Dana Eveland Stats & Scouting Report

IP	446
ERA	5.469
WHIP	1.666
BB/9	4.46
SO/9	6.215

Full name Dana James Eveland
Born 10/29/1983 in Olympia, WA
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School College Of The Canyons Junior College
Debut 07/16/2005
Drafted in the 16th round (469th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Eveland was a draft-and-follow signee in 2003, one year after the Brewers gave Manny Parra $1.5 million as a draft-and-follow. Eveland joined Parra in the Huntsville rotation in 2005, blew past him as a prospect and spent much of the second half in Milwaukee's bullpen. Eveland has a build that evokes David Wells and has some of Wells' pitchability as well. His fastball sits at 88-90 mph, touching 94. Eveland adds and subtracts off his fastball and commands it well. His slider can be a plus pitch, aided by his deceiving, crossfire delivery. His curveball has good depth. Like Wells, Eveland has trouble maintaining his weight. When he became a reliever, his conditioning lagged as he didn't maintain a workout schedule between starts. His changeup is his fourth pitch, though at times it's average. The Brewers hoped Eveland would get back on a conditioning track in the Arizona Fall League, but a knee injury ended his stint. If he's healthy and in shape, he could have the inside track on Milwakee's fifth starter's job.
Like Manny Parra, a draft-and-follow originally taken in 2002, Eveland dominated as a closer in his pro debut before making a transition to the rotation last year. Though he's projected as a reliever in the long term, the Brewers wanted him to start so he could hone his entire four-pitch repertoire. Eveland throws an 89-92 mph fastball and runs it up to 94 mph. His curveball and slider are average at times but inconsistent, and he also has a changeup. He displays good poise on the mound and has some deception as well as a feel for setting hitters up. He pounds the strike zone and usually works ahead in the count. Only one thing about Eveland scares the Brewers: his stocky frame. He's built a bit too much like David Wells for their liking, though he hired a personal trainer and vowed to spend more time on conditioning. If he can keep his weight in control, he should move quickly. Milwaukee won't hesitate to keep him in Double-A, where he jumped after spending most of last season in low Class A, if he arrives in shape and performs well in spring training.
A draft-and-follow signed before the 2003 draft, Eveland was made the closer at Rookie-level Helena because the Brewers were worried about how many innings he had logged in junior college. He responded to the new role with 14 saves in 19 appearances and an average of 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings, earning Pioneer League all-star honors. Coming out of the bullpen, he saw his fastball jump to 94-95 mph, and he also has a good curveball. His slider and changeup need work Scouts worry about his maximum-effort delivery and his David Wells build (though he's in better shape than Wells). Because Eveland has a deep repertoire, the Brewers may return him to a starting role, but club officials certainly liked the way he handled the pressure of finishing games. He showed good mound presence and went right after hitters. Eveland will spend 2004 in Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Scouts love Eveland's arm and hate his body. He pitches at 89-92 mph, topping out at 94 and maintains his velocity deep into games. But he also carries 240 pounds on his 6-foot frame, adding 20 pounds during the season despite repeated admonishments from the Brewers to watch his weight. He drew some obvious comparisons to portly lefties such as Sid Fernandez and David Wells. Eveland could become a No. 4 starter because he's a lefthander with solid velocity and command. But he still has plenty of work to do beyond his conditioning. His changeup and slider have their moments but neither is a consistently reliable second pitch.
Eveland challenged hitters and emerged as the league's most dominating closer, ranking second in saves. His strength is a heavy 92-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95. He also has an average slider that continues to improve. Eveland is developing the depth and consistency of his changeup, a pitch he'll need if the Brewers go ahead with their current plan of moving him into a rotation next year. Scouts aren't sure Eveland's body (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) and maximum-effort delivery are conducive to starting. "He has the mound presence of a major league pitcher," Carey said. "He really knows the strike zone and he's not afraid to go after hitters. His aggressiveness is outstanding."