Casey Fien
| IP | 289 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.422 |
| WHIP | 1.201 |
| BB/9 | 1.9 |
| SO/9 | 7.817 |
- Full name Casey Michael Fien
- Born 10/21/1983 in Santa Rosa, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
- Debut 07/26/2009
- Drafted in the 20th round (592nd overall) by the Detroit Tigers in 2006.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Several interesting players were selected in the 20th round of the 2006 draft. Righthanders Brad Boxberger and Billy Bullock didn't sign, instead heading to college and becoming premium picks in the 2009 draft. Outfielder Domonic Brown turned pro and has become the Phillies' top prospect. While Fien can't match their prospect status, he beat them all to the big leagues, pitching 21⁄3 hitless innings of relief against the White Sox in his debut last July 26. Fien works primarily off his fastball, throwing a four-seamer at 91-93 mph and mixing in a two-seamer for more sink. He'll flash a promising slider but it's inconsistent, and his changeup lags behind his other pitches. Once he refines his secondary pitches, sharpens his command and learns to read hitters' swings, he'll get a longer look in Detroit. He profiles as a middle reliever. -
Fien is on the cusp of the big leagues, and he has taken an uncommon route to get there. In 2003, he was in the starting rotation at William Penn, an NAIA university in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Then he returned to his native California, pitched for Golden West JC as a sophomore, and transferred to Cal Poly for his junior and senior seasons. The Tigers made him a 20th-round draft pick in 2006, and he has pounded the strike zone ever since. Fien rarely walks batters and is fearless on the mound. He made two scoreless appearances in big league springtraining games last year, though he hadn't pitched above low Class A at the time. Fien's signature pitch is a sinker that he throws at 91-92 mph. He uses the sinker both to get ahead of hitters and as an out pitch. As long as he gets good movement with it down in the zone, he's fine. The rest of his repertoire doesn't worry hitters, as he has a slurvy 82-84 mph breaking ball and a below-average changeup. Fien began 2008 as the closer at Double-A, earned a promotion to Triple-A and finished with a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League. This spring, he'll compete for a spot in Detroit's bullpen.
