Jesus Delgado

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Miami Marlins #21 prospect in 2009
  Delgado made great strides in 2008. He served as the Marlins' sole representative at the Futures Game, where he hit 98 mph on the Yankee Stadium radar gun. "Maybe my arm got excited," said Delgado, who later earned a September callup to the majors. Originally signed by the Red Sox in 2001, he missed his first two full pro seasons following Tommy John surgery. Part of the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell trade after the 2005 season, he also spent time on the disabled list in his first two years in the Florida system, with a pulled muscle under his armpit in 2006 and a strained shoulder in 2007. Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, he managed to stay healthy and pumped 94-96 mph fastballs throughout the 2008 season. He backs up his heat with a hard curveball and a tight slider, the latter a more recent addition to his arsenal. He also has a potential plus pitch in his changeup, though he needs to throw it more often. A former outfielder who moved to the mound shortly after Boston signed him, Delgado has good athleticism. His makeup and work ethic are solid, but he can get down on himself at times. He's in the mix for a major league bullpen role in 2009.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #27 prospect in 2008
  Durability remains a concern for Delgado, who again landed on the disabled list in 2007. He missed all of 2002 and 2003 following Tommy John surgery while in the Red Sox system, and most of the second half of 2006 with a pulled muscle under his armpit. Last season, a strained shoulder muscle knocked him out for two weeks at the end of June, an injury believed to be related to his return to the rotation. Part of the Josh Beckett trade with Boston, Delgado embraced the idea of starting for the first time in three years but couldn't handle it physically, frequently tiring in the middle innings. He returned to the bullpen, where he will remain for the foreseeable future. Delgado had a 1.59 ERA in relief last year, and a 5.83 mark as a starter. He profiles as a seventh-inning setup arm, thanks to his low-90s fastball that touches 95 mph and his hard curveball. He also owns a potential plus changeup that he must learn to trust. Originally spotted as an outfielder, Delgado made a quick conversion to the mound after the Red Sox signed him. He shows a solid makeup and work ethic, but he can beat himself up on the mound at times. If he can stay healthy and get on a roll, he could push for a spot in the Marlins' bullpen at some point in 2008.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #16 prospect in 2007
  Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez weren't the only pieces the Marlins got from the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell deal. They also received a pair of righty relievers who spent 2006 in high Class A: Harvey Garcia and Delgado. A Tommy John survivor who already missed two seasons earlier in his career, Delgado suffered through another injurymarred campaign. This time it was a pulled muscle under his armpit that caused him to miss the bulk of the second half. He still showed the potential for three plus pitches: a 92-93 mph fastball that touched 95, a hard curve that came in at 78-82 mph, and a devastating changeup he didn't use nearly enough. A former outfielder, Delgado made a quick conversion to the mound after the Red Sox signed him. His makeup is good and his work ethic is strong. His mix of pitches makes him a candidate to start, but the Marlins rotation depth probably means he'll stay in the bullpen. If he can stay healthy, he projects as a useful option in the middle innings. For now he'll move up to Double-A.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #24 prospect in 2006
  The third of four Red Sox prospects acquired in the Josh Beckett blockbuster, Delgado had one of the best pure arms in the Boston system. The Red Sox discovered him as an outfielder in Venezuela but immediately converted him to the mound. After making his debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League, he blew out his elbow and missed the 2002 and 2003 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since coming back, Delgado has lit up radar guns, sitting at 95-96 mph and peaking at 98. The Red Sox handled him cautiously, and he remains raw. He relied on his fastball as a reliever in 2005, though he did a better job of keeping hitters off balance with his curveball and changeup in the Arizona Fall League. His changeup is his No. 2 pitch now, though his curve occasionally is a swing-and-miss pitch. How well he develops his secondary stuff will determine whether Delgado returns to the rotation or stays in the bullpen, where he has closer ceiling. He doesn't throw with a lot of effort, though Boston was trying to clean up his delivery. Delgado is ready for high Class A, and Florida may put him in the rotation to get him more innings.