Mike Esposito Stats & Scouting Report

IP	14
ERA	7.071
WHIP	2.143
BB/9	5.786
SO/9	3.214

Full name Michael Anthony Esposito
Born 09/27/1981 in Los Angeles, CA
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Arizona State
Debut 09/21/2005
Drafted in the 12th round (351st overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2002.

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The 6-foot, 185-pound Esposito was drafted in the fifth round out of a Las Vegas high school in 1999 and has struggled living up to the pick. Most of his struggles have been health-related. Tommy John surgery sidelined him after two appearances as a freshman in 2000, and he hasn't been 100 percent healthy since. He battled arm soreness almost on a weekly basis this season in rolling up an 8-5, 3.21 record with 85 strikeouts in 85 innings. Some starts were outstanding, some less so, and his overall performance left scouts scratching their heads. When he's on top of his game, such as when he struck out 17 in a Pac-10 game against Washington, Esposito has three pitches working. His fastball ranges 89-92 mph with a high of 94, and he has a big hammer curve and a lively changeup. When it's not working, he loses the command and velocity on his fastball. Through it all, Esposito has shown a great feel for his craft. Most teams view him as a third-rounder, with a couple that like him enough to spring him by the second round.

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Organization Prospect Rankings

Injuries slowed Esposito throughout his amateur career. He had Tommy John surgery in his freshman year at Arizona State, and developed forearm stiffness during the spring of his junior year. The Rockies, however, saw enough when he was healthy to sign him for $750,000 as a 12th-rounder in 2002. In two full pro seasons he has made solid progress and stayed away from the trainer's room. He is not overpowering but throws quality strikes and mixes four effective pitches. His fastball generally sits at 89 mph, and he showed improvement with both his curveball and slider last year. The changeup is his fourth pitch, but he needs to use it earlier in counts to keep hitters off his fastball. He will get quick in his delivery and it costs him control, but that can be smoothed out quickly. Esposito will open 2005 at Colorado Springs if he has a good spring, but he could wind up back at Tulsa.
One of the top college pitching prospects entering 2002, Esposito scared off teams when he developed forearm stiffness late that spring. He already had Tommy John surgery two years earlier, and he dropped to the 12th round. When the Rockies were unable to sign second-rounder Micah Owings away from Georgia Tech, they used the money earmarked for him to give Esposito a $750,000 bonus. He signed too late to pitch that season, but after a tuneup in instructional league, he went directly to high Class A for his pro debut. Esposito has solid command of four average pitches. His two-seam and four-seam fastballs range from 88-93 mph, and he also throws a curveball and changeup. He still needs to learn to trust himself. Esposito pitches away from contact early in the count, rather than aggressively challenging hitters. At 6 feet tall, he doesn't generate much downhill plane on his pitches, though he does generate good sink on his two-seamer. He'll make the move to Double-A to open 2004.
Esposito was a Reds fifth-round pick out of high school. Entering 2002, he projected to go in the top two rounds of the draft despite having Tommy John surgery as a freshman two years earlier. He battled a sore arm throughout last spring, which coupled with his bonus demands caused him to slip all the way to the 12th round. When the Rockies failed to sign second-rounder Micah Owings, who opted to attend Georgia Tech, they spent that money on Esposito, who got a $750,000 bonus. As a 5-foot-11 righthander with a history of arm trouble, he's not exactly a scout's dream. But Esposito does have an 88-93 mph fastball and the makings of a plus changeup. His curveball can be a hammer at times, and he has an average slider. The biggest question, obviously, is his durability. He'll probably start his pro career in low Class A.