Josh Stinson

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Baltimore Orioles #28 prospect in 2014
  Stinson has made cameo appearances in the major leagues in each of the last three seasons, with three different clubs. The Mets signed him for $125,000 as a 37th-round pick in 2006, and while he was far from an immediate hit, he reached the majors with them in 2011. The Mets lost him on a waiver claim to the Brewers in April 2012, and he had his best year as a starter at Double-A Huntsville, earning a September callup to Milwaukee. Again the next spring, teams tried to sneak him off the 40-man roster and lost him on waiver claims. It happened twice, as the Athletics claimed him from Milwaukee on March 29 and the Orioles claimed him from the A's a week later. He led Triple-A Norfolk in innings in 2013, then pitched well again during a big league callup in September. Stinson throws hard, with a sinker in the 89-93 mph range, and he reaches 95 out of the bullpen with his four-seamer. He uses a hard curveball as his out-pitch that reaches 80 mph even as a starter, but his firm, fringy changeup leaves him vulnerable to lefthanders. He's developed a hard, moderately effective cutter to try to combat them. His fastball and cutter tend to be flat when elevated, leaving him homer prone, as was the case in his lone big league start in 2013, a four-homer outing against the Blue Jays. He'll try to shed the 4-A label in spring training with the Orioles.
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  Ranked New York Mets #26 prospect in 2010
  The Mets jumped Stinson to low Class A shortly after signing him for $125,000 as a 37th-round pick in 2006. After he struggled as a starter in his first full season, New York gave him some time in the bullpen in 2008 and made him a full-time reliever last year. He prefers working out of the bullpen because he can air out his fastball without worrying about pacing himself. He gets groundballs with his 89-92 mph two-seamer and reaches 96 with his four-seamer. Stinson's best secondary pitch is a hard curveball, and he also throws a slider and changeup. He's still seeking more consistency with his mechanics and battles his command at times. Though he posted a 1.98 ERA at St. Lucie in the final two months of the season, he walked 19 in 36 innings. Stinson, who started each of the last three seasons at Savannah, will open 2010 in Double-A after getting extra work in the Arizona Fall League during the offseason.
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  Ranked New York Mets #17 prospect in 2007
  Special assistant Benny Latino stayed on Stinson all year but knew there wasn't much buzz surrounding him, and the Mets patiently waited to grab him in the 37th round. Latino pulled the same act when he was with the Devil Rays, snagging big leaguers Joey Gathright (32nd) and Chad Gaudin (34th round) in the 2001 draft. Signed for $125,000, he pitched so well in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League that he received a late-season promotion to low Class A. Stinson throws two- and four-seam fastballs that sit from 89-94 mph with a good downward plane. He works mostly off the two-seamer, which sits at 89-91 with heavy sink and was instrumental in his 2.00 ground-fly ratio in the GCL. Formerly a slurvy pitch, his breaking ball has developed into a hard 2-to-7 curve from 78-82 mph, and he spent much of the season working on his changeup. Stinson's mechanics lack consistency, and he has a tendency to fall off to the first-base side of the mound, which hinders his command. With an ideal frame and arm speed, Stinson offers projection and has the makeup to make the necessary adjustments. He'll spend 2007 in low Class A and has the makings of a middle-of-the-rotation starter.