Chris Booker

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #27 prospect in 2006
  Booker was a member of four different organizations in the last three months of 2005. He finished the year with the Reds before signing with the Nationals as a six-year free agent. The Tigers selected him with the fifth pick of the major league Rule 5 draft and immediately sent him to the Phillies for cash. Booker's mid-90s fastball always has made him an intriguing reliever, but command issues and the lack of a reliable secondary pitch have held him back. He might be best known for becoming the sixth player in minor league history to strike out five batters in an inning back in 2000. Last year, he added a splitter that's a plus pitch at times and enjoyed his best season, culminating with his major league debut on Sept. 5. He also throws a slider. He rarely surrendered homers as a minor leaguer, but allowed two bombs in two innings for the Reds. Booker figures to stick with the Phillies as a middle reliever.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #25 prospect in 2003
  Booker has pitched all of 16 innings for the Reds since being acquired from the Cubs in a mid-2001 deal for Michael Tucker. Nevertheless, Cincinnati placed the fireballer on its 40- man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Booker missed all of 2002 after spring surgery to repair a torn labrum. Before he got hurt, his stature and upper-90s fastball reminded observers of Lee Smith. His splitter, slider and command all needed refinement, but it was easy to project him helping the Reds bullpen in the not-too-distant future. Now Booker's timetable may be pushed back as far as 2004. He likely won't return to the mound until spring training, though he showed his range of motion and flexibility were back in instructional league last October.
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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #30 prospect in 2002
  Anyone who sees Booker's fastball might fantasize about John Wetteland, Robb Nen or another smoke-throwing closer. It's the main reason the Reds asked for him in the trade that sent Michael Tucker to the Cubs last summer. But you won't get any Cincinnati officials to project Booker as a closer just yet, because he's so raw. He's still a thrower, not a pitcher. He can reach 97-98 mph but velocity is essentially his lone asset on the mound. He also throws a slider and a splitter, neither of which is major league-ready. He must develop one of those two pitches to complement his fastball. If Booker can do that, he'll reach the majors in a hurry. He's likely to begin 2002 in Double-A to work on his command.