Alan Farina

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #14 prospect in 2009
  Farina signed as a third-round pick out of Clemson after improving his velocity and his slider during his junior year by lengthening his stride and getting more extension out front. A turned ankle limited him to 11 innings in his debut, and lingering elbow soreness severely abbreviated his 2008 campaign. Farina went down at the end of May and didn't return until a few days shy of the end of the season. Toronto opted to move him back to the bullpen, where he thrived in college, abandoning plans to convert him into a starter, perhaps permanently. Though he's listed at just 5-foot-11, Farina delivers the ball from a higher three-quarters arm slot and does a good job of generating downhill plane. His four-seam fastball is just filthy, as it sits at 92-93 mph and touches 95 with plus riding action. He can elevate the fastball, too, because he generates such exceptional spin on the ball, making the pitch appear faster. Farina has two quality breaking balls at his disposal, with his two-plane slider ahead of his curveball. He doesn't have much feel for a changeup, nor will he need it in the bullpen. Farina's stuff will play in a big league bullpen, though he'll need to throw more strikes. If healthy, he could reach Double-A in 2009 and be ready for the big leagues not long thereafter.
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  Ranked Toronto Blue Jays #15 prospect in 2008
  A power reliever at Clemson, Farina improved his velocity and slider during his junior season when he lengthened his stride and got better extension out front. The Blue Jays invested a third-round pick and $254,250 in him with the intention of making him a starter because they like his arm action and mechanics. He joins Brett Cecil and Trystan Magnuson as 2007 draftees who will go from college relievers to pro starters, a move Toronto successfully pulled off with David Bush and Shaun Marcum. Because he spins the ball so well out of his hand from a high three-quarters arm slot, Farina gets above-average life on his 91-93 mph fastball, which tops out at 95. Listed at 5-foot-11, Farina also can two-seam the ball and shows two above-average breaking balls at times. His two-plane slider reaches as high as 86 mph and has hard tilt, and his downer curveball also shows promise. A turned ankle limited Farina's innings in his pro debut, but he'll take his first steps toward developing a changeup and improving his stamina in Class A this year.