Rocky Cherry Stats & Scouting Report

Full name Rocky Ty Cherry
Born 08/19/1979 in Dallas, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 235 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Oklahoma
Debut 04/23/2007
Drafted in the 14th round (423rd overall) by the Chicago Cubs in 2002.

View Draft Report

RHP Rocky Cherry would have been more of a factor had he not come down with elbow tendinitis. He hasn't pitched since beating Arizona State in mid-March. When healthy, he'll get plus movement on a 90-91 mph fastball and flash a very good slider. He has added a changeup this year, but probably will go around the 10th round, where the Phillies drafted him in 2001.

Top Rankings

Cherry has been healthy for just 3 1/2 months over the last two seasons, but the Cubs protected him on their 40-man roster this offseason because they were certain they'd lose him in the major league Rule 5 draft if they didn't. He made just three starts in 2005 before needing surgery to reconstruct his elbow, which had bothered him since his college days at Oklahoma. He developed a bone spur in the middle finger of his pitching hand early last season, and pitched through it until it dislodged in mid-July, requiring a minor operation. Chicago had moved him to the bullpen to ease his return from Tommy John surgery, and Cherry was lights out for much of 2006. He threw a heavy 92-93 mph sinker that topped out at 95, and he backed it up with a plus slider that rates as the best in the system. He also owns a usable changeup that he didn't need much while working in relief. Cherry has good control, so all he needs to do in Triple-A is make his slider a little more consistent. Then he'll be ready to help the Cubs.