James McDonald Stats & Scouting Report

IP	512
ERA	4.201
WHIP	1.402
BB/9	4.061
SO/9	7.77

Full name James Zell McDonald
Born 10/19/1984 in Long Beach, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School Golden West College
Debut 09/17/2008
Drafted in the 11th round (331st overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

McDonald's father James Sr. played college basketball at Southern California and then made the Los Angeles Rams as a tight end. James Jr. is also a cousin of former big leaguers Darnell and Donzell McDonald. He made a name for himself in last year's postseason, striking out seven Phillies in 51/3 scoreless innings in the National League Championship Series. McDonald can add and subtract velocity from all three of his pitches--fastball, curveball and changeup--and has strong command. His best pitch is his 11-5 curve, which ranges from 69-77 mph, and his changeup is a plus offering with sink. When he pitched in relief in the majors, his fastball jumped up to 93-94 mph. He pitches from a high arm angle, using his height to deliver the ball on a downward plane to the hitter. He also shows great composure and feel for pitching. His first postseason pitch, with the bases loaded in the third inning of Game Two of the NLCS, was a changeup to Pat Burrell for a swinging strike. He's a terrific athlete who spent 2004-05 as an outfielder when he came down with a sore arm. McDonald's fastball is very straight, and when he pitches as a starter it has fringy velocity at 87-91 mph. However, his secondary pitches help compensate for his fastball's shortcomings. His curveball can be inconsistent at times. The Dodgers' 2009 rotation is unsettled thanks to free agency and Chad Billingsley's broken leg. McDonald will make the Opening Day roster in some capacity, with a good chance of earning a job as a starter. He projects as a No. 3 starter or late-inning reliever.
A draft-and-follow who signed for $150,000, McDonald's path to prospect status has been an uncommon one. The Dodgers liked him as a two-way player and moved him to the outfield when he came down with arm trouble after his 2003 pro debut, but he returned to the mound at the end of 2005 when he didn't hit. The son of former NFL tight end James and the cousin of big leaguers Darnell and Donzell McDonald, he has athletic bloodlines. McDonald has above-average command of three average to plus offerings. His curveball is the best in the system, with depth and 11-to-5 shape, and he has the feel to throw it in any count. His 87-93 mph fastball plays up because of deception in his delivery and his ability to add and subtract velocity. He effectively sells his changeup, which shows occasional plus sink and fade. He always has had a loose, clean arm action, and has improved his extension, which gave him better command and life on his pitches. McDonald still is honing the consistency of his stuff and his mechanics, and growing into his slender frame. A possible No. 3 starter, McDonald most likely will open 2008 in Double-A with a chance to move to Triple-A at midseason.
McDonald's father James spent four years in the NFL as a tight end for the Rams and Lions, and his cousins Donzell and Darnell McDonald are minor league outfielders. McDonald's Long Beach Poly High lost to Delmon Young and Camarillo High in the California state semifinals in 2002. He caught the attention of Dodgers scouts by ripping a ball of the wall against Young (the No. 1 overall pick in 2003), who was throwing 93-94 mph. After Los Angeles took him in the 11th round, McDonald elected to attend Golden West (Calif.) JC in hopes of improving his draft status. He did just that, signing for $300,000 as a draft-and-follow. The Dodgers initially were split on whether to develop McDonald as a pitcher or outfielder, but the extra year helped convince them his future is on the mound. Compared to Edwin Jackson for his two-way athleticism, McDonald needs polish but already flashes plus velocity on his fastball. It normally sits in the 87-92 mph range, while his curveball has tight bite and depth. His changeup is a work in progress. The Dodgers think he could follow a similar path to Jackson's and will start him on the fast track at one of their Class A affiliates in 2004.

Minor League Top Prospects

After leaving spring training with a bit of a dead arm and getting off to a slow start, McDonald emerged as one of the SL's best pitchers. Lanky and athletic, he won't blow anyone away with his 88-92 mph fastball, but he does rack up strikeouts with his curveball and changeup. While his fastball lacks plus velocity, his 74-77 mph changeup provides enough separation from his heater to keep hitters off balance. He'll throw his changeup when behind in the count and maintains his arm speed on the pitch, at times making it a well above-average pitch with sink and fade. His curveball is an average-to-plus pitch, and he can add and subtract from it as needed. McDonald has clean arm action and raises his front side to create deception with all of his pitches. While he doesn't get himself into trouble with walks, he needs to improve the command of all of his pitches, particularly his fastball. A flyball pitcher, he lacks life on his fastball and gets hammered when he leaves it up in the zone.
McDonald has had an unusual career path. The Dodgers drafted him out of high school as a first baseman in 2002, signed him as a pitcher as a draft-and-follow in 2003, moved him to the outfield in 2004 and then shifted him back to the mound toward the end of the 2005 season. Now he's showing command of three potential plus pitches and still has room to add strength on his 6-foot-5, 195-pound frame. Managers rated his curveball the best in the Cal League, and McDonald sets it up with an 89-93 mph fastball he can spot in any quadrant of the strike zone. His changeup gives him a solid-average third pitch. His stuff plays up because he throws on a steep downhill plane, and he continued his success after a promotion to Double-A in mid-July.
Arm trouble prompted the Dodgers to move McDonald from the mound to the outfield shortly after they signed him in 2003. But the experiment was short-lived after McDonald hit .226 in Rookie ball in '04-'05. He took huge strides this season, and his 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings ranked fourth among full-season minor leaguers. The son of former National Football League receiver James McDonald, he has athleticism to spare and a loose if imperfect arm action that offers some deception. His fastball ranges from 88-92 mph and he has a knack for locating it. His curveball and changeup are inconsistent, but both have potential to develop into plus offerings. "What he has in his favor is deception," Gardner said. "From the dugout, you wouldn't think his fastball was all that great, but when you get to the plate, our hitters said it got on top of you quickly and was hard to hit."