Craig House

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #21 prospect in 2002
  House made a rapid climb, getting to the big leagues slightly more than a year after he was drafted. But big leaguers weren't intimidated by his wild mechanics and he wound up spending the entire 2001 season in Triple-A. House has a deceptive delivery with his body parts seeming to go in totally different directions, and he hops towards the plate when he lets go of the ball. Converted to a reliever once he turned pro, House has a fastball that reaches the upper 90s, a mid-80s slider and a changeup that freezes hitters. The problem is he can't throw his pitches for strikes. He was exposed by major leaguer hitters, who took pitches and let House put himself behind in the count. He has been asked to iron out his herky-jerky mechanics but the adjustments have been difficult. House shows flashes of progress, then reverts to the style he says is more comfortable. If he masters the strike zone, he has the stuff to be a dominant closer. The Mets acquired House in a three-team, 11-player trade with the Brewers and Rockies in January. He most likely will return to Triple-A for a second full season in 2002.
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #7 prospect in 2001
  House made a rapid rise in his first full year of pro ball, opening 2000 in Class A and making stops at Double-A and Triple-A before finishing the season in the big leagues. A starter in college, he has worked exclusively out of the bullpen in 81 professional appearances. Combine a funky delivery that has his body going in different directions with an upper-90s fastball that could be headed just about anywhere, and House is very intimidating. He also has a mid-80s slider and a changeup that understandably freezes hitters when he throws it for strikes. House must find a more consistent release point in order to have better command. He got hitters to chase pitches in the lower minors, but more advanced hitters forced him to throw strikes. When he had trouble doing so in the majors, he got hammered. House has closer potential, but there's work to be done before he's ready to return to Colorado. He'll start 2001 at Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #15 prospect in 2000
  House needed just 65 games in the minors to go from a 12th-round pick in 1999 to a major leaguer in 2000. Along the way, he had more than twice as many strikeouts (118) as hits allowed (55). The most impressive number with House, however, is the velocity he can achieve on his fastball: 100 mph. House also owns a very hard slider, so he has the power stuff to be a closer. He's still searching for the consistency. He has an unorthodox delivery that makes it difficult for him to throw strikes at times, and scouts think his mechanics eventually may contribute to arm problems.
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #9 prospect in 2000
  A 12th-round draft pick in 1999, House was a starter at the University of Memphis. The Rockies liked his fastball so much that they wanted to try him in a closer’s role, and the experiment obviously worked. He made it to the majors 14 months after he signed. House has a herky-jerky delivery and a three-quarters release point that make his sinking fastball even more intimidating. As if 100-mph heat isn't imposing on its own merits. He also throws a slider that darts quickly out of a batter's reach. "He has stuff that's hard to find," Machemer said. His unorthodox motion also works against him, however. His command is inconsistent and was problematic in Colorado. There’s also the fear that his delivery could lead to an arm injury.
• 
  Ranked Northwest League #10 prospect in 1999
  House was converted to the bullpen by the Rockies. His fastball, which topped out at 92 mph during the spring, was suddenly 95-98 with excellent sinking life. House also throws a mid-80s slider with good late break. He showed a good ability to throw strikes with both pitches. House's delivery could either be his salvation or his downfall. It was called "nasty and ugly with a big head jerk" by one observer and "very deceptive" by another. House throws from a mid-three-quarter release point, which heightens his intimidation.

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  House needed just 65 games in the minors to go from a 12th-round pick in 1999 to a major leaguer in 2000. Along the way, he had more than twice as many strikeouts (118) as hits allowed (55). The most impressive number with House, however, is the velocity he can achieve on his fastball: 100 mph. House also owns a very hard slider, so he has the power stuff to be a closer. He's still searching for the consistency. He has an unorthodox delivery that makes it difficult for him to throw strikes at times, and scouts think his mechanics eventually may contribute to arm problems.
• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  A 12th-round draft pick in 1999, House was a starter at the University of Memphis. The Rockies liked his fastball so much that they wanted to try him in a closer’s role, and the experiment obviously worked. He made it to the majors 14 months after he signed. House has a herky-jerky delivery and a three-quarters release point that make his sinking fastball even more intimidating. As if 100-mph heat isn't imposing on its own merits. He also throws a slider that darts quickly out of a batter's reach. "He has stuff that's hard to find," Machemer said. His unorthodox motion also works against him, however. His command is inconsistent and was problematic in Colorado. There’s also the fear that his delivery could lead to an arm injury.