Roberto Novoa
| IP | 141 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.532 |
| WHIP | 1.504 |
| BB/9 | 4.021 |
| SO/9 | 7.34 |
- Full name Roberto Novoa
- Born 08/15/1979 in Las Matas De Farfan, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 07/29/2004
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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When the Tigers had no desire to go to arbitration with Randall Simon following the 2002 season, they were able to trade him to the Pirates for three minor leaguers. First lefthander Adrian Burnside and then third baseman Kody Kirkland appeared to be the prize of that deal for Detroit, but now it's Novoa who looks like the biggest keeper. He became the first of the trio to reach the majors, doing so last July. A starter throughout his career before last season, Novoa moved to the bullpen and took a step forward. He gradually grew into the closer role in Double-A, but his future is as a long reliever or setup man. Tall and gangly, Novoa consistently throws in the low 90s and up to 95 mph with sinking action on his fastball. He has solid command of his hard, slurvy breaking ball. When Novoa keeps his fastball down in the strike zone, he's effective. When he gets the ball up, which he did too often with the Tigers, he gets hit hard. Pitching out of the bullpen, he didn't worry about his changeup or splitter as much as he did while in the rotation. Detroit needs relievers, so Novoa could begin 2005 in the majors if he has a good spring. If not, he'll bide his time in Triple-A. -
Along with Kody Kirkland, Novoa and lefthander Adrian Burnside were the players acquired from the Pirates for Randall Simon. The reason the Tigers wanted Novoa remains the reason why they're confident he'll be part of the big league staff in the near future. He's a tall righthander who consistently throws between 93-95 mph with nice sink on his fastball. He also has a quick-breaking curveball that some scouts refer to as a slurve. Novoa commands both pitches well. He's also developing a splitter that hasn't become a factor yet. Novoa was used as a starter last season, but doesn't have a useable changeup and is essentially a two-pitch pitcher. In all likelihood he'll be a set-up man in the majors, but he'll probably pitch out of the Double-A rotation in 2004 to give him more innings to work on a third pitch. -
The first of two players to be named in the Randall Simon trade, Novoa has a live arm but also some negatives. After a solid U.S. debut in 2001, Novoa was found to be two years older than originally thought. He also was hammered in low Class A, forcing him to repeat the short-season level. Novoa has a mid-90s fastball and a hard, biting slider. Unlike many young power pitchers, Novoa consistently throws strikes. He needs better command within the strike zone, as he tends to try to get away with high fastballs that can be hit. Novoa's changeup is decent but must be fine-tuned in order to give him the offspeed pitch he needs to complement his hard stuff. Some Pirates officials said they thought Novoa could be a dominant closer, but the Tigers will keep him as a starter in low Class A this year. -
Though Novoa was mediocre in the Dominican Summer League in 2000, the Pirates decided to bring him to the United States last season. He made a seamless transition, going from extended spring training to the New York-Penn League, where he helped Williamsport win a share of the championship. Novoa has a projetable frame at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. He already has an explosive fastball that tops out at 94 mph, and as he fills out he eventually could reach 98. The heater moves so much that Williamsport's catchers had trouble corralling it. Despite the life on his heater, Novoa can throw it for strikes. His other pitches are in the rudimentary stages at this point. He doesn't have a consistent breaking ball and is still developing a feel for a changeup. Like many young pitchers, he needs to work on little things like his pickoff move and fielding. Novoa will join the Hickory rotation this season, though his long-term role might be in relief if he can't develop a complement for his fastball.
Minor League Top Prospects
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After going 5-5, 3.39 for Williamsport a year ago, Novoa was promoted to the Sally League for the first half of the 2002 season. He showed flashes of dominance, but his inconsistency earned him a return trip to the NY-P. One of the most electric young arms in the Pittsburgh system, Novoa can run his fastball up to 97 mph. He also throws a hard-biting, 80-82 mph slider and a developing changeup. He's just starting to figure pitching out, and if he puts everything together he'll be very tough. He's already throwing strikes but needs better command within the strike zone.
