Ryan Chaffee

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #13 prospect in 2013
  The winning pitcher for Chipola (Fla.) JC in the 2007 Junior College World Series championship game as a freshman, Chaffee broke a bone in his foot the next March, requiring surgery to insert a screw. He returned to the mound and signed with the Angels for $338,000 as a third-round pick in 2008, but he reinjured the foot that summer and didn't make his pro debut until 2009. After three unsuccessful seasons as a starter, he moved to the bullpen late in 2011 and finally found success in the role last season. Working from a three-quarters arm slot, Chaffee has excellent arm speed that produces a lively 90-95 mph fastball with downhill plane. His curveball can be a power hook in the low 80s that comes out of the same line of his fastball and disappears to get swings and misses, though it gets slurvy and is still inconsistent. He has shown feel for a changeup with solid fade but doesn't use it frequently. Chaffee's command and control are still below-average, and he gets in trouble when he leaves the ball up. He works quickly with a high-effort delivery. Chaffee has the stuff to carve out a role in middle relief and could get his chance to make his big league debut in 2013. However, the Angels opted not to protect him on their 40-man roster during the offseason.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #21 prospect in 2010
  As a freshman in 2007, Chaffee helped pitch Chipola (Fla.) JC to its first Junior College World Series title. He broke a bone in his foot the following March, requiring surgery to insert a screw, then returned in time to pitch the Indians to a Florida state championship. He went in the third round and signed for $338,000 in 2008, though he reinjured the same foot in the Juco World Series and didn't make his pro debut until 2009. He proved to be worth the wait, leading low Class A Midwest League pitchers with a .206 opponent average and finishing second with 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He also took a walk on the wild side, hitting a league-high 16 batters and walking 65. Chaffee seems to have taken a cue from Orlando Hernandez in that he pitches from three distinct arm angles, ranging from sidearm to high three-quarters. He uses an old-fashioned full windup and throws everything but the kitchen sink at his opponents. His low-90s fastball has some life, while his curveball features good spin and is most often his best offering. His slider has lateral movement but not much tilt, while his changeup is an average pitch at times. If Chaffee is to remain a starter he'll need to focus on refining one arm slot--the Angels prefer three-quarters, from which his fastball and curve show the most life--because he doesn't repeat his delivery well enough to throw strikes. Other righthanded relievers have had success with multiple arm angles, and that might be the best way to utilize Chaffee's unique profile. He'll move up to high Class A this season.
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  Ranked Los Angeles Angels #21 prospect in 2009
  As a freshman, Chaffee pitched a complete-game five-hitter to shut down New Mexico in the final game of the 2007 Junior College World Series, giving Chipola (Fla.) its first national title. He got off to a slow start as a sophomore before breaking a bone in his foot last March, requiring surgery to insert a screw. Chaffee returned to pitch in the Florida state juco tournament, striking out 17 on two days' rest to beat Manatee in the finals. He reinjured his foot at the Juco World Series and never took the mound for the Angels after spurning a Louisiana State scholarship to sign for $338,000 as a third-rounder. When healthy, Chaffee attacks hitters with a variety of pitches and arm angles. He works with a low-90s fastball with late movement, three varieties of breaking balls (an over-the-top curve, a slurve from a three-quarters slot and a sweeping slider from down low). He also has a plus changeup. While changing his arm angle throws hitters off balance, it also hampers Chaffee's command at times. Los Angeles is anxious to see him on the mound and is optimistic that he'll be able to pitch in spring training. They may be cautious with him and have him open the season in extended spring training.