George Sherrill

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #28 prospect in 2006
  The Mariners spent a first-round pick on Matt Thornton in 1998, but they may have found a more effective lefty reliever when they signed Sherrill out of the independent Northern League in mid-2003. Sherrill spent five years in three indy leagues before hooking on with Seattle, in part because his weight ballooned to 300 pounds at one point and scared clubs off. Sherrill isn't as imposing or as overpowering as Thornton, but he's very deceptive. Using a slow, stiff delivery, Sherrill short-arms the ball and releases it from behind his ear, making it difficult to pick up his pitches. His velocity was down a tick to 90-91 mph last season, still more than enough for a lefty. His best pitch is his slider, and he's death on lefthanders (.143 average against in Triple-A, .156 with Seattle). He'd be more effective against righthanders if he could refine a changeup, and until that happens, he'll be a lefty specialist. He competes hard and keeps the ball down. Sherrill spent the last two months of 2005 in the majors, pitching well until allowing four runs without recording an out against the A's in the final game. He'll have to battle for a big league job again in spring training.
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  Ranked Seattle Mariners #13 prospect in 2005
  Former scout Charley Kerfeld, who resigned from the Mariners after the season, had been the club's point man in scouring independent leagues for talent. Sherrill spent five seasons in independent ball, mainly because his weight ballooned to as much as 300 pounds and scared big league clubs off, before Kerfeld signed him in July 2003. He was in Seattle nearly a year later and pitched well for the Mariners before wearing down in mid-September. Sherrill is in better shape but his body still isn't pretty, and his deliberate, stiff delivery isn't either. But he has uncanny command for someone with his build and mechanics, and he throws the ball from behind his ear, making it difficult for batters to pick up his pitches. When he's fresh, Sherrill is nasty on lefthanders with his low-90s fastball and good slider. He's OK but not nearly as effective against righthanders, and needs to improve his changeup to fare better against them. Counting winter ball, Sherrill had pitched nearly nonstop since signing with Seattle, and he just needed some time off. The Mariners are counting on him to be one of their primary lefty relievers in 2005.