Anthony Reyes Stats & Scouting Report

IP	293
ERA	5.13
WHIP	1.379
BB/9	3.655
SO/9	6.297

Full name Anthony Loza Reyes
Born 10/16/1981 in Downey, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Southern California
Debut 08/09/2005
Drafted in the 15th round (455th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2003.

View Draft Report

It's been three years now since RHP Anthony Reyes was at his dominant best for Southern California. Late in his freshman year, Reyes' stuff was so electric that he outpitched teammate Mark Prior. He looked like a cinch first-rounder in the 2002 draft, but that didn't happen as his magic stuff disappeared and Reyes lasted until the 13th round. He returned for his senior year and only occasionally showed flashes of his previous ability. A fastball that once topped at 93 mph is just 89-90 now; the depth and nastiness of his breaking stuff are no longer evident. The easy, effortless delivery is there still, just not the stuff. Reyes has never had surgery but nagging elbow injuries have taken a toll. He was shut down again this year after two starts with tendinitis, and had a 1-3, 5.18 record with two starts left. Scouts admit they aren't sure what to make of Reyes. They see him as an eighth- to 12th-rounder but know he would be a steal if he gets back on track.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Reyes is looking more and more like the steal of the 2003 draft. Persistent injuries plagued him throughout his career at Southern California, but the Cardinals bet he could return to the dominant form he showed as a sophomore if he could get healthy. They took him in the 15th round, and by and large they've been right. Reyes has been bothered by occasional shoulder inflammation as a pro, but he has suffered no major injuries and has moved quickly through the system in just two seasons. In an organization that didn't have such a well-stocked major league pitching staff, Reyes could have been pressed into service in 2005. But the Cardinals had five reliable starters and were happy to keep him at Triple-A Memphis for more seasoning. He did get a spot start in August and allowed just two hits in 61⁄3 shutout innings against the Brewers, then returned to Memphis and struck out 15 in his next start. He was often dominant in the Pacific Coast League, ranking first in baserunners per nine innings (10.0), second in strikeouts per nine (9.5) and third in opponent average. While he's probably not a No. 1 starter, Reyes has the frame, stuff and command to pitch toward the front of a major league rotation. He makes hitters put the ball in play, trusts his defense and doesn't beat himself. He pitches consistently at 92-93 mph and occasionally reaches into the mid-90s, and his slider and changeup are effective complements to his fastball. His changeup has late sink and improved significantly as the season went on. He also worked on getting more movement on his fastball and began using a two-seamer effectively to get more sink. His command, which managers rated the best in the PCL, makes all of his pitches more effective. He not only stays ahead and avoids walks but also spots his pitches to both sides of the plate and keeps hitters off balance. Reyes has no obvious flaws in his repertoire. He continues to work on improving his durability, but until he stays completely healthy for a full season that will remain a question. He worked 142 innings in 2005, but he missed three weeks after spraining a joint in his shoulder in May and often took more than four days between starts. The elbow problems that bothered him at Southern California haven't returned, but his shoulder has bothered him in each of his two pro seasons. Some scouts worry that his arm action will always lead to injury problems. With the Cardinals losing free agent Matt Morris to the Giants, Reyes will be the frontrunner for a spot in the big league rotation. If no opening exists, he could compete for a bullpen job. He's easily the next pitcher in line for the St. Louis staff, and his combination of stuff and aptitude should allow him to be a contributor right away.
Back in 2000, Reyes was a freshman at Southern California and looked every bit as dominant as teammate Mark Prior as the Trojans advanced to the College World Series. But while Prior got on the fast track to Chicago with the Cubs, Reyes faltered in his sophomore and junior seasons, thanks to a series of nagging elbow injuries. Once regarded as a cinch first-rounder, he fell to the 13th round of the 2002 draft and turned down the Tigers to return for his senior season. Elbow tendinitis limited him again and he slipped even further to the Cardinals in the 15th round in 2003. Now Reyes looks like he could be the steal of that draft. He missed six weeks early last season with shoulder inflammation, but after that he made every start and had no arm problems. More significant, he showed the same dominant stuff that once made him a premium prospect in college. After just six starts at high Class A Palm Beach he was promoted to Double-A Tennessee, where scouts and managers regarded him as the second-best pitching prospect in the Southern League, behind only Jose Capellan. The Cardinals didn't send Reyes anywhere to pitch over the winter, instead putting him on a workout program in an effort to make sure his arm remains sound. Reyes has everything teams look for in a front-of-the-rotation starter, from his body to his stuff. His fastball was up to 94-96 mph by the end of the 2004 season--after dipping into the high 80s during the worst stretches of his college career--and he generally worked anywhere from 90-95 with running life. His breaking ball and changeup also made significant progress. His 81-83 mph slider shows good, tight spin at times, and his changeup bottoms out late. Command may be Reyes' biggest strength, however. He works hitters effectively to all four quadrants and attacks their weaknesses. Even when he was battling arm problems, Reyes maintained his easy delivery. He also has a great work ethic and does the little things well. One manager said Reyes' inside pickoff move to second base was as good as any he'd seen. Until he gets a full, healthy season under his belt, Reyes' durability will continue to be a question. The Cardinals are handling him carefully, and he threw more than 100 pitches just once last year--108 in a start after he had an extra day of rest. His secondary pitches still need work. His slider can get slurvy at times, and he has limited experience throwing his changeup. Some scouts have questioned his arm action, but others who saw him last year said it wasn't a problem and St. Louis agrees. Though he has made just 18 pro starts, Reyes is an experienced pitcher who could move quickly provided he can keep taking the mound every fifth day. The Cardinals have no obvious pitching prospects ahead of him, so he could get to St. Louis as soon as the second half of the 2005 season. He'll be expected to win a spot in the Triple-A Memphis rotation out of spring training.
Reyes gained national attention as a freshman at Southern California in 2000, pitching better than teammate Mark Prior at times as the Trojans advanced to the College World Series. But while Prior built on that experience, Reyes failed to live up to expectations and struggled with injuries. He had elbow tendinitis in 2002 and his velocity dropped, so he fell to the 13th round of the draft. He declined to sign with the Tigers and opted to return for his senior year to improve his stock, but he showed only flashes of his previous form and again struggled with elbow problems. The Cardinals took a chance on him in the 15th round, and he looked like he might be returning to form in instructional league. His fastball, which ranged from 89-94 mph in college, was back in the low 90s, and his slider was sharp again. Reyes never lost his effortless delivery, and if his stuff returns he could be the steal of the 2003 draft. His command also is expected to be strong, but that's of secondary concern at this point. The Cardinals are anxious to send Reyes to one of their Class A affiliate to see if he can keep up the encouraging results.

