Chris Lambert
| IP | 33 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 7.364 |
| WHIP | 1.97 |
| BB/9 | 3.818 |
| SO/9 | 7.091 |
- Full name Christopher Raymond Lambert
- Born 03/08/1983 in Burlingame, CA
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Boston College
- Debut 08/26/2008
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Drafted in the 1st round (19th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004 (signed for $1,525,000).
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A New Hampshire high school shortstop who seemed to have a brighter future as a hockey defenseman, Lambert has pitched for just three years. After going undrafted out of high school, he opened eyes at a Perfect Game showcase in Wareham, Mass., in mid-August of 2001 when he ran his fastball into the 91-94 mph range. He received scholarship offers from Louisiana State and Clemson, before he settled on Boston College. He was the Big East Conference rookie of the year and pitcher of the year as a freshman after he went 9-3, 2.76, marking the first time that the same player won both awards in one season, and followed with a similar sophomore season. After posting a 2.12 ERA in the Cape Cod League last summer, he was considered a potential early first-round pick coming into the spring. But inconsistent performance and some bad luck may drop him into the second. He was 5-4, 3.53 this season, though his peripheral numbers are just as strong as past years, including a .203 opponent average. Lambert has a strong frame and quick arm action that enables him to produce fastballs in the 90-96 mph range. His fastball has good tailing action and bores when up in the zone. He does a good job of pitching to the inner and outer parts of the zone. Lambert has a sharp curveball with 11-to-5 break and good rotation. It buckles hitters' knees when he throws it for strikes, which is only sporadically. Command of all his pitches has been an issue, and he had 44 walks in 71 innings this spring. His changeup is a fair pitch, but he slows his delivery when he throws it and drops his arm angle. Lambert has a full-effort delivery and needs to develop a consistent arm angle and smooth out his mechanics.
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Since getting his career off to a promising start, Lambert hasn't adjusted to the upper levels and has struggled to maintain the stuff he showed in college. He has 41 Double-A starts on his resume and an ERA that hasn't yet dipped below 5.00, and as he was getting on a bit of a roll last year he missed time in August with a pulled muscle in his right biceps. Consistency has been the biggest obstacle in his advancement. Lambert was still somewhat raw after three years at Boston College, but he still has the attributes that led to him being a first-round pick: a big, sturdy frame, a low-90s fastball, an improving curveball and a big league changeup. He also throws a slider now, and in fact sometimes relies on it too much instead of working off his fastball. He has made progress with his delivery, reducing his effort, but still needs work on his command and the consistency of all his pitches. He has never shown dominant stuff as a pro. Lambert would have been a tough call for the 40-man roster if the new labor agreement hadn't changed the rules, so he needs to use his extra year to prove something to the Cardinals. They'd like him to win a job in the Triple-A rotation in spring training. -
Though he's a college pitcher, Lambert doesn't have much experience on the mound. He comes from cold-weather New England and concentrated more on hockey in high school. He built on a solid first full season by pitching in the Arizona Fall League and for Team USA in an Olympic qualifying tournament. After looking tired in his first pro summer, Lambert was stronger in 2005. He consistently worked at 91-94 mph and showed better movement with his fastball. He has a good changeup and a potentially dominating curveball. Lambert's curveball is inconsistent, as are his control and his mechanics. There's some effort to his delivery, which affects his ability to repeat it and throw strikes. After moving up to Double-A Springfield, he learned he couldn't just get hitters out with his fastball. Pitchers from the Northeast often struggle with the adjustment to pro ball, but Lambert's performance in the early part of 2005 showed his potential. He'll return to Double-A to start 2006 but should finish the year in the Triple-A rotation. -
Lambert looked like a better hockey prospect coming out of high school in New Hampshire, but he showed a low-90s fastball at a Perfect Game showcase the summer after he graduated and earned a scholarship to Boston College. He was the Big East Conference pitcher and rookie of the year in 2002, but an inconsistent junior season had some wondering if he would go in the first round until the Cardinals took him 19th overall. He signed for $1.525 million. Lambert has a strong frame and quick arm that produce fastballs in the 90-96 mph range with explosive life. He also throws a promising changeup and a slider that can freeze righthanders when he throws it for strikes. Lambert's command was an issue during college and remains one because there's a lot of effort in his delivery. He'll have to smooth out his mechanics, and he needs to add sharpness and depth to his slider. He looked tired in his pro debut, pitching at 88-93 mph. Lambert has limited baseball experience and might not move as quickly as the average first-round college pitcher. He'll begin his first full season in high Class A.
