- Full name Nolan Richard Sanburn
- Born 07/21/1991 in Kokomo, IN
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Arkansas
-
Drafted in the 2nd round (74th overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 2012 (signed for $710,000).
View Draft Report
Arkansas had one of the nation's deepest pitching staffs this spring, allowing the Razorbacks to use a premium arm like Sanburn in a relief role. He was just seventh on the team in innings pitched in May, but scouts had seen enough of him to put him toward the top of a large group of college relief pitchers. He cemented his place with a dominant outing against Missouri, striking out seven in four shutout innings and sitting in the 94-99 mph range. Sanburn hits 97 consistently with his fastball and has a power curveball in the low 80s, though he doesn't locate it well. He has dabbled with a slider and cutter to give him a breaking ball he can control better. He needs innings, having thrown just 62 in college so far after pitching and hitting in high school, where he was primarily an outfielder.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
-
Sanburn has the potential to be one of the Athletics' most exciting pitching prospects, but he hasn't had many chances to show it. Used as a reliever at Arkansas, he threw just 73 innings in two seasons before he signed for $710,000 as a draft-eligible sophomore in 2012. A shoulder strain in 2013 prevented him from joining low Class A Beloit until mid-July. The A's kept him on a regular schedule of working two innings every four days, then built him up to three-inning outings in instructional league. Sanburn remains inexperienced on the mound but has the four-pitch mix to be a starter with two plusses. His fastball is electric at 93-94 mph and touches 96 with riding life, and his curveball shows impressive depth while coming in hard in the high 70s. He'll also flash a quality sinking changeup at times and has some feel for using it. Even his fourth pitch, a slider, features promising tight spin. Sanburn has the athleticism and delivery to hold up as a starter, but after years as a reliever, he's still learning to pace himself and develop a starter's routine. His upside is immense if everything comes together. The A's will keep building up Sanburn's innings in 2014 at high Class A Stockton. -
Mainly a position player in high school, Sanburn was a fringy prospect as a hitter but started showing the makings of a big fastball at the East Coast Pro Showcase in 2009. He turned down the Tigers as a 34th-round pick out of high school and went to Arkansas, where he pitched out of the bullpen before the A's made him a second-round pick and signed him for $710,000 as an eligible sophomore in 2012. Though he was a reliever in college, Oakland looks at his four-pitch mix and efficient delivery and sees a starter. Sanburn works his fastball at 93-97 mph and can touch 99. He backs up his heater with a hard 12-to-6 curveball that's another plus pitch. He has shown feel for a changeup with downward action. The A's are working to turn his slider into more of a cutter, and the pitch shows promise operating in the mid-80s. Sanburn still has much to learn about being a starter, though. He pitches with a closer's intensity, sometimes getting too amped up. His fastball command has to get better, as he's not efficient enough with his pitches to work deep into games. While Sanburn lacks experience pitching in a rotation, the bright side is that he has low mileage on his arm. Oakland believes he has the upside of a frontline starter. He'll go to low Class A for his first full pro season, with a target of 100-120 innings.
Draft Prospects
-
Arkansas had one of the nation's deepest pitching staffs this spring, allowing the Razorbacks to use a premium arm like Sanburn in a relief role. He was just seventh on the team in innings pitched in May, but scouts had seen enough of him to put him toward the top of a large group of college relief pitchers. He cemented his place with a dominant outing against Missouri, striking out seven in four shutout innings and sitting in the 94-99 mph range. Sanburn hits 97 consistently with his fastball and has a power curveball in the low 80s, though he doesn't locate it well. He has dabbled with a slider and cutter to give him a breaking ball he can control better. He needs innings, having thrown just 62 in college so far after pitching and hitting in high school, where he was primarily an outfielder.
