma State in 2005, when Nationals area scout Ryan Fox happened to be on hand for two of his five career pitching appearances. Fox saw Carr throw one inning in fall practice that year as well, and he was impressed enough to push the Nationals to draft him as a pitcher even though he didn't pitch at all as a senior in 2006. Signed for $1,000 as an 18th-rounder, Carr was disappointed he wasn't drafted as a hitter, so the Nationals let him DH on days he wasn't pitching, and he batted a combined .302 with three homers in 63 at-bats between two levels. He was even better off the mound, and better still in Hawaii Winter Baseball, going 1-0, 1.64 with a pair of saves in 11 innings. Carr has a surprisingly clean delivery given his inexperience as a pitcher. He has an electric, fresh arm and a lively fastball that touches 95 mph. Carr also throws a low-80s slider that can be an above-average pitch, and he's dabbling with a changeup that could give him a third average offering. His biggest weakness is simply his lack of experience and polish, but he's got a good feel for pitching and a strong, durable frame. He should start 2007 with a full-season Class A club and could be a power arm at the back of a big league bullpen sooner rather than later.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Carr led the Big 12 Conference with 22 homers as an Oklahoma State first baseman in 2005 and didn't pitch in a game as a senior in 2006, but the Nationals drafted him in the 18th inning as a pitcher based one seeing him take the mound for an inning in fall practice. In his first full season as a pitcher, he was the CL's most dominant reliever. Carr has a 92-95 mph fastball with outstanding late life, and he can run it in against lefties (who hit just .118 against him) or righties. His out pitch is a late-breaking, 84-87 mph slider with plus tilt and depth. He also flashes a changeup at times, though the pitch is still under construction. He walks too many hitters, but he has a surprising amount of polish for such an inexperienced pitcher. He fared well in seven late-season appearances in Double-A. "He'll really come out and go right after you," Kinston manager Mike Sarbaugh said. "He pounds the zone with the fastball that he'll run in on your hands and sets righthanders up real well with the breaking ball. He's a guy that could move quick."
