Jonah Bayliss

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #15 prospect in 2007
  The Pirates were happy just to shed themselves of Mark Redman's $4.5 million salary when they traded him to Kansas City in 2005. They got two minor league relievers in return, and it turns out they got a useful piece in Bayliss, who finished fourth in the Triple-A International League in saves last season. His career took a major step forward in 2005 when the Royals converted him from starter to reliever. Bullpen work fits the former high school hockey star's mentality better and allows him to more often use his best pitch, a fastball that picked up a few ticks in 2006 to 94-95 mph with good movement. Bayliss, befitting a former starter, still has a slider, split-finger fastball and changeup in his arsenal. While the slider became more reliable last season, he needs to throw it for strikes more often. The other pitches are now pretty much just for show. Bayliss enjoys the challenge of closing and will handle that role again if he's sent back to Triple-A to begin this season. However, he'll have a good shot to earn a spot on the major league roster in spring training and work in middle relief.
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  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #27 prospect in 2006
  One of two righthanders acquired from the Royals for Mark Redman over the winter (the other, Chad Blackwell, just missed this prospect list), Bayliss threw a no-hitter at NCAA Division III Trinity (Conn.) in 2002 and another for low Class A Burlington in 2003. He's not likely to throw another one following a successful move to the bullpen last year after three seasons as a starter. He made his major league debut June 22 with a perfect inning against the White Sox. Working in relief helped Bayliss improve his stuff, and he felt more comfortable in that role that he had in the rotation. His fastball jumped from hovering around 90 mph to an easy, consistent 93 mph. It runs and rides in on righthanders, making it a nice complement to his changeup, which fades and sinks. His slider also improved into a strikeout pitch with depth. His success carried over into the Arizona Fall League, and he should get a chance to make the Pirates in 2006.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #12 prospect in 2004
  Bayliss was the New England Small College Athletic Conference pitcher of the year as a junior at Trinity in 2002, going 8-1, 2.43. He threw a seven-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts for Trinity, then topped the feat with a nine-inning, nine-strikeout no-no for Burlington last year. It was his best performance of an otherwise ugly second half, as he wore down. Bayliss has a 91-94 mph fastball that tops out at 96 and has good life. His slider, a second above-average pitch, reaches the low 80s. His curveball is a 12-to-6 hammer but is inconsistent. His changeup has a chance to be average but is mostly a show-me pitch. Bayliss works a lot of deep counts and must gain better command so he can throw quality strikes rather than laying pitches cross the heart of the plate. He can be guilty of trying to throw everything hard in a quest for strikeouts and could benefit from pitching to contact more often. Bayliss has a workhorse build but sometimes throws across his body and fails to finish pitches. The Royals adjusted his delivery slightly in instructional league, and it made his stuff more consistent. He and Colt Griffin will anchor the high Class A rotation this year.