Aaron Poreda Stats & Scouting Report

IP	34
ERA	4.765
WHIP	1.765
BB/9	5.294
SO/9	8.735

Full name Aaron Andermon Poreda
Born 10/01/1986 in Walnut Creek, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 240 / Bats: L / Throws: L
School San Francisco
Debut 06/12/2009
Drafted in the 1st round (25th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2007 (signed for $1,200,000).

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Poreda wasn't on the radar screen in high school; he focused more on football as a defensive end/tight end. He did pitch a bit, even tossing a no-hitter, but was awkward and had suspect arm action. In three seasons at San Francisco working with pitching coach Greg Moore, however, he has developed into a first-round candidate and one of the nation's hardest-throwing lefthanders. Poreda works off the fastball almost as much as UC Riverside's James Simmons (No. 47), and like Simmons, it's his only above-average pitch. While his fastball was flat and 89-90 mph in his 2007 opener, he has been consistently in the low 90s since then, touching 96-97 and regularly hitting 94. He throws plenty of strikes (though he lacks true command), and with his 6-foot-6, 240-pound frame, he should prove durable. He doesn't pitch as downhill as he should at his size, in part because of his low three-quarters arm slot. Poreda's arm action and lower slot make his breaking ball a fringe-average pitch at best, though it has improved. He has the makings of a changeup but hasn't thrown it much, sticking to his fastball. He had experimented with a higher slot to aid his breaking ball, but the move cost his fastball some of its late life and was back to his old slot.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The 25th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Poreda signed with the White Sox for $1.2 million. He made his major league debut last June, then went to the Padres six weeks later in the trade for Jake Peavy. He played for five teams at three levels last season, losing his feel for the strike zone along the way. Poreda fires plus four-seam fastballs ranging from 90-95 mph from a low three-quarters arm slot. The Padres see promise in his 88-91 two-seamer, which features better life in the zone. He has made strides in commanding his heater to both sides of the plate. He'll flash a plus slider in the high 80s. Big and strong, he's built for durability. After switching organizations, Poreda's delivery fell apart, as did his control. He gets around his slider too often, flattening it into a slurve. He lacks feel for his well-below-average changeup, and he needs to throw it more to try to develop it. Switching between starting in the minors and relieving in the majors has left Poreda with a feeling of lingering uncertainty about his role. Unless he makes huge strides with his command, he probably fits best at the back of a bullpen, where he could be San Diego's version of Matt Thornton.
The 25th overall pick in the 2007 draft, Poreda caught Ozzie Guillen's eye in spring training, when the Chicago manager called him "a real No. 1 guy." Poreda finished his first full season in Double-A and then displayed one of the most impressive arms in the Arizona Fall League. General manager Kenny Williams refused to give him up when the Rockies wanted him in a proposed Brian Fuentes trade--a high compliment given Williams' willingness to deal prospects. Poreda's calling card is his fastball, which generally parks in the mid-90s and has touched 100 mph. White Sox coaches have helped him develop a power slider, and while it isn't a plus pitch, it does keep hitters from sitting on his fastball. He throws strikes easily and is built for durability. Poreda still is refining his slider, and he doesn't have a lot of trust in his rudimentary changeup. His fastball straightens out at times, making him hittable. To succeed against big leaguers, he'll have to learn how to change speeds and possibly develop a cut fastball, a weapon favored by White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper. Poreda's AFL performance was so good that he forced himself into consideration for Chicago's 2009 staff. He'll probably open the season at Triple-A Charlotte. Some scouts see Poreda as a dominating reliever, but he will remain a starter for the time being.
The White Sox went into the 2007 draft needing to improve the depth of their position prospects but still took pitchers with their first six picks. They landed the Poreda with the 25th overall pick and signed him for $1.2 million. He went from walk-on to No. 1 starter at San Francisco, then posted a 0.93 ERA (counting two scoreless playoff starts) in his pro debut. Poreda has a rare fastball for a lefthander. He pitched in the low- to mid-90s in college but actually gained velocity late in the season, hitting 98 mph multiple times in an August start and topping out at 100. He has the body to handle the stress of throwing hard--he played on both sides of the line as a high school footballer--and still could develop more physically. A lack of secondary pitches was the primary reason Poreda was still available when Chicago drafted. Both his slider and a changeup are works in progress. The White Sox were encouraged with his efforts improving the slider in instructional league, though he still needs to consistently throw it for strikes. He's raw for a college pitcher, needing work on the fine points of his craft. Poreda will open his first full season as a starter in Class A, but he eventually could wind up as a bigger version of Billy Wagner coming out of the bullpen. The Sox will monitor his secondary pitches closely this season as they try to settle on a career path for him. If they move him to relief, he could get to Chicago quickly--possibly even at season's end.

Minor League Top Prospects

Poreda stuck around Winston-Salem for just 12 starts but made a lasting impression. He pitched off a 94-96 mph fastball that induces groundballs because of its movement. "His stuff is nasty and will only get better," one talent evaluator said. Poreda also began to show a feel for his changeup and defined his breaking pitch. Poreda threw a curveball in college before adding a slider after turning pro, and he found himself caught in between the two pitches at the outset of the season. The White Sox have pushed him to focus on his hard slider, which dives at righthanded hitters' feet. Pitching from a three-quarter arm slot makes it a challenge for Poreda to stay on top of his slider, and he also struggles to repeat his delivery at times. That could lead to a future as a reliever, and once scout said Poreda is ready to pitch out of a big league bullpen now.
The highest draft pick (No. 20 overall) to play in the league this year, Poreda has rare velocity for a lefthander. He can get his fastball up to 98 mph, and it sits in the low to mid-90s with late life, inducing both ground balls and strikeouts. A good athlete who gets praised for his makeup and work ethic, he was clearly too good to be pitching against Pioneer League hitters. Yet there are some legitimate concerns. Poreda doesn't have a secondary pitch that grades as average. He made a concerted effort to improve his slider and his changeup, but his low three-quarters arm slot and high-effort mechanics hamper him. The White Sox shut him down for three weeks in July when he came down with a tender arm, but he returned and didn't allow an earned run in either of his playoff starts.