Cory Gearrin Stats & Scouting Report

IP	304
ERA	3.612
WHIP	1.313
BB/9	3.878
SO/9	8.378

Full name Cory Nathanial Gearrin
Born 04/14/1986 in Chattanooga, TN
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mercer University
Debut 04/25/2011
Drafted in the 4th round (138th overall) by the Atlanta Braves in 2007 (signed for $186,750).

View Draft Report

After one year at Young Harris (Ga.) Junior College, Gearrin talked his way into a tryout in Cape Cod last summer and pitched his way into prospect status. He recorded 41 strikeouts in 27 innings for Cotuit and ranked as the Cape Cod League's No. 29 prospect. A sidearmer who uses a low-90s fastball and a sweeping slider that he can start at righthanders' back pocket and sweep back across the plate, Gearrin allowed just five hits in his first 30 innings of work at Mercer this spring and didn't allow a run until March 20. Though he allowed six earned runs over 1 2/3 innings in an April 6 loss to Lipscomb, he bolted down back-to-back saves against Miami to start the season. A high school middle infielder, Gearrin dropped his arm slot, moved to the mound and has gradually grown into his delivery. His fastball has late movement and deception at 88-91 mph, and he leans on his 76-79 mph slider for swings and misses. He profiles as a situational reliever and could be drafted as high as the third round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

When Peter Moylan went on the disabled list last April, the Braves replaced the sidearming Australian with another sidewinder in Gearrin. He posted a 3.60 ERA in 13 appearances before returning to Triple-A in early June. When Atlanta recalled him a month later, he surrendered 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings over five outings and was demoted to Gwinnett for the rest of the year. Gearrin cuts his pitches across the plate with Frisbee-style life that helps produce groundballs. He works mainly with an 89-91 mph fastball with late movement and a sweeping 77-80 mph slider. He does a good job of adding and subtracting from his pitches, though his control tends to waver. Gearrin is tough on righthanders, who batted just .143/.260/.167 with 18 strikeouts in 50 plate appearances against him in the majors. Lefties see him a lot better, however, and pounded him to the tune of .393/.514/.643 in the big leagues. His splits were pronounced but not as extreme in the minors. With Moylan having offseason rotator-cuff surgery, Gearrin never will have a better opportunity to stick with the Braves than he'll get in spring training. He could claim a middle-relief role if he can figure lefthanders out.
The sidewinding Gearrin went from a virtual unknown in two years at Young Harris (Ga.) JC to a star in the Cape Cod League in 2006. He continued to shine last spring upon transferring to Mercer, posting back-to-back saves against Miami and allowing no runs until March 20. The Braves drafted him in the fourth round last June and signed him for $186,750. The former high school middle infielder mixes an 88-91 mph fastball with a Frisbee slider in the upper 70s that starts behind righthanders before slicing horizontally across the plate. His fastball possesses late movement and excellent deception, and his overall feel for pitching is impressive considering his relative lack of experience on the mound. Gearrin continues to work on repeating his unorthodox delivery. A projected setup man with possible closer ability, he should begin 2008 in low Class A and could move quickly.