Hayden Penn Stats & Scouting Report

IP	82
ERA	9.549
WHIP	2.183
BB/9	6.256
SO/9	5.817

Full name Hayden Andrew Penn
Born 10/13/1984 in Santee, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'3" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Santana
Debut 05/28/2005
Drafted in the 5th round (136th overall) by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002.

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Penn did not help himself with a mediocre senior season. He struggled with inconsistent performances, yet could still go in the first five rounds if a club buys into his projection. He has a good, loose athletic body and could excel if he gets things straightened out. His velocity fluctuated between 86 and 91 mph, and he'll need to come up with an offspeed pitch to complement his fastball. Penn, who was a good enough high school basketball player to command Division I interest, has committed to San Diego State but would prefer to try his hand at pro ball.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Penn had made fast progress but wasn't ready for the big leagues when he got an emergency callup at the end of May. Injuries to the Baltimore staff kept him there for almost six weeks. Because of his struggles and mention in midseason trade rumors, he lost focus when he first returned to Double-A, but recaptured his form in August. Three plus pitches that he throws for strikes give Penn a strong foundation, and he complements his stuff with strong aptitude and the attitude that he always can beat the hitter. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 96, and his changeup is his second-best pitch. Polishing his curveball filled the missing piece in his repertoire. As big league hitters showed him, Penn needs to improve his fastball command. He tends to leave too much of the ball in the hitting zone. He tried to overthrow when he was in Baltimore. Like Nick Markakis, Penn could use more seasoning but may be the best solution to filling a big league hole. Even if he doesn't break camp with the team, he'll be in Baltimore sometime in 2006.
Penn's baseball experience and success were limited in high school because he spent a lot of time on the basketball court. He was the eastern San Diego player of the year after averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds a game as a senior. He broke out in 2004, jumping to Double- A and being named Baltimore's minor league pitcher of the year. Penn has the stuff to pitch at the front of a rotation. His plus changeup is his best pitch now, and he also has an 89-92 mph fastball that touches 94 and a curveball that's above-average when it's on. What the Orioles really like, though, is his savvy. He pitches above his experience, working inside, pitching to contact and showing a knack for reading hitters' weaknesses. Penn mainly needs innings. He pitched half a season in 2003, and opened 2004 in the Delmarva bullpen to reduce his workload. His curveball still requires work. It's early, but Penn's fast progress got the Orioles excited. He'll go back to Double-A Bowie to open 2005.
Penn is a rangy athlete who generated interest from NCAA Division I basketball programs. He committed to San Diego State in baseball but signed with the Orioles instead. The team didn't sign him until August because of budget concerns, so he'll make his pro debut in 2003. Penn has a live arm with a fastball that ranges from the low to mid-90s and a hard slider. His build, which one scout compared to Todd Stottlemyre's, offers good projection. He's very much a work in progress, though. Penn had a mediocre senior season in high school and was inconsistent because of his mechanics, which caused his velocity and control to vary wildly. His slider needs work and his changeup is virtually nonexistent right now. The Orioles will start him in extended spring training and just get him used to playing baseball every day before sending him to one of their short-season clubs. He has a high ceiling if he can harness his arm.

Minor League Top Prospects

Penn's fantastic season went largely unnoticed, perhaps because he got a late start while recovering from shoulder soreness and then missed all of June following an emergency appendectomy. Though he gave up 22 runs in his first three starts for Baltimore this year, he should be ready to claim a rotation spot at some point next year. Penn is a top competitor with quality stuff that he commands well, including a low-90s fastball that he can dial up to 96 mph. His changeup and improved curveball are also above-average offerings at times. Because his offspeed pitches are so good, batters had the most success jumping on his fastball early in counts when it caught too much of the plate.
Despite having only one full pro season under his belt, Penn was promoted to the big leagues in late May. He wasn't ready for the jump and got knocked around before returning to Bowie with a lack of confidence. After rumors he'd be traded proved false, he settled in and finished strongly. Under the tutelage of Bowie pitching coach Larry McCall, Penn sped up his delivery, which quickened his arm and improved the snap on his curveball. His low-90s fastball, curve and changeup all have the potential to be plus offerings once he learns to command them better. He corrected a problem where he was tipping off his curve by how he held his glove, which undoubtedly contributed to his midseason slump.
Penn started his first full season this year in low Class A Delmarva working out of the bullpen. He moved up to high Class A in early June and finished the year at Double-A Bowie, where he went 3-0, 4.87 in 20 innings. Penn throws his fastball in the 92-93 mph range, touching 95. The pitch also features good sink and arm-side run at times. As he moved up to Frederick, his secondary offerings--a late-breaking curveball and changeup--improved to the point where he had three quality offerings. "He's got an above-average arm and is an excellent athlete who fields his position well," Frederick pitching coach Scott McGregor said. "In the time he was here, he went from having flashes of a good curveball and changeup to where they were quality pitches. He's got a simple motion with sneaky quickness."