Levale Speigner
| IP | 48 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 9.188 |
| WHIP | 2.083 |
| BB/9 | 5.438 |
| SO/9 | 3.75 |
- Full name Jimmy Levale Speigner
- Born 09/24/1980 in Thomasville, GA
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Auburn
- Debut 04/02/2007
- Drafted in the 14th round (418th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2003.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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A good athlete who played shortstop and pitched for Thomasville (Ga.) High, Speigner worked mostly as a starter his first three years at Auburn, but he allowed 18 home runs as a junior and the Tigers moved him to the bullpen for his 2003 senior year. He flourished in the role, going 10-0, 2.42, and the Twins drafted him in the 14th round. Speigner continued to work out of the bullpen in his first two pro seasons before moving back to the rotation at Double-A New Britain in 2005. He had his best pro season as a closer in 2006, and the Nationals took him with the first pick of the second round of the major league Rule 5 draft. Speigner attacks hitters with a two-pitch mix--an 89-94 mph fastball with good life, and a hard curveball that can be an above-average pitch at times. He has never posted big strikeout numbers, and he needs to improve against lefthanders, but he has the stuff to be a useful reliever in the majors for Washington in 2007. If he doesn't stick on the big league roster, he'll have to clear waivers and be offered back to Minnesota for half of his $50,000 draft price.
