John Gaub
| IP | 2 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 9 |
| WHIP | 2 |
| BB/9 | 9 |
| SO/9 | 13.5 |
- Full name John David Gaub
- Born 04/28/1985 in St. Paul, MN
- Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: L
- School Minnesota
- Debut 09/12/2011
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Drafted in the 21st round (641st overall) by the Cleveland Guardians in 2006 (signed for $155,000).
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Lefthander John Gaub touched 96 mph and had 65 strikeouts in 39 innings working out of the bullpen as a sophomore, making him easily the early choice for top draft prospect in the Upper Midwest coming into 2006. But he has had trouble recapturing his previous form after arthroscopic shoulder surgery last July. Used as a starter this spring to give him more time between outings, Gaub threw 88-91 in his first outing but was down to 81-84 mph by late April and didn't even appear in the Big 10 Conference tournament. He also lost some command and downward bite on his curveball. His arm action hasn't looked right, though Gaub says he feels fine physically. On his best days in the past, he has shown three plus pitches (including a changeup), and he may be able to start as a pro if his stuff comes back. Whoever drafts Gaub likely will evaluate him in summer ball before deciding to sign him.
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The Cubs acquired Gaub from the Indians in the Mark DeRosa deal. One pro scout with another organization said Gaub was the best lefthanded reliever he saw in the minors in 2009. He had shoulder surgery after his sophomore season at Minnesota and again in pro ball in 2007, and his stuff came all the way back last season. Gaub touched 93 mph and showed a good slider at the end of 2008, and last year he worked from 91-96 mph with his fastball and 84-90 mph with a wipeout slider. The deception in his three-quarters delivery makes him that much tougher to hit. Gaub needs to find more consistency with his slider, and an offspeed pitch would help him confound batters who are geared up for hard stuff. His top priority is to improve his control, though there are advantages to being effectively wild. He gets righthanders out, so he can work the late innings and be more than a lefty specialist. A November addition to Chicago's 40-man roster, Gaub likely will begin 2010 in Triple-A but should help the big league club later in the year. -
After touching 96 mph and striking out 65 in 39 innings as a sophomore reliever at Minnesota, Gaub entered 2006 as the top draft prospect in the Upper Midwest. His stock dropped, however, when he had trouble bouncing back from arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Gaub's fastball dropped to 81-84 mph and his curveball lost its bite, so he plummeted to the 21st round. After the Indians invested $155,000 in him, he had more shoulder surgery and pitched just four innings in 2007 before breaking out last season. He ranked second among low Class A South Atlantic League relievers by averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Gaub did touch 94 mph, but his fastball sat around 90 and he got swings and misses thanks to the deception in his delivery. He threw from a more overhand arm slot with the Golden Gophers, but he has since lowered his arm angle and ditched his curve in favor of a slider, which improved throughout the season. Gaub needs to repeat his new delivery more frequently and issue fewer walks. He'll advance to high Class A and try to prove he can sustain his success without the high-octane stuff he showed in college.
