John Grabow

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #19 prospect in 2002
  Grabow had a lost season in 2001 after being placed on the Pirates' 40-man roster the previous winter. He struggled to return from the arthroscopic elbow surgery he had following the 2000 season and his command, which had been one of his strong points, deserted him when he reached Double-A. Grabow throws relatively hard for a lefty at 92 mph, but his best pitch is a changeup that regularly fools hitters. He's also a bright guy with a good understanding of pitching, though he tends to think too much at times. Grabow developed a mental block last season, becoming hesitant to cut loose with his fastball and losing the strike zone. He appeared to bounce back during a productive six weeks in instructional league, and Pittsburgh hopes his control will be fine now that he's another year removed from surgery. He likely will begin the year back in Double-A before he proves his arm and command are sound. Once he does, he'll move up to Triple-A.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #9 prospect in 2001
  The Pirates love lefthanders and have been infatuated with Grabow since making him a third-round draft choice in 1997. He led the Gulf Coast League with seven losses in 1997 and had a 5.78 ERA at Class A Augusta in 1998, but they didn't give up on him. Grabow throws harder than the average lefty, as his fastball routinely reaches 91-92 mph and makes him a strikeout pitcher. He also has a curveball, which he sometimes struggles to control, and an above-average changeup that could become an out pitch. He doesn't back down to hitters or rattle easily. Grabow's control regressed last season at Double-A Altoona, though, after he issued just 32 walks in 156 innings at Hickory in 1999. Making the jump past high Class A had something to do with it, as he had a harder time getting less experienced hitters to chase pitches out of the strike zone, particularly his curve. Grabow has made rapid progress through the system and likely will go to Triple-A this year. He could be in the Pittsburgh rotation by 2002, eventually settling in as a No. 3 starter.