Santiago Casilla Stats & Scouting Report

IP	645
ERA	3.293
WHIP	1.285
BB/9	3.865
SO/9	8.135

Full name Santiago Casilla
Born 07/25/1980 in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 08/09/2004

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Garcia rocketed though the system in 2004 after a conversion to the bullpen, beginning the year at Low A Kane County and reaching Oakland by August. He continued to pile up strikeouts in 2005 but was dogged by inconsistency, including two blown saves in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League playoffs. Garcia's stuff is closer-worthy. He has an upper-90s fastball with plenty of movement and a plus-plus slider with late break that one scout describes as bordering on illegal. He's aggressive with both pitches and likes to pitch inside. He also has a solid changeup. Garcia still can be plagued by command problems at times. He can get flustered on the mound, beginning to nibble at the corners when struggling to throw strikes. While Huston Street is clearly the closer at the big league level for years to come, Garcia could give Oakland a devastating 1-2 punch in the bullpen. He'll return to Triple-A to begin the season, as the A's want his next callup to the bigs to be his last.
The Athletics always had faith in Garcia's stuff, but nagging arm troubles limited his innings and hindered his development. Moved full-time to the bullpen in 2004, he flourished. He shot from low Class A to the majors and led all minor league relievers with 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Garcia's pitches have drawn comparisons to Eric Gagne's. His fastball sits in the 93-95 mph range with good movement, and he consistently touches 97. His sharp-breaking slider is another plus pitch, and he has a strong changeup. Garcia's control fell apart after he left the Midwest League, as he failed to react well to getting hit and began aiming the ball. He needs to trust his stuff better while also learning that he can get hitters out with more than just his fastball. Like Street, Garcia is in a position to contribute in the majors in 2005. He does need a little more refinement, so he's more likely than Street to begin the year in Triple-A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Garcia can pop 96s and 97s on the radar gun, but his most impressive number is 43. That's how many days it took him to reach the majors after he left the MWL in late June. Making his rush more remarkable, he had just 42 innings of full-season experience before 2004. The Athletics couldn't keep Garcia healthy as a starter, so they made him a full-time reliever this year. He took to his new role immediately, averaging 94 mph with his fastball and keeping hitters off-balance with his slider and splitter. Once he improves the control and consistency of his secondary pitches, which can be devastating when they're on, Oakland could have another Octavio Dotel on its hands. Garcia aggressively attacks hitters and has a closer's mentality.
The Athletics traditionally have fared well in the AZL, winning six titles in 12 years before this year. But they finished out of the running this season, and Garcia, who finished third in the league in ERA, was their only prospect to crack the Top 20. Garcia touched 92 mph with his fastball and threw a good breaking ball. He's still developing his changeup. Though Garcia's AZL statistics were slightly more impressive in 2001, he stood out more for managers this summer.