Bryan Brickhouse
| IP | 376 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.5 |
| WHIP | 1.38 |
| BB/9 | 4.476 |
| SO/9 | 8.186 |
- Full name William Bryan Brickhouse
- Born 06/06/1992 in The Woodlands, TX
- Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School The Woodlands
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Drafted in the 3rd round (95th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2011 (signed for $1,500,000).
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Brickhouse is the latest strong-armed pitcher to come out of The Woodlands, which also spawned first-rounders Kyle Drabek (2006) and Jameson Taillon (2010). He won't go quite as high in the draft, and the Tar Heel State native may not be signable away from a North Carolina scholarship if he doesn't. Brickhouse will show good stuff at times, but he doesn't always maintain it past a few innings or throw strikes with it. He has two plus pitches in a 90-93 mph fastball that peaks at 95 and a spike curveball with 11-5 break. The curve sometimes morphs into a slider, and he has the beginnings of a changeup. Six-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he's not particularly big or athletic. He has effort in his delivery and doesn't always stay on top of his pitches. If he can develop consistency, Brickhouse might be a No. 3 starter. He also profiles well as a late-inning reliever who could focus on attacking hitters with his fastball and breaking ball. He helped his cause with a strong performance in the Texas 5-A state playoffs, striking out 11, 12 and 13 batters in his three starts.
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When The Woodlands' baseball program holds an alumni get-together, first-rounders Jameson Taillon and Kyle Drabek and 2013 MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt should be the first to offer to pay for dinner, but Brickhouse can chip in as well. In the Royals' final spending spree under the old draft rules, Brickhouse signed for $1.5 million, nearly $1.2 million above slot for the third round. After a rough debut in 2012, he took significant steps forward in a second try at low Class A before elbow problems sidelined him in early June. One of a number of Royals pitchers to have Tommy John surgery in 2013, Brickhouse is expected to be sidelined until roughly the middle of 2014. Before the injury, Brickhouse was getting groundballs with a heavy 90-95 mph fastball that shows natural sink and late movement, especially when he's getting on top of his two-seamer. His breaking ball is less consistent, and he struggles to maintain his arm speed when throwing his changeup. Brickhouse did a good job of refining his delivery and improving his ability to repeat it, but the stocky righthander still shows some effort. Now he'll be effectively starting over as he works back from a lengthy rehab. -
The Royals knew the 2011 draft would be the last chance to spend money under less restrictive bonus rules, with a new labor agreement bringing spending restrictions in 2012, so they spent $14.1 million in bonuses. Brickhouse was one of the beneficiaries, getting $1.5 million in the third round to give up his commitment to North Carolina. He throws nearly as hard as former high school teammate Jameson Taillon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Pirates, though Taillon has better feel and secondary stuff. At his best, Brickhouse has a fastball that touches 95-96 mph with excellent late movement that leads more to weak contact than strikeouts. His breaking ball and changeup are inconsistent, but both show flashes of being plus offerings. His biggest problem is that his command often disappears for batters or innings at a time because he struggles to repeat his delivery. As with many young fireballers, his control will determine his fate. If Brickhouse solves his mechanics, he could be a No. 2 or 3 starter. If not, he'll likely end up as a power reliever. It's possible that he could repeat low Class A at the beginning of 2013 to help build his confidence. -
Brickhouse is the latest in a long line of power pitchers from The Woodlands (Texas) High, following former first-round picks Kyle Drabek and Jameson Taillon. A third-round pick last June, Brickhouse signed for $1.5 million--a higher bonus than nine first-round picks got in the 2011 draft. He's a good friend of Taillon, and watching the No. 2 overall choice in 2010 going through the draft process helped prepare Brickhouse for the spotlight of getting scouted in every start. He's not as physical or athletic as Taillon, but Brickhouse still features a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and touches 97. He throws both a curveball and a slider, but they're similar enough that they'll likely end up as one breaking ball. The curve shows promise with a tight 11-5 break at times. His changeup needs lots of work, as is the case with many young pitchers. Brickhouse has to refine his delivery to stop collapsing on his front side. When that happens, he shows the ball too early and struggles to control his fastball. Some scouts see Brickhouse as a hard-throwing reliever, but the Royals believe he has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter. As a relatively polished high school pitcher, he could reach low Class A at some point in 2012, though he'll probably make his pro debut at Idaho Falls.
