John Ennis

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #26 prospect in 2003
  Like Jung Bong and Ryan Langerhans, Ennis had a one-game stint in the majors last year. He made his debut on April 11 against the Phillies, allowing two earned runs in four innings while making an emergency start in place of Albie Lopez. Ennis spent the rest of the year in Double-A. He knows how to set up hitters with his three-pitch repertoire, which includes a low-90s fastball, a hard curveball and a changeup. He'll also throw a slider on occasion to give hitters another something else to think about. Upgrading the overall consistency of his pitches and working on the little things such as fielding and holding runners are on his to do list. He'll be promoted to Triple-A for 2003.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #24 prospect in 2001
  A light came on last year for Ennis. In his first two seasons, the powerful righthander struggled to find consistency until late in 1999, and his progress carried over to 2000. Ennis has developed into a composed pitcher with a thorough understanding of what he wants to accomplish with all of his pitches. His makeup is so strong that one coach said Ennis pitched like a 10-year veteran during instructional league. His low-90s fastball is his best pitch, followed closely by his hard curveball and effective changeup. Ennis also mixes in a slider, though the Braves would prefer he focus on the curveball to reduce the long-term strain on his arm. As with any young hurler, Ennis needs to improve his consistency, particularly with his curveball, which goes flat when his arm tires. Atlanta officials believe if Ennis continues to develop at the same rate this year at Myrtle Beach, much bigger things await.