Minor League Top Prospects

Reyes dominated the PCL in 2005, when he ranked 11th on this list, and he was even better this year. Shuttled between Memphis and St. Louis, he won five of his last six starts for the Redbirds and walked just 11 batters in 13 Triple-A outings. "Anthony was asked to do a lot this year," Scheaffer said. "He handled going back and forth very well. When he returned the final time in August, he came back with a purpose. That extended taste in St. Louis showed him what he needed to do to stay there and he was determined to make those adjustments." Reyes did a better job of working off his fastbal, which sits at 92-93 mph and tops out in the mid-90s. His improved approach also led to better control and made his slider and changeup more effective. Most important, he stayed injury-free for the first time since 2001 and worked a career-high 169 innings between the majors and minors.
Reyes would have seen more major league time with most other organizations, but all five of the Cardinals' starters stayed healthy all season. St. Louis gave him one start in August to give its rotation an extra day of rest, and he responded by allowing just two hits in 6 1/3 shutout innings against Milwaukee. After returning to Memphis, he fanned 15 in his next outing. Easily the best prospect in the Cardinals system, Reyes has good stuff and throws it for strikes. His 92-93 mph fastball can touch 95, and his sinking changeup improved significantly in the second half of the season. His slider also is effective, and managers rated his command the best among PCL pitchers. Reyes would rank higher on this list if he could stay healthy. He had elbow problems in his final three years at the University of Southern California and has been limited in each of his two pro seasons by shoulder trouble. He missed three weeks after spraining a joint in his shoulder in May, and scouts worry that his arm action will lead to further injuries.
While Capellan was regarded as a better prospect, most managers agreed that if they needed to win one game this season, they'd want Reyes on the mound. He made his pro debut this year, needing just seven starts in high Class A before he was ready for Double-A. A 15th-round pick in 2003 after an injury-plagued career at Southern California, he looks like a steal. Reyes' fastball is back to its peak college level, as he worked consistently at 90-95 mph with running life. His slider was 81-83 with tight spin and is a potential knockout pitch, and his changeup is good though he's just learning to throw it. Scouts loved the way Reyes worked off his fastball and he showed good command as well. "He had it all," Jones said. "My hitters would come back to the clubhouse after the game talking about this guy. I already knew he was tough because I saw the swings we were taking." Reyes missed about six weeks early in the season with shoulder inflammation, but he made every start for the Smokies. His durability remains a question, though, and scouts question his arm action.